Joint Statement of 18 Canadian organizations on the blatant attack on press freedom in Hong Kong with the arrests of six journalists and executives of Stand News
十八個加拿大團體對拘捕立場新聞编採及管理人員並嚴重損害香港新聞自由的聯合聲明
[中文在下]
In an egregious assault on freedom of speech and human rights, over 200 Hong Kong national security police raided the offices of non-profit online news platform Stand News and the home of Ronson Chan, the Chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association in the early morning of December 29. Six journalists and executives associated with Stand News were arrested for “conspiracy to publish seditious publications” including Acting Chief Editor Patrick Lam, former Chief Editor Chung Pui-Kuen, former board members Chow Tat-chi, former legislator and lawyer Margaret Ng, Christine Fong, and activist pop singer Denise Ho, a Canadian citizen working in Hong Kong. Within 12 hours of the arrests, Stand News was forced to shut down and its media content was erased.
These arrests came just days after the already imprisoned Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and other journalists were charged with “conspiracy to print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display and/or reproduce seditious publications.” Apple Daily and Next Media were forced to close by the Hong Kong government early this year.
These arrests mark a significant escalation of attacks on what little is left of civil liberties in Hong Kong, even though they are guaranteed by Beijing under Article 27 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the city’s constitution since its handover in 1997. Already the white terror in the city has been aggravated following a massive arrest of dissidents from all walks of life under the National Security Law. The rapidly shrinking press freedom shows that the One Country Two Systems framework is dead and Hong Kong has become a police state.
We strongly condemn this application of colonial-era sedition laws to strangle press freedom in Hong Kong. In the absence of a legally permitted opposition, the regime is sending a death threat to the media sector. If the international community remains silent, these attacks will likely be extended to foreign journalists, and all other independent internet and social media platforms in Hong Kong.
An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. We urge our Canadian government, our international allies, and journalists around the world to strongly condemn this latest crackdown on Hong Kong press freedom and work closely together to expedite the release of all arrested journalists in Hong Kong. We also urge our Canadian government to provide consular protection to Denise Ho.
Signatories
十八個加拿大團體對拘捕立場新聞编採及管理人員並嚴重損害香港新聞自由的聯合聲明
200多名香港國安警察於12月29日清晨突擊搜查網絡新聞平台《立場新聞》辦公室和《香港記者協會》主席陳朗昇住宅，嚴重侵犯言論自由和人權，並以「串謀發布煽動性文章」先後拘捕七名與《立場新聞》有關的記者和管理高層，其中包括前總編輯鍾沛權、署理總編輯林紹桐、及四名前董事會成員周達智、方敏生、前立法會議員吳靄儀大律師、及流行歌手何韻詩。何韻詩是一名在香港工作的加拿大公民。在拘捕12小時後，《立場新聞》被迫停止運作及消毁所有文章。
在進行逮捕的前一天，已被監禁的《蘋果日報》創辨人黎智英和扣押多月的其他编採成員同被加控「串謀刊印、發佈、分發、展示或複製煽動刊物」。《蘋果日報》及母公司《壹傳媒》已經在今年中被香港政府強行關閉。
在公民自由所剩無幾的香港，這些逮捕仍然變本加厲地升級。北京只視香港基本法第 27 條對保障人權與自由為一紙空談，各行各業持不同政見人士在港區《國安法》大規模逮捕後，新聞自由正迅速萎縮，這座城市彌漫着白色恐佈。毫無疑問「一國兩制」已死，香港已淪為警察城市。
我們強烈譴責此等使用殖民時代的煽動法來扼殺香港的新聞自由。今天的香港再無反對聲音，令港共政權可以肆無忌憚地向本地媒體發出死亡威脅。如果國際社會繼續保持沉默，這些攻擊就會擴展到駐港外國記者以至香港互聯網及社交媒體。
我們亦敦促加拿大政府、國際盟友和世界各地報社記者，對鎮壓香港新聞自由予以強烈譴責，並要緊密合作，務求令所有被捕的香港記者盡快釋放。我們更敦促加拿大政府保障加國公民權益，為何韻詩提供領事保護。
Signatories 聯署組織：
Toronto Association for Democracy in China
Canada-Hong Kong Link
Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement
Vancouverites Concerned About Hong Kong
Canadians Friends of Hong Kong
Winnipeg Hong Kong Concern
Action Free Hong Kong Montreal
Alliance Canada Hong Kong
Vancouver Hong Kong Forum Society
Halifax-Hong Kong Link
Chinese Canadian Concern Group on Chinese Communist Party’s Violations Against Human Rights
Movement for Democracy in China (Calgary)
University of Waterloo Alumni for Hong Kong
The Mustard Seeds Hong Kong Concern Group
Torontonian HongKongers Action Group
Friends of Hong Kong Edmonton / Edmonton Hong Kong Civil Rights United
Victoria BC HongKongers
Saskatchewan Stands with Hong Kong