Hong Kong Court Convicts Former Editors of Stand News in Sedition Case
In a landmark sedition case that has sparked concerns about media freedoms in Hong Kong, a court has convicted two former editors of Stand News, a shuttered news outlet. The trial, which began in October 2022, marked Hong Kong’s first involving media since the city’s return to Chinese rule in 1997. The case is seen as a barometer for the future of press freedom in a city that was once hailed as a bastion of free press in Asia.
Former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam were charged with conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications under a colonial-era sedition law. The charges carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars. Stand News was one of the last media outlets in the city that openly criticized the government during the crackdown on dissent following the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
The court found Stand News guilty of becoming a tool for smearing the Beijing and Hong Kong governments during the protests. Judge Kwok Wai-kin stated in his written judgment that a conviction is deemed proportional when speech is deemed to have caused potential damage to national security and intends to seriously undermine the authority of the Chinese central government or the Hong Kong government. The judge ruled that 11 of the 17 articles presented as evidence carried seditious intent.
The case has raised concerns about the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong. The city’s ranking in the World Press Freedom Index has plummeted, with Hong Kong now ranked 135 out of 180 territories. Self-censorship has become more prominent during the political crackdown on dissent, and journalists fear that the enactment of new security laws could further curtail press freedom.
The guilty verdict has drawn condemnation from organizations such as Reporters Without Borders, which called it a dangerous precedent and another blow against press freedom in the city. Eric Lai, a research fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law, noted that the ruling is in line with the trend of suppressing free speech since the implementation of the 2020 security law. However, Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police national security department, defended the ruling, stating that their enforcement actions three years ago, criticized by some as a suppression of free press, were necessary.
The future of media freedoms in Hong Kong remains uncertain, with concerns about the shrinking space for independent journalism. The convictions of the former Stand News editors serve as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by journalists in the city and the potential consequences of speaking out against the government. As Hong Kong grapples with the balance between national security and press freedom, the world watches closely to see what lies ahead for the once vibrant and diverse media landscape in the city.
