Groaning West told: stop the smearing campaign

Jane Cheung

Beijing and Hong Kong have rejected criticisms from the West about the "open assault on press freedom" following the arrest of Stand News executives.

The Liaison Office yesterday called Stand News "a political organization disguised as a news institution" that encouraged and supported "black-clad violence" and incited destruction of the rule of law during the 2019 protests.

"Even after the implementation of the national security law, [Stand News] remained stubborn on its anti-China stance and continued to publish articles to incite others to adopt violence or even secession," a spokesman said.

The arrests "had nothing to do with press freedom."

He condemned external forces for using police operations to smear and attack the security law and intervene in Hong Kong affairs.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken led Western condemnation of Stand News, saying it undermined the reputation of the financial hub. Steven Butler, Asia program coordinator for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, said the arrests were an "open assault on Hong Kong's already tattered press freedom."

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in Beijing that press freedom in Hong Kong is well-protected in a safe and stable environment with rule of law as the city had returned to the right track since the launch of the security law in June last year.

He said press freedom should not be an excuse to commit crimes by news workers, who must comply with Chinese and Hong Kong laws.

"It's a false claim that the US supports freedom of the press, but it's true it's sour about Hong Kong's stability," Zhao said.

In a separate statement, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People's Republic of China in Hong Kong expressed "strong discontent and opposition" against foreign organizations, governments and politicians interfering with the SAR's affairs.

A spokesman said foreign comments have "vilified Hong Kong's rule of law and freedom and emboldened anti-China elements in Hong Kong."

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also rejected the criticisms.

"Every time a law enforcement body arrests journalists or has operations at an institution, Western media indiscriminately say freedom of speech has been compromised," Lam said.

"But all of their claims are not true.

"Certain Western institutions, organizations, media and governments draw conclusions without proof, when they are unfamiliar with Hong Kong law, some of whom have even demanded release of all arrested people.

"I think whoever says these, including senior government officials, are destroying the rule of law."

Lam said she would not comment on the case but said the enforcement action has nothing to do with journalism, rejecting claims that it was aimed at eliminating opposition media outlets.

Eighty-nine of the 90 lawmakers-elect - the exception being Tik Chi-yuen from the social welfare sector - issued a joint statement "fully supporting" the police action.

The Geneva-based Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was alarmed at the "extremely rapid closing of the civic space and outlets for Hong Kong's civil society to speak and express themselves freely."

European Union spokesman Peter Stano tweeted that it marked "a further deterioration in press freedom" in the city.

Canada and Germany also condemned the arrests.