Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily, walks to a prison van to head to court, after being charged under the national security law, in Hong Kong, China December 12, 2020. (Image: Reuters/File Photo)
The crackdown on media freedom has been characterised by censorship, surveillance, arrests, and forced closures
Former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen, and acting chief editor Patrick Lam of Hong Kong’s Stand News, have been found guilty of sedition, marking the first such conviction since the territory was handed over to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. The court determined that 11 out of 17 articles published by Stand News were seditious in nature. This ruling represents the latest effort by the Chinese-backed government in Hong Kong to suppress journalists and media outlets, following the controversial implementation of the National Security Law in June 2020.
The National Security Law (NSL), enacted on the pretext of “securing the long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong,” primarily targets pro-democracy protestors, journalists, and media outlets critical of China in the aftermath of the 2019 protests. This legislation has severely undermined media freedom in the region through stringent controls over media organisations. Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the territory’s only independent public broadcaster, known for its courageous journalism and editorial independence, has been transformed into a state media outlet, following the appointment of pro-China officials in its management team. This shift has led to the resignation of senior staff and the dismissal of journalists who were critical of Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam. Consequently, RTHK has become a propaganda tool that collaborates with Chinese state media to broadcast programmes designed to “instill a strong sense of patriotism” among the populace, while overtly censoring any content that critiques China.
Within a year of the implementation of the NSL, Hong Kong’s prominent independent media outlet, Apple Daily, was compelled to shut down its operations in June 2021, followed by Stand News in December of the same year. In the aftermath of these closures, police conducted raids on their offices, seized assets, and arrested several journalists. In addition to the raids carried out under the NSL, Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, the editor-in-chief and acting editor of Stand News, were arrested for “conspiracy to publish seditious publications”, a charge stemming from colonial-era sedition laws.
Prior to this, Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily and a well-known pro-democracy activist, was arrested under the NSL for allegedly “colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security.” According to Reporters Without Borders, approximately a dozen journalists were detained under the NSL in 2021, a year marked by a new wave of assaults on press freedom. Not only did major independent outlets close, but local publications such as Citizen’s News and Mad Dog Daily also ceased operations, citing escalating safety concerns for their journalists amid the deteriorating media landscape in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the pro-democracy radio station, Citizens’ Radio, was shut down by authorities through restrictions on donations and operational challenges. The crackdown on media freedom has thus been characterised by censorship, surveillance, arrests, and forced closures.
A massive slide in media freedom in Hong Kong is evident in the press freedom index report published by Reporters Without Borders. The territory’s ranking plummeted from 80 to 135 in the 2024 report, reflecting a “very serious situation” regarding press freedom, a trend that has been consistent since 2019. A recent survey conducted by the Hong Kong Journalists Association indicates that press freedom has reached its lowest point in 11 years, largely due to the implementation of the National Security Law (2020) and Article 23 (March 2024). The latter imposes even stricter restrictions on media through harsher penalties.
By broadening the definition of “state secrets,” Article 23 places journalists and media outlets at greater risk in exercising their rights to free journalism, with 92 per cent of journalists reporting that Article 23 has significantly harmed press freedom in Hong Kong. Since the NSL’s enactment, approximately 900 journalists have reportedly lost their jobs, while 28 have faced prosecution under the law, and 10 remain in detention. This repression has led to a growing exodus of journalists and individuals associated with independent media. Foreign media outlets, also at risk under the NSL and Article 23, have responded by relocating, with The New York Times moving its operations to Seoul and others shifting to Taiwan.
The recent convictions of Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, editor-in-chief and acting editor of Stand News respectively, are emblematic of China’s tightening control over Hong Kong through repressive legislation aimed at transforming the once vibrant culture of free journalism into a state-controlled mouthpiece that promotes China’s One-China policy. The targeted attacks on independent journalists, known for their pro-democracy stance and critical analysis of Chinese policies, further illustrate how China has systematically eroded Hong Kong’s regional autonomy that it had previously enjoyed. The onslaught on Hong Kong’s media freedom should be a global concern, as it poses a serious threat to the culture of independent journalism.
The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.