New Delhi (NVI): Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media mogul who has been a very vocal critic of Beijing’s increasingly assertive presence in the territory, was arrested today under the new national security law for “colluding” with foreign forces, media reports said.
The Hong Kong Police also raided his newspaper – Apple Daily’s office and arrested some of his associates. Reports in foreign media said that his case is the most high-profile arrest and a jolt to the pro-democracy campaign by several activists in the city, amid protests against China’s controversial security law imposed in June.
The law has also fueled US-China tensions, with a number of countries expressing concern over Beijing’s policies of suppression in Hong Kong.
71-year-old Lai, who also holds UK citizenship, has been charged with illegal assembly and intimidation. Chinese state media has presented him as a “riot supporter” and claimed that his publications have been instigating hatred, spreading rumors for years.
Lai was shown as handcuffed and taken away by Hong Kong police officials from his home this morning. His Apple Daily is the biggest pro-democracy paper in Hong Kong, critical of China and its policies.
Yesterday, Foreign Ministers from the Five Eyes countries issued a joint statement, expressing their concern regarding “the erosion of human rights in Hong Kong.” The statement came after news that Hong Kong postponed its Legislative Council elections and disqualified some opposition candidates.
-ARK
