Hong Kong leader rejects demands for ‘disappearance’ of press freedom | Press Freedom News

Journalists are under increasing pressure on Chinese territory, with three independent media outlets closed since the security law was enacted.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said she could not accept suggestions to tackle the “disappearance” of the city’s press freedom, which was shut down by the independent media Citizen News for security reasons, days after a police raid on another independent media led to allegations of sedition against the elderly. workers.

“I read the news this morning that due to the closure of online media, the freedom of the press in Hong Kong is about to disappear … I cannot accept such an accusation,” Lam said in a weekly press conference on Tuesday.

Citizen News announced the closure on Sunday because it was “deteriorating” the media environment in the former British colony. concerns about the safety of his journalists following an attack on the Stand News publishing house last week.

Beijing has promised to respect Hong Kong’s freedoms, including the free press, when it took control of the territory in 1997 for at least 50 years, but has been accused by Western countries and rights groups. eroded democracy and liberties, especially since the enactment of the National Security Act.

Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing have repeatedly denied the allegations and say security laws have helped restore stability. mass protests In favor of democracy in 2019.

The closure of Citizen News means that three publications have been closed since the legislation was introduced in late June 2020.

A people in favor of democracy Apple Daily they closed their offices last year after a police search and the arrest of key employees, including founder Jimmy Lai, who has been in prison since December 2020. Beijing’s 74-year-old critic has been accused of “cooperating with a foreign power”. – a breach of security law – and last week he was slapped with an additional charge of sedition under a colonial law.

In Stand News, an independent online publication, both editors have also been accused of sedition a police attack the store’s assets were frozen last week. Many other current and former editors and members of the board have been arrested, including the well-known singer Cantopop. Denise Ho.

It criminalizes security laws that see Beijing as “secession”, “subversion”, “terrorism” and “acts of foreign solidarity to intervene in urban affairs”.

More than 100 pro-democracy people have been arrested under the law so far, and many others, including pro-democracy elected officials, have fled into exile.

Beijing has also moved to review the territorial electoral system so that only “patriots” can be elected to office. New members of parliament held a new meeting of members of parliament on Monday in front of Lam, following the December elections. participation fell to a record low.