Life as an independent journalist in Hong Kong is becoming impossible
, the public broadcaster . Journalists posted photos of farewell cards: “We fought the good fight, we finished the course, we kept the faith.”
Controls on the press are likely to tighten. Hong Kong’s security chief, Chris Tang, said in December that he “fully supported” the introduction of “fake news” regulations. Traditional news outlets have grown increasingly cautious, while the influence of Communist-backed newspapers such ashas grown. The last significant independent news outlet in the city is Hong Kong Free Press, an English-language news site.
The onslaught on free speech extends beyond independent news organisations. On January 4th Chow Hang Tung, an activist barrister, was sentenced to 15 months in jail for arranging a commemoration of the Beijing massacre of June 1989. A vigil for victims in 2020 led to prison terms for 23 other activists. In December three universities removed monuments inspired by the massacre.
Yet Hong Kong’s press used to be vital in helping the world understand China. Its journalists have broken many important stories about the country. No longer. Hardly any Hong Kong outlets, for example, covered the political scandal that followed the accusation in November 2021 by Peng Shuai, a famous Chinese tennis player, of sexual assault by a senior Chinese official.The space for civil society is also shrinking. Some 60 pro-democracy grassroots organisations were forced to close in 2021.
A record-low number of voters cast ballots in December’s “patriots-only” race. All but one of the 90 seats were won by candidates from the pro-establishment camp. The government warned that anyone calling on others to cast invalid votes may be in breach of the security law. At least ten people were arrested for violating election laws. The government threatened thewith being in breach of one after it published an editorial entitled “Hong Kong Says Vote—or Else”.
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