The founder of Next Media, Lai Chi-ying, has been charged with “colluding with foreign countries or forces outside the country to endanger national security”. The democratic faction interviewed by this station said, worrying that this time the authorities added charges Lai Chi-ying, another political motive is to freeze assets, described Next Media is “the biggest thorn in the government’s side”, is now in a very dangerous situation, fearing that the Apple Daily will be extinguished.
The Democratic Party’s former legislator Wan Siu-kin said in an interview with this station on Friday (11) that Lai Chi-ying was charged with additional charges by the police, reflecting the further strengthening of the authorities’ crackdown, he said it was unclear what evidence the authorities had to accuse Lai Chi-ying of violating the National Security Law, but that it was rather indiscriminate than lacking, taking “hunting behavior” against Lai Chi-ying.
Wan Siu Kin said: Now it seems that they (authorities) with a kind of practice rather indiscriminate, first charge you, because it is always used to sue in public, the pressure on the opposition, the protesters, the democrats, this time to give me the feeling that this further increase in charges Lai Chi-ying is not only an additional charge, because his previous so-called fraud, fraud charges to him through the National Security Law judges to deal with, so that he is sitting in prison under the circumstances of the trial, sitting in April, has caused an uproar in the city, now seems to be the authorities to hunt down and kill behavior.
The “Hong Kong District Security Law” in addition to the denial of bail, long-term imprisonment and other tricks, another killing tactic is to freeze assets. Wan Siu-kin questioned whether the authorities are using the additional charges against Lai Chi-ying as a pretext to suppress the media, especially Apple Daily. He described Next Media as “extremely dangerous” and “the biggest thorn in the side” of the Hong Kong government, which has long exposed the dark side of the government, the inadequacies of officials and even illegal acts. After the establishment of the National Security Law, the Hong Kong government “has killed but not let go”, creating a chilling effect in the media sector.
Wan Siu-kin said: “Because of the National Security Law, assets can be frozen, so we immediately associate, is this an excuse to further suppress the media, especially Apple Daily and Next Media Group? If you want to make these disobedient media to shut up, is the best way is what the authorities are saying now, so that it can not operate? In fact, Apple Daily’s future funding sources and even operations? Very likely to face a very heavy blow, this will be the authorities behind the political motives?
Hong Kong media sources said that the charges involved and Lai Chi-ying in Twitter and interviews, etc., called for sanctions against Hong Kong-related. According to online information and media reports, Lai Chi-ying has repeatedly talked to a number of overseas people and former officials on social media platforms. In the middle of last month, a talk show between Lai Chi-ying and Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, was broadcast on Twitter. Patten pointed out that “what is happening in Hong Kong now proves that the world can no longer trust the central government and that values such as freedom and democracy, which have always existed in Hong Kong, are seen as a real threat to the Chinese Communist Party in power, and China threatens democracy and an open society, so countries must raise objections and cooperate to counteract China .”
Separately, Lai Chi-ying spoke last month with former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Sharansky, former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Bo Ruiguang, and former U.S. Army four-star general and deputy chief of staff Jack Keane to discuss the situation and circumstances in Hong Kong. Jack Keane said, “It is important that Lai and others speak out for Hong Kong, and that Lai should continue to maintain relevant relationships to gain support in the U.S. Congress. to gain support in the U.S. Congress.”
In mid-October, Lai and Paul Wolfowitz, a former deputy secretary of defense, called on the international community to pay attention to the 12 Hong Kong people detained in Shenzhen’s Yantian Detention Center for attempted smuggling to Taiwan, and to pressure China through international pressure to be released or returned to Hong Kong for trial as soon as possible. In late October, Lai also invited Rev. Robert Sirico, president and co-founder of the Acton Institute, to a Twitter conversation about the need to bring international attention to the issue through live webcasts and exchanges.
In September, Lai Chi-ying had a Twitter conversation with Benedict Rogers, vice chairman of the Conservative Human Rights Committee and founder of the British civil society organization Hong Kong Watch, to discuss the BNO issue, talking about the narrowing of freedom in Hong Kong, Lai Chi-ying stressed again that the voice of international concern is important, and Rogers also said he would try his best to speak out.
On August 10 this year, the National Security Division of the police deployed more than 200 police officers to search the Next Media building and Lai Chi-ying’s residence, a large number of police officers stationed in Next Media, blocking part of the 2nd floor of the Apple Building and the entire 3rd and 4th floors, searching a number of departments, picking up about 30 boxes of evidence and a number of servers.
The police arrested Lai Chi-ying, his two sons Lai See-yan and Lai Yiu-yan, Next Media CEO Cheung Kin-hong, Next Media COO (then CFO) Chow Tat-kuen, Next Media CEO Wong Wai-keung, and Next Media animation company GM Ng Tat-kwong on suspicion of violating the National Security Law and conspiracy to defraud; on the same day, they arrested former Chung Chi member Chow Ting, civic organization “Hong Kong Story” member Lee Yu-hin, and former member of the Hong Kong Story On the same day, three people were arrested, including Chow Ting, a former member of Chung Chi, Lee Yu-hin, a member of the civil society organization “Hong Kong Story”, and Lee Tsung-chak, a former member of Scholarism. Later, they were all released on bail, among them Lai Chi-ying was detained at the police station for more than 40 hours before being released.
Those alleged to have violated the crime of colluding with foreign countries or forces outside the country to endanger national security include at least the former chairman of the Hong Kong House of Representatives, Law Kwun Chung, who has gone into exile in the United Kingdom, and it is said that Law is also wanted by the authorities under the National Security Law for this reason.
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