KATHMANDU: In a case involving sedition that has garnered attention worldwide, a Hong Kong court is scheduled to hand down judgments for two editors from the now-defunct online publication Stand News on Thursday. Since the restoration of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, there have been no sedition trials in Hong Kong involving journalists or editors. Critics, such as the US government, contend that the case shows how the national security crackdown in Hong Kong is making conditions worse for media freedoms.
Police stormed Stand News, a publication renowned for its scathing reporting and commentary, in December 2021. Following the raid, the outlet was forced to close and its assets were frozen. The parent business Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Ltd., editors Chung Pui-kuen, 54, and Patrick Lam, 36, were charged with organizing a plot to publish seditious material pertaining to 17 articles and commentary between July 2020 and December 2021.
The prosecution charged Stand News with using its platform to spread “illegal” ideology and foment hatred against the governments of China and Hong Kong throughout the 57-day trial. The publications, particularly the ones that included interviews with lawmakers who support democracy and human rights activists, were labeled as seditious by the government in its case.
Chung, who testified for 36 days, defended the outlet’s commitment to media freedoms, arguing that Stand News aimed to report the truth and present diverse perspectives without self-censorship. He emphasized that their goal was to document facts and provide a platform for various voices.
The court postponed the conviction three times in order to await the outcome of a related appeal filed by pro-democracy activist Tam Tak-chi. The verdict was originally set for last October. Many people believe that Stand News' closing and the accusations made against its editors are only two examples of Hong Kong's larger campaign to stifle dissent and media freedom.
