Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam rejects suggestions of national security law links to Stand News, Citizen News closures
- Lam notes media freedom is able to coexist with ‘draconian’ security legislation in Western countries
- Chief executive also says she has no plans to meet top journalists association amid widespread concerns over press rights
The media outlets, popular among opposition activists and supporters, both revealed in the past week they were ceasing operations.
Hong Kong justice chief lashes out at critics of Stand News arrests
Lam told a weekly press conference she was confused by the concerns laid out by some in the industry of a “chilling effect” in Hong Kong on media freedoms.
“I could not, on behalf of these organisations and their responsible people, explain what they mean by a chilling effect,” she said. “But I certainly will reject any allegations that this is related to the implementation of the national security law.”
03:12
Hong Kong independent news site Citizen News to shut down
Hong Kong’s leader noted that Western governments and media in those countries were often highly critical of the city on this matter, but she argued they too were able to allow national security and press freedom to coexist.
“If the implementation of a national security law would undermine press freedom, we would not be seeing any press freedom in the Western world,” she said.
“They have national security legislation that is more draconian than the Hong Kong national security law, which is very well defined.”
Hong Kong’s Beijing-decreed national security law took effect on June 30, 2020, to ban acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
‘Yellow’ outlet or trailblazer? The rise and fall of Hong Kong’s Stand News
Lam on Tuesday stopped short of giving specific examples on the Western countries she was referring to or delving deeper into how their laws were implemented.
She added journalists were not above the law and if they were worried they could not comply, they “have to make up their minds and take the necessary decisions”.
Explaining her choice not to meet the HKJA, Lam said she had previously reached out to many different sections of society at the start of her term as chief executive.
“But what has happened, and [what] nobody could have anticipated, [is] that Hong Kong could be under all sorts of severe challenges with a lot of people advocating independence and colluding with foreign forces, and undermining the power of the state and the Hong Kong government,” she said.
Hong Kong police chief says more Stand News arrests possible
Following the Stand News arrests last week, the governments of the US, Britain, Canada and Australia condemned the crackdown as a blow to press freedom.
But Beijing and Hong Kong officials have maintained the operation was simply about enforcing the law and rejected what they called foreign interference in the city’s internal affairs.
Hong Kong officials have also toughened their approach to countering the depiction of the city in the international press.
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Hong Kong leader denies there is ‘suppression’ of press freedom in city after Stand News arrests
Lee has also said the Hong Kong government has been studying how to rein in fake news, including possibly through legislation, to stem out disinformation.
