Hong Kong Police Conduct Indiscriminate Raids... Protecting Freedom of the Press
Printing 500,000 Copies, Five Times the Usual, Sold Out
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Cho Young-shin] "Apple Daily will continue to fight"
This is the headline on the front page of Apple Daily, Hong Kong's leading anti-China media outlet.
After the founder Jimmy Lai (黎智英) was arrested on charges of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law, Apple Daily issued a statement article on the 11th (local time) saying, "We must continue to fight."
The day after Jimmy Lai (黎智英), the founder of Apple Daily, was arrested, Apple Daily published an article on the front page on the 11th stating that they will fight to the end to protect freedom of the press. Apple Daily announced that hundreds of Hong Kong police officers raided its headquarters the previous day. While the Hong Kong police claimed they executed the warrant according to the law, Apple Daily argued that they ignored the court warrant and conducted indiscriminate raids.
Apple Daily stated that the freedom of the press, which civilized societies do not tolerate being infringed upon and suppressed, is under attack. They wrote that although the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities think they can silence us through intimidation and threats, we will defend press freedom.
On that day, Apple Daily printed more than 500,000 copies, over five times the usual 100,000 copies.
From 2 a.m. that day, about ten people lined up in Mong Kok, an area mainly inhabited by the working class, waiting for the publication of Apple Daily. Some street vendors said the newspapers sold out during the morning rush hour.
On the same day, the stock price of Next Digital, the parent company of Apple Daily, surged more than 170%. The stock price rose sharply as Hong Kong residents bought shares to show their support.
The Hong Kong police's National Security Department, a unit dedicated to enforcing the Hong Kong National Security Law, arrested Jimmy Lai at his home in the Ho Man Tin area of Hong Kong on the previous morning on charges of violating the law. Hong Kong police also raided Apple Daily's headquarters, arresting executives and conducting searches.
The Hong Kong National Security Law prohibits and punishes collusion with foreign forces, secession, subversion of state power, terrorism, and other acts.
The United States and Canada expressed deep concern over the collapse of press freedom.
Robert O'Brien, U.S. National Security Advisor, said in a statement that day, "We are very concerned about the arrest of Jimmy Lai," pointing out that the arrests of Lai and his colleagues threaten democratization and opposition forces and suppress independent media.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Foreign Ministry said, "The raid on the Hong Kong newspaper and the arrests seriously undermine the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Basic Law," adding, "Canada supports the rights of the media to operate in an environment free from threats and oppression by public authorities, anytime and anywhere."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
