Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under national security law - top aide

[webfact]

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under national security law - top aide

By Greg Torode and Marius Zaharia

 

Media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily (C) is detained by the national security unit in Hong Kong, China August 10, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested on Monday over suspected collusion with foreign forces under the new national security law in a wide-ranging police operation, the highest-profile arrest yet under the legislation.

 

Lai, 71, has been one of the most prominent democracy activists in the Chinese-ruled city and an ardent critic of Beijing, which imposed the sweeping new law on Hong Kong on June 30, drawing condemnation from Western countries.

 

His arrest marks one of the biggest moments in Beijing's crackdown against pro-democracy opposition in the city and further stokes concerns about media and other freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to China in 1997.

 

It "bears out the worst fears that Hong Kong’s National Security Law would be used to suppress critical pro-democracy opinion and restrict press freedom," said Steven Butler, the Committee to Protect Journalists' Asia programme coordinator.

 

"Jimmy Lai should be released at once and any charges dropped.”

 

The new security law punishes anything China considers subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.

 

Critics say it crushes freedoms in the semi-autonomous city, while supporters say it will bring stability after prolonged pro-democracy protests last year.

 

"Jimmy Lai is being arrested for collusion with foreign powers at this time," Mark Simon, a senior executive at Lai's media company Next Digital, which publishes local tabloid Apple Daily, said early on Monday.

 

Hong Kong police said they had arrested seven people on suspicion of breaching the city's new national security law, citing offences including collusion with foreign powers. They were all local men, aged 39-72, it said, without naming them.

 

Police said the operation was ongoing and further arrests were possible.

 

Apple Daily, which posted on its Facebook page a livestream of police entering its premises and taking the details of those who worked there, reported Lai was taken away from his home in Ho Man Tin early on Monday. The paper said one of Lai's sons, Ian, was also arrested at his home.

 

An Apple Daily source said other senior executives in the company were among those targeted. Police were searching their homes, the source said.

"We are arranging lawyers and so on to defend ourselves. We see this as straight harassment," the source said.

 

Around 10 other people were expected to be arrested on Monday, local newspaper South China Morning Post reported, without naming its sources.

 

Next Digital shares plunged as much as 11% early on Monday.

 

The law has steered China further on a collision course with the West, prompting countries including Australia, Canada and Britain to suspend extradition treaties with Hong Kong.

 

On major cases in Hong Kong, the central government in Beijing can claim jurisdiction. The legislation allows agents to take suspects across the border for trials in Communist Party-controlled courts, one issue that has raised alarm at home and overseas.

 

CHILLING EFFECT

Lai was also arrested this year on illegal assembly charges, along with other leading activists, relating to protests last year.

 

In an interview with Reuters in May, Lai pledged to stay in Hong Kong and continue to fight for democracy even though he expected to be one of the targets of the new legislation.

 

Before Monday, 15 people had been arrested under the law, including four aged 16-21 late last month over posts on social media.

 

The new legislation has sent a chill through Hong Kong, affecting many aspects of life. Activists have disbanded their organisations, while some have fled the city altogether.

 

Slogans have been declared illegal, certain songs and activities such as forming human chains have been banned in schools, and books have been taken off shelves in public libraries.

 

Hong Kong authorities have also issued arrest warrants for six pro-democracy activists who fled the city and who police suspect violated the new security law.

 

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the territory's current and former police chiefs and eight other top officials for what Washington says is their role in curtailing political freedoms in the territory.

 

Beijing's top representative office in Hong Kong described the sanctions as "clowning actions."

 

Beijing and the Hong Kong government have said the law will not affect rights and freedoms, and that it is needed to plug security loopholes. They said it will only target a small minority of "troublemakers."

 

(Reporting by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Lincoln Feast and Gerry Doyle)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-10

 

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[keith101]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Beijing and the Hong Kong government have said the law will not affect rights and freedoms, and that it is needed to plug security loopholes. They said it will only target a small minority of "troublemakers."

We all know this is BS and the laws will be used to suppress the entire population just like Mainland China . 

[KhunKenAP]

China following Thailand's lead on how to treat protesters, or is Thailand following China's with the arrest of the student leaders and charging them with sedition? 

[Susco]

11 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

China following Thailand's lead on how to treat protesters, or is Thailand following China's with the arrest of the student leaders and charging them with sedition? 

China has been Thailand's example for years

Edited August 10, 2020 by Susco

[YetAnother]

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

On major cases in Hong Kong, the central government in Beijing can claim jurisdiction.

the beginning of the end for hong kong; in line with carrie lam's 'election'; wasnt a popular vote election , according to the guardian, only 0.03 % of hong kongers could vote

[SomchaiCNX]

3 hours ago, KhunKenAP said:

China following Thailand's lead on how to treat protesters, or is Thailand following China's with the arrest of the student leaders and charging them with sedition? 

BS and you know that, nothing to do with China.

 

[SomchaiCNX]

Time for a worldwide boycott of China, the biggest (nbc) bully in this area will never stop. 

[yellowboat]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Beijing and the Hong Kong government have said the law will not affect rights and freedoms, and that it is needed to plug security loopholes. They said it will only target a small minority of "troublemakers."

Translations:  Make examples of those prominent figures so as to scare the average Hong Konger.  The average person in Hong Kong has lost all faith in the government.  

[TKDfella]

At 71 I fear he won't be returning as an activist...if we ever hear about him again. 

[GinBoy2]

The rotten truth is HK is just another Chinese city now.

 

Only difference, they drive on the left and have nice taxi's

 

The West can huff and puff, but Beijing has shredded the concept of One Country Two Systems, and unfortunately there is not a lot we can do about it.

 

The arrest of Jimmy Lai is just, but probably the most chilling sign, that it's over for the average HK resident

[nahkit]

7 hours ago, SomchaiCNX said:

Time for a worldwide boycott of China, the biggest (nbc) bully in this area will never stop. 

You've confused the hell out of khunken.