The Hong Kong government is facing international criticism for its actions against press freedom. Two former editors of Stand News, a local news outlet, have been found guilty of conspiring to publish seditious articles. This marks the first sedition case against journalists in Hong Kong since the city’s handover from Britain to China in 1997.
Chung Pui-kuen, the former editor-in-chief, and Patrick Lam, the former acting editor-in-chief, were arrested in December 2021 after a raid on Stand News’ newsroom by over 200 national security police. The media outlet subsequently announced its closure and dismissed all employees. Stand News was known for publishing content supportive of Hong Kong democracy protesters and is one of several media outlets that have shut down since China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020.
The U.S. State Department and the European Union have both criticized the conviction of the Stand News editors for sedition. They view it as an attack on media freedom and a violation of Hong Kong’s international reputation for openness.
The case against Chung and Lam revolved around 17 articles published by Stand News during the 2019-20 pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. Judge Kwok Wai-kin stated that 11 of these articles had “seditious intentions” and accused Stand News of being used as a tool to smear Beijing and the Hong Kong government.
Chung and Lam face up to two years in prison when they are sentenced on September 26th. The conviction has raised concerns among journalists both within Hong Kong newsrooms and international news organizations with bureaus in the city about potential violations of Hong Kong law during their day-to-day operations.
Critics such as Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who chair the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, condemned this latest attack on press freedom by stating that it violates international law.
Hong Kong’s ranking in Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index has dropped significantly since Beijing adopted its National Security Law aimed at silencing independent voices. The International-Parliamentary Alliance on China also expressed support for Chung and Lam while condemning their conviction as an instrument of repression used by authorities in Hong Kong.