The days when the former British colony was regarded as a beacon of liberty are fading from memory. After being returned to China in 1997, Hong Kong’s political system was overhauled, and political dissent was suppressed. Authorities attempted to quell anti-government sentiment in 2019, which resulted in months of political turmoil. The most recent incident was Hong Kong police raiding the online pro-democracy news organization Stand News on Wednesday. Seven persons were imprisoned for alleged sedition under a colonial-era ordinance, including two current and former editors, four former board members, and a popular vocalist, Denise Ho. The publication declared that it would cease operations later that day. In the latest crackdown on Hong Kong’s media, authorities raided the office of pro-democracy news organization Stand News, froze its assets, and arrested senior workers on suspicion of “seditious publication” offenses. After being targeted by Hong Kong authorities, Stand News became the second media outlet to close. Authorities searched the Apple Daily newspaper’s premises for the second time earlier this year, freezing millions of dollars in assets. “For well over a year in Hong Kong, democracy has been under persistent assault, without a free press, no democracy can function,” said Luke de Pulford, a coordinator for the London-based Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a group of legislators from democratic countries focused on ties with China. Nathan Law, a Hong Kong activist, called on the world to “publish about Hong Kong … [and] about the brave journalists who risk so much.” After the security law was enacted, Law fled to London, fearing a “domino effect” that would force other stores to close.
