The Ransacking Of Next Media Headquarter By The Department For Safeguarding National Security
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The offices of ''
Apple Daily ''Apple Daily'' ( zh, link=no, 蘋果日報) was a popular tabloid published in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2021. Founded by Jimmy Lai, it was one of the best-selling Chinese language newspapers in Hong Kong.
'', once the largest
pro-democracy Democratization, or democratisation, is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be a hybrid regime in transition from an authoritarian regime to a full ...
newspaper in Hong Kong, and its parent company,
Next Digital Next Digital Limited (), previously known as Next Media Limited, founded by Jimmy Lai, has 2,095 employees (as of 30 Sep 2020) and is the largest listed media company in Hong Kong. From 20 October 2015, the company has changed its English na ...
, were raided and executives arrested by the
Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Po ...
on 10 August 2020 and again on 17 June 2021. Some of the arrested and three companies of Next Digital were charged under the
Hong Kong national security law The Hong Kong national security law, officially the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a piece of national security legislation concerning Hong Kong. It ...
. The 26-year-old newspaper was forced to close in June 2021 following the raids and freezing of its capital.


Background


National Security Law

Before
Hong Kong national security law The Hong Kong national security law, officially the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a piece of national security legislation concerning Hong Kong. It ...
was imposed by the Beijing Government and officially promulgated by the Hong Kong Government on 30 June 2020,
Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed med ...
, the founder of Next Digital, was rumoured to be a target under the new law. Lai insisted on not leaving Hong Kong; during two interviews on 16 and 29 June he said that he was expecting to be jailed. He also vowed to fight until the last moment.


United States sanctions

The
United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and t ...
announced first round of sanctions against 11 Hong Kong and Chinese officials on 7 August 2020.
Chief Executive of Hong Kong The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of the Government of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the office of governor of ...
Carrie Lam Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ( Cheng; ; born 13 May 1957) is a retired Hong Kong politician who served as the 4th Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022. She served as Chief Secretary for Administration between 2012 and 2017 and Secr ...
,
Secretary for Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
Teresa Cheng,
Secretary for Security The Secretary for Security is the member of the Government of Hong Kong in charge of the Security Bureau, which is responsible for public safety, security, and immigration matters. The post was created in 1973 and since the Principal Offic ...
John Lee John Lee may refer to: Academia * John Lee (astronomer) (1783–1866), president of the Royal Astronomical Society * John Lee (university principal) (1779–1859), University of Edinburgh principal * John Lee (pathologist) (born 1961), English ...
, Police Commissoner
Chris Tang Chris Tang Ping-keung (; born 4 July 1965) is a Hong Kong law enforcement administrator, currently serving the Secretary for Security of Hong Kong since 25 June 2021. He previously served as the Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force from ...
were among those on
SDN list The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, also known as the SDN List, is a United States government sanctions/embargo measure targeting U.S.-designated terrorists, officials and beneficiaries of certain authoritarian regimes, a ...
. The Department denounced Lam's critical role in pushing the later withdrawn extradition bill and the national security law, suppressing the freedom and democracy in Hong Kong. The PRC Government counter-sanctioned 11 US congressmen and politicians on 10 August, including
Josh Hawley Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Hawley served as the 42nd attorney general of Mi ...
, as well as
Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (born May 28, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Florida, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Speaker of the Florida Hous ...
,
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
, and Chris Smith, who had already been sanctioned earlier.


First raid


Events

In the morning on 10 August 2020, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested founder of Next Digital Jimmy Lai. Four senior management staff of the company, CEO Cheung Kim-hung, CFO Royston Chow Tat-kuen, Administrative Director Wong Wai-keung, and Animation Director Ng Tat-kwong, were arrested on suspicion on conspiracy to commit fraud, while Chow was also with the suspicion of collusion with foreign forces under the National Security Law. Two sons of Lai were arrested also under the suspicion of collusion with foreign forces.
Mark Simon Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...
, the adviser to Lai who was not in Hong Kong, was reportedly wanted by the police. He later confirmed on Twitter that Lai had been arrested under the national security law. Nearly 200 police cordoned, raided, and searched the headquarter of Next Digital and ''Apple Daily'' in
Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate (, branded as ) is located in the southeast of the Tseung Kwan O New Town, Sai Kung District in Hong Kong. Location Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate has an area of 75 ha (other sources mention 86 ha Ryan Law Wai-kwong, editor-in-Chief of ''Apple Daily'', asked the cops to show the search warrant issued by the court. ''Apple Daily'' said such request was ignored, but the Police Force later rejected such claim. The administrative Department of ''Apple Daily'' called the staff not to come to work due to unexpected situations. Some journalists were prevented from picturing the office desk by the police, while those at the office had their personal information taken by the police. It was said the departments of local news, breaking news and finance news were raided. Handcuffed Lai was brought to the office at around 11 am. Chan Pui-man, Associate Publisher of ''Apple Daily'', and Law insisted to monitor the raid and argued that the search warrant did not cover the news material, which was echoed by Steve Li Kwai-wah from the National Security Department, although the police took away the materials and threatened to arrest two with suspicion of obstructing police officers. Cheung, also handcuffed, arrived at noon. Lawyers were permitted to reach Lai and Cheung after negotiations with the police. Editors while working and reporters were asked to leave the office, blocked from taking photos of Cheung, and were stopped from entering the editing department of the office. Lai and Cheung left the office at around 1 pm following three-hour raid in the office. Computers, mobile phones, details of the exiled activists and other evidences were said to be taken away. Some pro-Beijing activists celebrated the raid outside the office. Controversies stirred as local and international reporters from
RTHK Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service in Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econom ...
,
Stand News ''Stand News'' ( zh, t=立場新聞) was a free non-profit online news website based in Hong Kong from 2014 to 2021. Founded in December 2014, it was the successor of ''House News''. It primarily focused on social and political issues in Hong ...
, Inmedia, AFP and
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...
were not allowed to enter press area, while media said to be pro-government were allowed in. On the same day, Hong Kong police also arrested three activists:
Agnes Chow Agnes Chow Ting ( zh, t=周庭, born 3 December 1996) is a Hong Kong politician and social activist. She is a former member of the Standing Committee of Demosistō and former spokesperson of Scholarism. Her candidacy for the 2018 Hong Kong Is ...
, Wilson Li Chung-chak and Andy Li Yu-hin, and sent three officers with a court order to the Hong Kong office of
The Nikkei ''The Nikkei'', also known as , is the flagship publication of Nikkei, Inc. (based in Tokyo) and the world's largest financial newspaper, with a daily circulation exceeding 1.73 million copies. The Nikkei 225, a stock market index for the Tok ...
who ran an advert paid for by pro-democracy activists in 2019.


Reactions

The unprecedented raid caused widespread controversy in the international community.


Hong Kong

* Chairman of
Hong Kong Journalists Association The Hong Kong Journalists Association ( Chinese: 香港記者協會) is a Hong Kong association that represents journalists in Hong Kong. Established in 1968, the association acts as a trade union for journalists by seeking to improve work ...
Yeung Kin-hing described the raid as destroying press freedom in Hong Kong, shaping
white terror White Terror is the name of several episodes of mass violence in history, carried out against anarchists, communists, socialists, liberals, revolutionaries, or other opponents by conservative or nationalist groups. It is sometimes contrasted wit ...
in the city only to be seen in the
Third World The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " First ...
. * The Next Digital Trade Union strongly condemned police operation saying it was extremely rare and severe in the history of Hong Kong. The Union criticized the search of news material as an abuse of power and to harass news media, and vowed to guard the post. *
Foreign Correspondents' Club Foreign Correspondents' Club is a group of clubs for foreign correspondents and other journalists. Some clubs are members only, and some are open to the public. Cambodia The Foreign Correspondents' Club in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, is a ...
stated the operation eroded the reputation of Hong Kong and signaled the end of press freedom in Hong Kong. * Several groups from the media released joint statement, urging the police to elaborate on the aim and legal basis of this operation, or else the operation shall be suspended immediately. * 22 Pro-democracy legislators strongly denounced the police as intimidating the media. Now-exiled former legislator
Nathan Law Nathan Law Kwun-chung ( zh, link=no, t=羅冠聰; born 13 July 1993) is an activist and politician from Hong Kong. As a former student leader, he has been chairman of the Representative Council of the Lingnan University Students' Union (LUSU ...
described the arrest operation as "crazy". * Pro-Beijing
DAB DAB, dab, dabs, or dabbing may refer to: Dictionaries * ''Dictionary of American Biography'', published under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies * ''Dictionary of Australian Biography'', published since 1949 Places * Dąb, ...
and FTU supported the police operation as to guard the national security.


People's Republic of China

*
Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council is an administrative agency of the State Council of the People's Republic of China responsible for promoting cooperation and coordination of political, economic and cultural ties betwe ...
of the
State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
firmly supported Hong Kong Police's operation and criticized Lai as a foreign political agent. * Spokesman of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
Zhao Lijian Zhao Lijian (; born 10 November 1972) is a Chinese politician and the deputy director of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department. He is the 31st spokesperson since the position was established in 1983. He joined the foreig ...
insisted China to be a society with rule of law, and supported the action by the Government of HKSAR. * Editor-in-chief of ''
Global Times The ''Global Times'' () is a daily tabloid newspaper under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the ''People's Daily'', commenting on international issues from a Chinese ultra-nationalistic perspective. The publi ...
'',
Hu Xijin Hu Xijin (; born 7 April 1960) is a Chinese journalist and the former editor-in-chief and party secretary of the conservative popular media ''Global Times'', a tabloid under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s official ''People ...
, said in
Weibo Weibo may refer to: * Microblogging in China, or China-based microblogging services (), including: ** NetEase Weibo (), launched by NetEase ** People's Weibo (), launched by ''People's Daily'' ** Phoenix Weibo (), launched by Phoenix Television ** W ...
that Lai was obviously a
hanjian In Chinese culture, the word ''hanjian'' () is a pejorative term for a traitor to the Han Chinese state and, to a lesser extent, Han ethnicity. The word ''hanjian'' is distinct from the general word for traitor, which could be used for any cou ...
, and described the sanctions from the United States as "a rotten egg hitting the rock".


Taiwan

* President
Tsai Ing-wen Tsai Ing-wen (; born 31 August 1956) is a Taiwanese politician serving as president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 2016. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Tsai is the first female president of Taiwan. She served as ...
strongly denounced the Hong Kong government of damaging press freedom, rule-of-law, human rights, and democracy, leading to a
chilling effect In a legal context, a chilling effect is the inhibition or discouragement of the legitimate exercise of natural and legal rights by the threat of legal sanction. A chilling effect may be caused by legal actions such as the passing of a law, the ...
within the media industry. * The
Mainland Affairs Council The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) is a cabinet-level administrative agency under the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China in Taiwan. The MAC is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of the cross-strait relations po ...
denounced the "evil" actions by the Hong Kong government, believing such acts would only shame the international image of CCP and Hong Kong. *
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Su Tseng-chang Hope Su Tseng-chang (; born 28 July 1947) is a Taiwanese politician serving as premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 2019, and previously from 2006 to 2007. He was the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party in 2005 and from 2012 ...
urged CCP to keep the promise of 50-year pledge.


United Kingdom

*The Prime Minister,
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
said the arrest of Next Digital Group founder
Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed med ...
showed that the
Hong Kong National Security Law The Hong Kong national security law, officially the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a piece of national security legislation concerning Hong Kong. It ...
is being used to silence opposition voices and reaffirms that Hong Kong must protect the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people. *
Nigel Adams Nigel Adams (born 30 November 1966) is a British politician who served as Minister of State without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office from 2021 to 2022. A member of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party, he has been Member of Parliament ...
, Secretary of State for Asia at the
UK Foreign Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign ...
, tweeted his deep concern over the arrest of
Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed med ...
and others. *Former Governor
Chris Patten Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, (; born 12 May 1944) is a British politician who was the 28th and last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997 and Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992. He was made a life pe ...
said to
Hong Kong Watch Hong Kong Watch is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in the United Kingdom that was established to monitor the conditions of human rights, freedoms and rule of law in Hong Kong. It was founded by British human rights activist Benedict ...
that the arrest of
Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed med ...
on charges of colluding with foreign powers was "yet another serious crackdown on Hong Kong's freedoms and way of life, and the most outrageous attack on Hong Kong's remaining freedom of the press in living memory."


United States

*In a tweet, U.S. Vice President
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
described the arrest as offensive. Pence tweeted that the arrest of
Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed med ...
was "an affront to freedom-loving people around the world. He recalled his meeting with Lai at the White House and said he was encouraged by his insistence on democracy, rights and Beijing's commitment to giving Hong Kong people autonomy. And he said, "The United States will continue to stand with
Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed med ...
and all freedom-loving people of Hong Kong. *U.S. Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served under President Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018 and as the 70th United State ...
said the arrests proved that the Chinese government had "deprived" Hong Kong of its freedom. Pompeo tweeted, "I am deeply troubled by reports that Hong Kong arrested
Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed med ...
under the draconian national security law.", "Further proof that the Chinese Communist Party has already deprived Hong Kong of its freedoms and eroded the rights of its people. *In a tweet,
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Florida
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019. Scott ...
criticized the
Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
for continuing to silence and intimidate those who speak out for democracy and human rights, adding that the
Hong Kong national security law The Hong Kong national security law, officially the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a piece of national security legislation concerning Hong Kong. It ...
is a tool that directly infringes on Hong Kong's freedom and autonomy.


Others

* Lead spokesperson for the external affairs of European Union Peter Stano and High Representative for Foreign Affairs
Josep Borrell Josep Borrell Fontelles (; born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician serving as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy since 1 December 2019. A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), he served ...
released statements respectively, saying the latest actions were worrying. * United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nati ...
Michelle Bachelet Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 201 ...
called for the review of the National Security Law by Hong Kong authorities. *
Chief Cabinet Secretary The is a member of the cabinet and is the leader and chief executive of the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan. The Chief Cabinet Secretary coordinates the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch, and also serves as the government ...
of Japan
Yoshihide Suga is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2020 to 2021. He had served as Chief Cabinet Secretary during the second administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fro ...
express his deep concern to the arrest of Lai and Agnes Chow. *
Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journa ...
said the arrest of Lai was a proof of the suppressed press freedom in Hong Kong. *
World Association of Newspapers The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization made up of 76 national newspaper associations, 12 news agencies, 10 regional press organisations, and many individual newspaper ex ...
and
World Editors Forum In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
strongly protested the arrest of Jimmy Lai, worrying such could worsen the
self-censorship Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own discourse. This is done out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities or preferences (actual or perceived) of others and without overt pressure from any specific party or insti ...
and suppress critical news report in the city. *Secretary-general Christophe Deloire of
Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
protested Hong Kong Police's decision to arrest Jimmy Lai, stating the charge of colluding foreign forces on Lai was an attempt to outlaw the symbol of press freedom, and urged the Hong Kong Government to drop all charges and immediately release the arrested. *
International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world. It represents more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organisations in 146 countries. The IFJ is an associate ...
was shocked about the arrest of Jimmy Lai. IFJ said Lai should be released immediately and all charges should be dropped.


Effects


Volatile stock

Following the news of Jimmy Lai arrested spread in the city, the stock of Next Digital was volatile as pledge to buy the stock emerged at the online forums. The stock plunged more than 15% after Lai arrested, but then surged nearly 280% in the afternoon, becoming the stock with the best performance in the day. The stock price, at peak, accumulated more than 2,000% of increase in 3 days only, but then plunged again. Police arrested 15 people on suspicion of fraud and money-laundering on 10 September, insisting that the arrest operation only targeted the scam taking advantage of the Next Digital incident instead of the company.


Purchase of newspaper

''Apple Daily'' supporters called for buying newspaper as to show support to the newspaper. The newspaper printed 350,000 copies for 11 August edition, and later raised the number to 550,000 in the early morning of the day, which is significantly higher than the normally 70,000 copies. Queues were seen at the newspaper stalls.


Second raid


Events

In the morning on 17 June 2021, the National Security Department of the
Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Po ...
arrested five Next Digital executives. They included the company's CEO Cheung Kim-hung, COO Royston Chow Tat-kuen, ''
Apple Daily ''Apple Daily'' ( zh, link=no, 蘋果日報) was a popular tabloid published in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2021. Founded by Jimmy Lai, it was one of the best-selling Chinese language newspapers in Hong Kong.
'' editor-in-chief Ryan Law, vice-president Chan Pui-man, and Next Animation Studio chief executive director Cheung Chi-wai. Around 500 police officers and National Security Department officers went straight to the ''Apple Daily'' headquarters in
Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate (, branded as ) is located in the southeast of the Tseung Kwan O New Town, Sai Kung District in Hong Kong. Location Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate has an area of 75 ha (other sources mention 86 ha


Police asked reporter to leave the desk

When the police arrived, there were about 20 employees in the ''Apple Daily'' building, including several reporters and cleaners. The police asked everyone to lay down their work and gather in the lobby on the second floor. The police then registered their ID cards and then asked them to stop work and leave, the reporter was asked to go to the staff restaurant on the 5th floor. During the period, a number of police officers randomly searched the documents on the reporter's desk and opened the cabinet, and asked the reporter to testify. However, the reporter claimed that the company lawyer could only read the documents after the company's lawyer arrived, and refused to assist in the search for evidence. The police officer immediately called the reporter to sit down. Low, and there was no positive response as to whether the evidence search will begin after the lawyer arrives. An agent turned on the reporter's computer to search for information. At present, all reporters in the building have been asked to leave the editorial department and wait in the underground space or on the 5th floor. They were unable to enter and exit the building freely. Police officers stepped forward to stop them. The reporter used a camcorder to film police officers during the search. It is reported that an employee's company phone placed on the desk on the second floor had a record of "being online" at 8 o'clock in the morning.


Police arrests executives and searched the materials

Information Services Department The Information Services Department (ISD) is the Hong Kong Government's public relations office, publisher, advertiser, and news agency, serving as the link between the government and the media. It was also commonly called Government Informat ...
stated at 7:24 am that the National Security Department arrested five company directors of the Apple Daily this morning on suspicion of violating the National Security Law. The 5 persons, including 4 men and 1 woman, aged between 47 and 63, were suspected of violating Article 29 of the
Hong Kong National Security Law The Hong Kong national security law, officially the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a piece of national security legislation concerning Hong Kong. It ...
, for conspiracy to colluding with foreign forces. The police also went to the arrested person's residence. Five people have been detained for investigation. At 8:07 am, it stated that the National Security Department executed a court warrant issued by the court in accordance with Article 43(1) of the Hong Kong National Security Law and Schedule 1 of the Implementation Rules this morning to search a media organization in
Tseung Kwan O Tseung Kwan O New Town is one of the nine new towns in Hong Kong, built mainly on reclaimed land in the northern half of Junk Bay (known as Tseung Kwan O in Chinese/Cantonese language) in southeastern New Territories, after which it is named. ...
. The search warrant granted the police the power to search including news materials. The purpose of the operation was to search evidence for a suspected violation of the National Security Law.


Police searched two arrested executives residence

The five arrested persons are CEO of Next Digital Cheung Kim-hung, COO Chow Tat-kuen, vice president of ''Apple Daily'' Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law and chief executive director Cheung Chi-wai. Several police officers arrived at
Kornhill Kornhill and Kornhill Gardens are apartment buildings on the northern slope of Mount Parker (Hong Kong), Mount Parker, in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Kornhill is a private housing estate and Kornhill Gardens is a Private Sect ...
before 7 am. About half an hour later, Ryan Law was taken away from the apartment. At that time, his hands were handcuffed. In addition, some media said that Chan Pui-man's residence was forcibly "exploded" by the police. Inside, the search lasted two and a half hours, and two electronic devices that did not belong to Chan were taken away, including two laptop computers and a tablet computer. They were taken to Tseung Kwan O Police Station, Chai Wan Police Station and Cheung Sha Wan Police Station to assist in the investigation. By 9 am, Cheung and Law were taken away from the police station. They were then taken by a private car to the Apple Daily building to search for evidence. The lawyers was also present to find out. When Cheung and Law were brought into the building, their hands were locked in handcuffs. Nearly 10:30 am, Cheung, Chow, and Chan were taken back to the ''Apple Daily'' headquarters by police.


NSD freezes ''Apple Daily''-related assets

Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department explained the incident at 11 a.m., said that more than 500 police forces were used in the operation this morning. The police had frozen the assets of three companies, including ''Apple Daily'', ''Apple Printing'' and ''AD Internet Limited'' totaling HK$18 million. Since 2019, ''Apple Daily'' has contained dozens of articles calling for foreign sanctions against the CCP and the SAR government. The five arrested people are very important to the company's operations. They are responsible for the content style and policy of the article, and it is not ruled out that some people will be arrested. catch. At about 12 noon, 2 Apple Daily executives and 3 journalists were taken away from the headquarters. Editor-in-chief Ryan Law was taken to the North Point Police Station for investigation, and Next Media CEO Cheung Kim-hung was taken there Cheung Sha Wan Police Station; COO Chow Tat-kuen was first taken to Aberdeen Police Station, and then transferred to Western Police Station for detainment. Vice President Chan Pui-man was taken to Tseung Kwan O Police Station; after chief executive director Cheung Chi-wai left the building, he was taken to Wong Tai Sin Police Station. The police will seize documents and materials in the ''Apple Daily'' headquarters, including at least 44 computers, containing a large amount of news materials. In addition, they will seize more than a large number of past newspapers from the newspaper's library. The dates involved are from January 2017 to that day. These exhibits were put into a number of blue plastic boxes, and then the police officers moved the plastic boxes to a secret truck parked downstairs to take them away. At about 1:15 pm, the police raided the ''Apple Daily'' headquarters for more than 5 hours and then collected the team and left.


Gallery

File:Apple Daily office outside PTU police 20210617.png, A number of police officers are seen guarding outside the
Apple Daily ''Apple Daily'' ( zh, link=no, 蘋果日報) was a popular tabloid published in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2021. Founded by Jimmy Lai, it was one of the best-selling Chinese language newspapers in Hong Kong.
building File:Apple Daily office outside police private car 20210617.png, The arrested director of
Apple Daily ''Apple Daily'' ( zh, link=no, 蘋果日報) was a popular tabloid published in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2021. Founded by Jimmy Lai, it was one of the best-selling Chinese language newspapers in Hong Kong.
arrived at the building in a police car to search for evidence File:Steve Li Kwai-wah speak outside Apple Daily Office 20210617.png, Senior Superintendent of the National Security Department Li Kwai-wah meets with the media outside the Apple Daily headquarters File:《蘋果日報》副社長陳沛敏 arrested 20210617.png, Apple Daily vice-president Chan Pui-man was taken away by police File:Office harddisk removed by police view2 20210617.png, One of the journalist desks after raided by police


Reactions


Hong Kong

*
Chief Executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
Carrie Lam Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ( Cheng; ; born 13 May 1957) is a retired Hong Kong politician who served as the 4th Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022. She served as Chief Secretary for Administration between 2012 and 2017 and Secr ...
said on a press conference that the arrests are not related to journalism work but the endangerment to national security. She reaffirmed that no one shall use the name of journalism to carry out actions breaching the National Security Law. *
Secretary for Security The Secretary for Security is the member of the Government of Hong Kong in charge of the Security Bureau, which is responsible for public safety, security, and immigration matters. The post was created in 1973 and since the Principal Offic ...
John Lee John Lee may refer to: Academia * John Lee (astronomer) (1783–1866), president of the Royal Astronomical Society * John Lee (university principal) (1779–1859), University of Edinburgh principal * John Lee (pathologist) (born 1961), English ...
said on a press conference that the arrest operation is aimed at the suspected use of journalism as a tool to endanger national security. The property frozen this time is the property of suspected criminals. He also emphasized that national security is a top priority, and endangering national security is a very serious crime, which can be sentenced to life imprisonment, and anyone engaged in any job must abide by the National Security Law and other laws. He said for those who try to use journalism as an umbrella or cover to commit crimes that endanger national security, the SAR government will definitely take the most severe measures to crack down in accordance with the law. *
Hong Kong Liaison Office The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (; abbr. LOCPG or 香港中聯辦) is the agency that represents the Chinese Central People's Government in Hong Kong. It replaced the New Chi ...
stated that it firmly supports the SAR government and the police to strictly implement all efforts made to maintain national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Violations of the Hong Kong National Security Law and related laws will be severely sanctioned by the law. *
Office for Safeguarding National Security The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (OSNS; ) is the Chinese central government's national security office in Hong K ...
stated that any institution, organization and individual in the Hong Kong shall abide by the National Security Law and other laws of the Hong Kong concerning the maintenance of national security, and shall not engage in acts and activities that endanger national security. The National Security Agency in Hong Kong resolutely supports the police in performing their duties in accordance with the law, and resolutely crack down on any acts that endanger national security in accordance with the law.


United Kingdom

* Foreign Minister
Dominic Raab Dominic Rennie Raab (; born 25 February 1974) is a British politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice, and Lord Chancellor since October 2022, having previously served from 2021 to ...
said that today's raid and raid of Apple Daily in Hong Kong showed that the CCP is using the National Security Law to target different voices, rather than addressing public safety issues. Press freedom is the CCP's commitment to protect in the
Sino-British Joint Declaration The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a treaty between the governments of the United Kingdom and China signed in 1984 setting the conditions in which Hong Kong was transferred to Chinese control and for the governance of the territory after ...
. He also said that one of the rights that should be respected. *
Minister of State for Asia Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment is a mid-level position in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the British government. History The office was known as Minister of State for ...
Nigel Adams Nigel Adams (born 30 November 1966) is a British politician who served as Minister of State without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office from 2021 to 2022. A member of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party, he has been Member of Parliament ...
stated on his Twitter that as a signatory of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the CCP is committed to protecting Hong Kong's freedom of the press and freedom of speech. It must abide by these commitments. The closure of the Apple Daily today is another chilling step to eliminate opposition.


United States

* U.S. President Joe Biden stated that through arrests, threats, and forcing through National Security Law that punishes free speech, Beijing has insisted on wielding its power to suppress independent media and silence dissenting views. * U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American government official and diplomat serving as the 71st United States secretary of state since January 26, 2021. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and ...
said the arrests was the sad day for the freedom of the press in Hong Kong. He also said that Hong Kong people have the right to freedom of the press, and supports the people of Hong Kong and all those who defend basic freedoms. * Spokesman of the Department of State
Ned Price Edward "Ned" Price (born November 22, 1982) is an American political advisor and former intelligence officer serving as spokesman for the United States Department of State since 2021. He worked at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2006 ...
said on briefing that the United States strongly condemns the arrest of five senior executives of the
Apple Daily ''Apple Daily'' ( zh, link=no, 蘋果日報) was a popular tabloid published in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2021. Founded by Jimmy Lai, it was one of the best-selling Chinese language newspapers in Hong Kong.
and its parent company, and demands their immediate release. The accusation of "crime of endangering national security by foreign forces" appears to be entirely politically motivated.


Others

* The
Global Affairs Canada Global Affairs Canada (GAC; french: Affaires mondiales Canada; AMC)''Global Affairs Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (). is the department ...
stated that the arrest of five executives from Hong Kong's Apple Daily is another example of national security law being used to suppress freedom of the press. Canada firmly supports freedom of speech and press, which must be protected by Basic Law and comply with international norms. * The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs Trade stated that Australia is concerned about the arrest of Apple Daily reporters and that this will have an impact on Hong Kong's freedom of speech, as stipulated in the Hong Kong Basic Law based on the Sino-British Joint Declaration. * New Zealand Foreign Minister
Nanaia Mahuta Nanaia Cybele Mahuta (born 21 August 1970) is a New Zealand politician who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hauraki-Waikato and serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Sixth Labour Governm ...
said that New Zealand has long been a defender of freedom of the press, which is vital to protecting basic human rights. New Zealand is concerned about the Hong Kong SAR government's forced closure of the Apple Daily, which has further eroded Hong Kong's rights and freedoms. * The spokesperson of
European External Action Service The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the diplomatic service and combined foreign and defence ministry of the European Union (EU). The EEAS is led by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP), who is also ...
said that this raid further demonstrated how the National Security Law was used to stifle freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Hong Kong. All existing rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people must be fully protected, including freedom of the press and the press. *
Chief Cabinet Secretary The is a member of the cabinet and is the leader and chief executive of the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan. The Chief Cabinet Secretary coordinates the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch, and also serves as the government ...
of Japan Katsunobu Kato called the closure of Apple Daily a "major setback" for freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Hong Kong and voiced "increasingly grave concerns" over the situation.


Effects


Closure of Apple Daily

On 21 June, ''Apple Daily'' announced it would have to close unless the accounts were unfrozen, as it was unable to pay its staff or support operating costs. On 23 June, the newspaper said it would close "in view of staff members' safety" and the print run of 24 June would be its last. ''Apple Daily'' also said its digital version would go offline at 23:59 Hong Kong Time (UTC+8) on 23 June. Activists backed up the news articles from ''Apple Daily'' on various blockchain platforms to ensure the content was available and free from Chinese censorship.


Subsequent arrests and charges against executives

On the next day after the raid, ''Apple Daily'' editor-in-chief Ryan Law and CEO Cheung Kim-hung were charged for colluding with foreign forces, and they both remanded in prison. Meanwhile, the three others (Chan Pui-man, Chow Tat-kuen and Cheun Chi-wai) were released on bail, while pending their further investigation by the police. ''Apple Daily'' editorialist "Li Ping" (Yeung Ching-kee) was arrested on 23 June “on suspicion of conspiring to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security”, Fung Wai-kong, editor-in-chief of the English news section at ''Apple Daily'', was arrested on 27 June at
Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distinguish ...
while attempting to flee the city. On 21 July, former executive director of now-closed ''Apple Daily'', Lam Man-chung, was arrested for conspiracy to colluding with foreign forces. On 22 July, the remaining four executives, Chan Pui-man, Lam Man-chung, Fung Wai-kwong and Yeung Ching-kee, were all charged for conspiracy to colluding with foreign forces. All of them had their bail denied while being detained at the police station, and they will appear at West Kowloon Courts on Thursday.


Court proceedings

In November 2022, more than a year after arrest, six former senior executives of the Apple Daily newspaper, Cheung Kim-hung, Ryan Law, Chan Pui-man, Lam Man-chung, Fung Wai-kong, and Yeung Ching-kee, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit collusion . Their case was heard by a panel of three handpicked national security judges. Some defendants are said to be testifying in the upcoming trial against Lai. Jimmy Lai had decided that he will not plea not guilty early in August. Lai later hired British barrister and top British human rights lawyer
Tim Owen Timothy Francis Owen (born 29 October 1955) is a former Australian politician and a former deputy commander of the Australian Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing the elector ...
to handle his case. The Secretary for Justice and the
Bar Association A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence. The word bar is derived from the old English/European custom of using a physical railing to separ ...
first objected such decision during a case management hearing in September. Two later appeals by the Department of Justice to
Court of First Instance A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance w ...
and
Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...
in October and November were all denied, citing public interest and general principle. Before decisions of the Court of Final Appeal was delivered, state media attacked the court's decision to let Owen represent Lai, quoting one pro-China figure as saying the hearing should be shifted to the mainland if necessary. The prospect of asking the Chinese authorities to "interpret" the national security law was also increasingly imminent as Beijing loyalists stepped up pressure, describing as the only way to do so if the court ruled in favour of Lai. In September 2022, the HKBA opposed an attempt by
Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed med ...
to hire a lawyer from the UK, stating "the well established criteria for admitting overseas counsel on an ad hoc basis are not met." In October 2022, the High Court refuted the HKBA, and allowed Lai to hire a UK lawyer. In November 2022, the government lost its case in the Court of Final Appeal, paving the way for Lai to hire
Tim Owen Timothy Francis Owen (born 29 October 1955) is a former Australian politician and a former deputy commander of the Australian Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing the elector ...
. On 28 November, the Court of Final Appeal rejected another appeal by the Department of Justice and ruled in favour of Jimmy Lai to use Owen, as Justice Secretary
Paul Lam Paul Lam Ting-kwok (; born 1968) is a Hong Kong Senior Counsel who is the current Secretary for Justice. Education Lam was educated at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws (with Second Class Honour Division One) in 1990 ...
failed to justify his claim of countering foreign interference through banning overseas counsels. Hours later,
Chief Executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
John Lee John Lee may refer to: Academia * John Lee (astronomer) (1783–1866), president of the Royal Astronomical Society * John Lee (university principal) (1779–1859), University of Edinburgh principal * John Lee (pathologist) (born 1961), English ...
recommended the
National People's Congress The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPC; ), or simply the National People's Congress, is constitutionally the supreme state authority and the national legislature of the People's Republic of China. With 2, ...
to interpret the law. The Chinese authorities joined the pro-Beijing camp to slam the court, criticising the court's verdict as violating the "legislative spirit" and "legal logic" of the NSL which shall be on high alert. Victor Dawes of the HKBA commented that people should wait for the NPCSC to make its decision before commenting on its impact. Dawes also commented "I do understand the government's position and the reasoning given by the chief executive," and also commented that banning foreign lawyers would not undermine defendants' rights and freedom of legal representation in Hong Kong. Dawes also said that he believed the situation would not damage Hong Kong's judicial independence. In December 2022, after the NPCSC allowed the Chief Executive to grant or deny permission for defendants to hire foreign lawyers, the HKBA said that it believed the Chief Executive would use the permission "in a way that fosters the public's trust in upholding the rule of law." However, the Standing Committee of the NPC did not include interpreting the NSL on the forthcoming meeting agenda in December, which pro-Beijing members then u-turned by saying the interpretation might not be necessary. Hong Kong's High Court then adjourned the national security trial of Lai in December to September 2023, acknowledging Beijing has yet to determine whether he can be defended by an overseas lawyer of his choice.
Hong Kong Immigration Department The Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong is responsible for immigration control of Hong Kong. After the People's Republic of China assumed sovereignty of the territory in July 1997, Hong Kong's immigration system remained la ...
, on the other hand, had withheld Owen’s application for an extension of his work visa.


See also

* Agnes Chow arrest under National Security Law * 709 crackdown


References

{{HKafter1997 * Next Digital Political repression in Hong Kong