According to local media reports, Feng Weiguang, the former executive editor of the English edition of Apple Daily, was arrested and taken away by the National Security Division of the Hong Kong Police Force at the Hong Kong International Airport on the evening of June 27, while preparing to leave for the United Kingdom.
The Hong Kong police said the National Security Division of the Police Department arrested a 57-year-old man at the Hong Kong International Airport on June 27 for “conspiracy to collaborate with foreign countries or forces outside the country to endanger national security,” following arrests related to the Next Media Group on June 17 and 23. The man is being held for investigation. The operation continues and police do not rule out more arrests.
It is understood that Feng has been writing editorials for Apple Daily since 1997, and was executive editor of the English-language Apple Daily when he left. Previously, the police arrested five senior executives of Next Media and Apple Daily, as well as chief writer Yang Qingqi (pen name: Li Ping).
The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said in a statement, “The HKJA strongly condemns the police for targeting journalists again and demands that the police give an immediate account of the incident.” The statement said, “The HKJA notes that this is the second arrest of a former Apple Daily employee who wrote an opinion piece, following Li Ping’s arrest earlier. The HKJA reiterates that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are both core values of Hong Kong, and if even the pen of a literary person is not tolerated, Hong Kong will no longer be regarded as an international city.”
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