According to reports from different agencies, former chief writer of Apple Daily and Managing Editor of Apple Daily (English) Fung Wai-Kong was arrested at the airport on suspicion of collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to harm national security. HKJA strongly condemns the Hong Kong Police Force for targeting journalists yet again and urges HKPF to give more details.
HKJA notes that Fung Wai-Kong is the second former Apple Daily editorial writer to be arrested. The other was Li Ping. HKJA reiterates that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are the core values of Hong Kong. If Hong Kong can no longer tolerate literati, it will not be recognized as an international city in the future.
HKJA would also ask the HKPF a question: How can a literati’s words collude with a foreign country or with external elements to harm national security?
HKPF repeatedly ignores the opinions of our citizens and the media industry, recklessly arresting journalists on grounds of ‘national security’ and stating that it is unrelated to freedom of the press. When journalists pick up their pens now, they have to think twice about the possible consequences of their work, so how can this not affect freedom of the press?
HKJA stresses that recent events have almost completely buried freedom of the press in Hong Kong. When the Fourth Estate becomes nominal, the lack of supervising power will also tarnish commerce and livelihoods in Hong Kong.
When there is only positive vibes in Hong Kong for those in power to do whatever they want, will multinational enterprises still trust this place? Can Hong Kong perform the role of International Commercial Centre?
“The rules are simple: they lie to us, we know they’re lying, they know we know they’re lying, but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them.’’ These words from renowned writer Solzhenitsyn cannot be truer in current Hong Kong. HKJA calls on the HKPF and the Government to provide evidence and grounds for the arrests of journalists, so that ‘non-relation to freedom of the press’ will not become empty words.
Hong Kong Journalist Association
28 June 2021