Hong Kong: China shuts down newspaper owned by Catholic entrepreneur Jimmy Lai

Jimmy Lai arrested in December

Source: UCAN/SCMP/Hong Kong Watch

On Thursday, 24 June, Beijing forced Apple Daily, Hong Kong's largest Chinese-language pro-democracy newspaper, to close. News of the closure came shortly after Hong Kong police froze the newspaper's accounts and arrested staff on charges of violating the territory's new national security law by colluding with a foreign country. The charges were brought on the basis that Apple Daily had published articles supporting international sanctions against China. Amongst those arrested are the newspaper's editor-in-chief Ryan Law, who has been refused bail.

Apple Daily was founded in 1995 by Catholic entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, 73, who has been in prison since last December for organising and participating in Hong Kong's pro-democracy rallies. He now faces further charges including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces - a criminal act under the controversial new national security law. This law was passed on 30 June last year and criminalises any act of secession, subversion, terrorism, or collusion with foreign or external forces with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

US President Joe Biden released a lengthy statement criticising Beijing for forcing the closure of the newspaper. He described the paper as "a much-needed bastion of independent journalism in Hong Kong" and that its closure resulting from "intensifying repression from Beijing" was a "sad day for media freedom."

"Through arrests, threats, and forcing through a National Security Law that penalizes free speech, Beijing has insisted on wielding its power to suppress independent media and silence dissenting views," Biden said.

Benedict Rogers, Hong Kong Watch's Chief Executive, said that "Beijing has launched an all-out assault on press freedom in Hong Kong by finally shutting the largest pro-democracy newspaper in the city." He said that "Apple Daily has long been a thorn in the side of the Chinese Communist Party by daring to criticise Carrie Lam and Xi Jinping in a city that day by day declines further into authoritarian rule."

The newspaper printed one million copies of its final edition, rather than its usual 150,000, and people turned up in large numbers to grab a copy in what has been perceived as a quiet act of resistance towards Beijing. One of the people queuing was 50-year-old teacher Deborah who told the FT that "Hong Kong people are feeling really sad, and this is the only support I can give."

The South China Morning Post, however, was unsympathetic and ran a headline asking, "Was Apple Daily a defender of freedoms or defiler of national sovereignty?"

Lai has donated millions of dollars to Catholic charities, and supported the outspoken Cardinal Zen, retired bishop of Hong Kong, ucanews.com has reported.

David Alton commented on Facebook: 'A really sad day for the staff and readers of Apple Daily and a truly bad day for press freedom and free speech: BREAKING: Last edition of Apple Daily to print no later than Sat, as board forced to halt all Hong Kong operations'