Citizen News in Hong Kong closes amid fears over staff security Press Freedom News
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The online retailer will close on Tuesday, citing fears of its employees and an increasingly hostile media environment.
An independent news outlet on Hong Kong’s Citizen News line will close on Tuesday in five years’ time, as China’s government-run territory is deteriorating in the media environment and concerns over employee safety.
The announcement on social media on Sunday came less than a week after 200 police He searched the Stand News office, another independent media outlet, accuses its editors-in-chief of sedition.
Citizen News said it took the decision “with a heavy heart” and noted that in 2017 it was put in place by a public exit and a commitment to serve “greater public benefit” by veteran journalists.
“We have never forgotten our original intention,” the media team said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we can no longer strive to make our beliefs a reality without fear because of the maritime change that has taken place in our society over the last two years and the deterioration of the media environment.”
Beijing has promised to respect the freedoms and way of life of Hong Kong, among other things free media, When the territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997 for at least 50 years.
But pro-democracy activists and rights groups say freedoms have been eroded, especially since Beijing was established. National Security Act in the territory in June 2020 in the wake of the 2019 mass democracy protests.
We heartily announce that CitizenNews will be launched from January 4 (week).
To all our subscribers and readers, we truly thank you for your support. We will always cherish this tremendous journey of the last five years. pic.twitter.com/32nSlQFAZR– CitizenNews (@hkcnews_com) January 2, 2022
As a former professor of journalism in Hong Kong, it has been disastrous to close the last two critical and independent news organizations in a matter of days. stand news. citizen news.
– Lokman tsui (@lokmantsui) January 2, 2022
The closure of Citizen News came after the Stand News network raid, where major editors were accused of conspiracy to publish seditious material and denied bail.
Last year, the Apple Daily became very popular forced to close after an attack on national security in its offices. Jimmy Lai, its founder and one of the most prominent pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, is in prison under the law on several charges. Other senior editors also hold positions.
Hong Kong authorities reject claims of repression and deny media coverage.
It criminalizes security laws that see Beijing as “secession”, “subversion”, “terrorism” and “acts of foreign solidarity to intervene in urban affairs”.
Since its establishment in June last year, more than 100 pro-democracy people have been arrested under the law, and many others have fled into exile.
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