Lee returns fire at US-based paper for its 'nastiness'

Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu has slammed the Wall Street Journal for publishing an editorial on the arrests of executives of Stand News, saying the US-based newspaper is making baseless allegations and, borrowing a quote from the article itself, has "reached new levels of nastiness."

Lee wrote a letter to the Wall Street Journal on December 31, two days after the outlet published an editorial entitled "No One is Safe in Hong Kong."

The editiorial said: "China's shredding of Hong Kong's autonomy is reaching new levels of nastiness," referring to the Stand News executives' arrests on Wednesday for allegedly conspiring to publish seditious material.

A similar sedition charge was additionally laid on seven Apple Daily executives, including founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying last Tuesday.

Lee said in the letter to the newspaper's editor that the editorial "is a grossly biased misrepresentation of facts, which seriously misleads your readers about the situation in Hong Kong. Again, your baseless allegations against Hong Kong are, in your own words, 'reaching new levels of nastiness.' "

Seven people associated with Stand News were arrested for conspiracy to publish seditious material.

They include former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and former acting editor-in-chief Lam Shiu-tung, who have been charged and remained in jail custody.

Police also arrested four former board members: Chow Tat-chi, ex-legislator and barrister Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, singer and activist Denise Ho Wan-see and Christine Fang Meng-sang, former chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

Chung's wife Chan Pui-man - a former associate publisher of the defunct Apple Daily - was also arrested on the same charge.

Lee said in the letter that "the arrests have nothing to do with press freedom.

"If you are genuinely interested in press freedom, you should support actions against people who have unlawfully exploited the media as a tool to pursue their political or personal gains. They are the people who pollute and damage press freedom."

Lee added that all actions taken by the enforcement agencies are based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai had sent two letters last month to Wall Street Journal for its editorial about Hong Kong's Legislative Council elections.

The editorial claimed the election was a "sham poll" and that "boycotts and blank ballots are one of the last ways for Hongkongers to express their political views."

Tsang had warned the newspaper that inciting people to cast blank votes is illegal under Hong Kong laws.

"Please be advised that inciting another person not to vote or to cast an invalid vote by activity in public during an election period is an offense," he wrote. "We reserve the right to take necessary action."