YouTube removes channel of John Lee, lone candidate for Hong Kong chief executive
John Lee is among eleven senior Hong Kong and Beijing officials sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2020. REUTERS - POOL
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The American giant Google, which owns the video platform, considers that it must comply with the American sanctions decided against John Lee.
This former security minister who is campaigning through a YouTube channel and a Facebook page is to be appointed chief executive of Hong Kong in May 2022 by a committee of personalities acquired in Beijing.
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John Lee, future chief executive of Hong Kong, said he was disappointed by YouTube's decision.
However, he believes that this will not prevent him from campaigning and starting to visit the inhabitants of the city after the relaxation of sanitary rules on Thursday April 21.
"
The so-called sanctions (...) are intended to put pressure and make me hesitate
," he told reporters, considering that the American measures are an "
unreasonable intimidation
" against his work in defense of China's national security.
Eleven officials sanctioned
John Lee, along with Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's current chief executive, is among 11 Hong Kong and Chinese officials sanctioned by the United States in 2020 for "
undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly
” with a national security law aimed at suppressing dissent.
The list of people targeted by US sanctions also includes former police chiefs Chris Tang and Stephen Lon as well as Justice Minister Teresa Cheng.
It is therefore to comply with these sanctions that YouTube has decided to close the electoral campaign account of the candidate for the post of chief executive.
"
After review and in accordance with these policies, we have closed the Johnlee2022 YouTube channel,
" a company spokesperson said.
Tam Yiu-chung, John Lee's campaign manager, confirmed having received a message from YouTube and regrets this decision: “
We find this completely unjustified.
They cannot prevent us from disseminating information about our campaign and our candidate to the public
,” he said.
Victory assured for John Lee
John Lee's candidacy has received 786 sponsorships from members of the committee of personalities who must appoint him on May 8 in a ballot where he will be the only candidate.
Victory is therefore assured.
(
with AFP
)
►Also read: John Lee, candidate and probable successor to Carrie Lam at the head of Hong Kong
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