Hong Kong (AFP)
Barely released, Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai on Wednesday called on reporters to continue "fighting", two days after his arrest, amid intensifying Chinese crackdown on dissent in the territory semi-autonomous.
"Keep on fighting! Let us keep on fighting", he told them before adding: "we have the support of the people of Hong Kong, we cannot let them down".
Since the adoption by Beijing at the end of June of the freedom-killing law on national security, many pro-democracy activists have been arrested and legislative candidates invalidated, sparking the indignation of many Western countries.
Monday will undoubtedly remain a dark day for the pro-democracy movement.
Ten people, including Mr. Lai, were arrested under the new law. About 200 police officers raided the newsroom of the wealthy magnate, very critical of Beijing.
Hours after being released on bail after 40 hours in police custody, the 71-year-old returned to the Apple Daily newsroom to staff cheers.
On a video broadcast live on Facebook by his reporters, he asked his editorial staff to maintain in their articles the tone that angered China and the pro-Beijing camp in Hong Kong.
- "Harder and harder" -
While acknowledging that it is "more and more difficult" to manage a media group in Hong Kong, Lai said "we must continue our work".
"Fortunately, I was not sent back to the continent," added this self-made man, showing the dark humor that characterizes him.
China has declared itself competent for the particularly serious crimes covered by this new law, thereby ending Hong Kong's judicial independence so far in force.
Seen as Beijing's response to months of pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019, recently introduced legislation gives local authorities new powers to crack down on four types of crimes against state security: subversion , separatism, terrorism and collusion with outside forces.
Overnight, certain political statements, such as calling for international sanctions, greater autonomy or independence for Hong Kong became illegal.
Similar legislation is in force in China to silence any dissent.
Police did not give details of the charges against Mr. Lai and the nine other people arrested on Monday.
She only said that they are suspected of having lobbied for the adoption of sanctions by foreign countries before and after the entry into force of the new legislation.
Among those arrested in connection with this vast crackdown, two of the sons of Mr. Lai, senior executives at Apple Daily, as well as three members of the pro-democracy Demosisto party, now dissolved. Among the latter Agnes Chow, 23, one of the leading figures in the movement for democracy.
- Freedom of press -
Many activists for democracy denounce this new freedom-killing law which, according to them, comes to an end with the principle "One country, two systems" established at the time of the handover in 1997 and which guaranteed until 2047 to Hong Kongers freedoms unknown in the rest of China.
Several foreign leaders have expressed their concern about this new crackdown.
US Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo, whom Jimmy Lai met last year, saw his arrest as "further proof that the Chinese Communist Party has gutted Hong Kong's freedoms and the rights of its people."
Hong Kong has been the regional headquarters of many international media for decades.
China and the local executive have promised not to violate press freedom, but for many, the arrest on Monday of Mr. Lai constitutes a real questioning of this commitment.
According to the Reporters Without Borders ranking, the city went from 18th place in 2002 to 73rd in 2019.
The New York Times has decided to move a third of its editorial staff from Hong Kong to Seoul.
Hong Kong-based media reported that a service has been set up within the immigration service to review visa applications from foreign journalists. Immigration officials declined to comment on the matter.
© 2020 AFP