The latest Western criticism of the state of press freedom in Hong Kong under the guise of the so-called Media Freedom Coalition is a travesty and a distortion. Led by the United States and its major allies, it is a continuation of the West’s ruthless campaign to destabilize and delegitimize the efforts by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to stabilize and protect freedoms and order in Hong Kong since the violent anti-government riots of 2019.
Absurdly, the coalition’s statement claims that the implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong violates the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984. Who are these countries to judge? Perhaps China and its allies should go through all the international treaties those Western countries have signed and see how many of them have been breached.
The crackdown under the security law targets only news and social media outlets that have been most blatant in encouraging subversion and disorder, or colluding with foreign forces, most notably American influence operations, whether by US government agencies or NGOs. These local groups and individuals fomented unrest and riots, long before 2019 or even the 2014 “Occupy Central” protests.
Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland welcome fair reporting and commentaries by foreign news groups. But the malicious ones need to watch out
The most deserving target has been Apple Daily and its notorious boss, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, along with several key executives and editors. Its closure has been a blessing to the social stability of Hong Kong, a newspaper group that had long corrupted and misled young minds. Unfortunately, Lai’s long-time American sidekick and contact with Washington, Mark Simon, fled the city and escaped prosecution.
The government-funded Radio Television Hong Kong, ironically a hotbed of anti-government and anti-China journalists, was brought to heel. Patrick Li Pak-chuen, a former senior civil servant, has performed an excellent job cleaning house. He has instituted new management and editorial guidelines that impose much-needed editorial control and supervision, and to make sure journalists follow the NSL.
Several notorious reporters were dismissed, and well-deserved charges were brought against one long-term freelancer. Several one-sided and biased documentaries and public-affair shows were canceled. It’s about time RTHK partners more extensively with the state-run CCTV.
As Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has put it, as opposed to private media outlets, government-funded ones have a duty to “nurture a stronger sense of patriotism”. It makes a lot of sense for RTHK to produce more programs to promote and explain national security and Hong Kong’s integration with the rest of the country.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association, long a mouthpiece for Apple Daily and Jimmy Lai, has denounced these developments. However, it is not a representative trade group but an anti-government outlet. It would not be too soon for the HKJA to go the way of Apple Daily, a well-deserved fate.
Some “yellow” bookstores have shut, blaming their own demise as government censorship. In reality, they just couldn’t find a market that caters to a mainstream readership. Libraries have removed materials under the guidance of the NSL, and so have some schools, which need to do more to promote civic awareness, national identity and the paramount importance of national security.
Call that censorship or whatnot. They are essential to restoring Hong Kong to normality and prosperity. The government is now planning a new law to ban “fake news”. It’s about time.
Some foreign critics claim Hong Kong has gone too far in going after two speech therapists, along with three other members of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists, via the NSL. After all, it was just a storybook about wolves attacking sheep. Well, that just shows how far some local subversives are willing to go to pervert young minds, since the story makes it pretty clear who the sheep and wolves supposedly were; and if there was any doubt, those arrested made sure children under their care knew it.
Thankfully, Article 54 of the National Security Law allows the Office for Safeguarding National Security to investigate and go after civic groups and news agencies as well as foreign NGOs and media groups that work in Hong Kong. That has been criticized as “extra-territoriality”. This is nothing compared to the United States, which has laws that enable its government to go after any entity, company, group or individual that need not have a physical presence operating on US soil, but just has used US dollar transactions through the international clearing system.
Wisely, the US-funded Radio Free Asia has announced the suspension of its Cantonese programs and commentaries, citing “concerns” about press freedom in Hong Kong and the “red lines” of the National Security Law. This propaganda organ of the US government has, at least, seen the proverbial writing on the wall. Likewise, The New York Times has already migrated some operations out of Hong Kong. Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland welcome fair reporting and commentaries by foreign news groups. But the malicious ones need to watch out.
Before the US, Britain and Australia get on their high horse with their “Media Freedom Coalition”, they should answer what everyone is asking: Why are you all conspiring to destroy the truth-teller Julian Assange, who had exposed US war crimes and crimes against humanity?
What, no answer?
The author is a veteran journalist specializing in Chinese-mainland and Hong Kong political affairs.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.