Bounty for exile activists, Citizen Radio closes, Patriotic Education Law
In this issue: Hong Kong police announce reward for information leading to arrest of eight exile advocates, Citizen Radio closes after 18 years, new mainland Patriotic Education Law could also extend to Hong Kong.
Image of the month: Not-so-diplomatic Interruption
On June 30, the son of Jimmy Lai, a democracy advocate and former media owner now jailed on politically motivated charges in Hong Kong, testified before the United Nations Human Rights Council about his father’s case. A Chinese diplomat interrupted and attempted to end the testimony but the council president ultimately affirmed the witness’s right to continue (Credit: Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong)
Highlights from this issue:
- Hong Kong police offer bounty for exile arrests, detain friends and family
- Public broadcaster deletes more content, Citizen Radio closes
- Japanese journalist denied entry
- US legislation to remove Hong Kong representative offices advances
- Library system calls for public to report books that “endanger national security”
Rule of Law
- Activists arrested for supporting wanted exile activists: On July 5 and 6, Hong Kong’s national security police arrested five activists, aged 26 to 28. Police claimed that the young men—most of whom were previously involved with the political party Demosisto, which disbanded in 2020—had posted messages with “seditious intent” on social media platforms. They additionally alleged that they had been raising money from sympathetic businesses and their customers (including via an app called Punish Mee) and using the funds to support exile activists who face charges under the National Security Law (NSL), including Britain-based Nathan Law. The arrests came two days after Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants and a bounty of $HK 1 million (US$127,700) for the arrest of Law and seven other rights activists now living in exile. Together, the group is accused of “foreign collusion” and incitement to secession for their advocacy on behalf of freedoms in Hong Kong and sanctions against officials responsible for abuses. On July 8, Voice of America reported that the Punish Mee app had gone dark, likely due to the arrests and to shield those who had contributed funds or sponsored activities via the app from prosecution. Separately, local media reported that the parents and brother of Nathan Law had been questioned by police on July 11 regarding recent contact with him, but were subsequently released.
Press Freedom
- Public broadcaster deletes content, prodemocracy radio closes: The public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)—which has been brought under tighter government control since 2020—has reportedly removed thousands of episodes of old shows now apparently considered politically sensitive. Radio Free Asia reported that as of June 21, an archive on the station’s Podcast One website had deleted all 30 years’ worth of episodes of the popular satirical news show Headliner, as well as select episodes of other shows that addressed topics like the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre or police violence. It also deleted work by the political cartoonist Zunzi, whose contract was recently canceled by the Ming Pao newspaper. Separately, the Cantonese prodemocracy online Citizens’ Radio station aired its final show on June 30 and will be closing down, soon after authorities froze its bank account. The station was launched in 2005 and was known for talk shows that were often critical of the government. Its owner said the station lacked resources to pay rent, and that “even if we invite guests to the program, they cannot speak freely, because the red line is everywhere.”
- Japanese journalist denied entry: Freelance Japanese journalist Yoshiaki Ogawa, author of the book Chronicles of Hong Kong’s Protests, was denied entry to the territory on June 29 and forced to return to Tokyo the following day. Police offered no explanation. In December, a photographer from Japan was denied entry, and in early June, a Japanese street performer was similarly barred. Ogawa is the first reporter from the country to be denied entry, however.
Internet Freedom
- Man arrested for Hong Kong independence remark online: Police arrested 63-year-old Danny Kong, founder of a martial arts school, on June 26 over allegedly “seditious messages” posted on Facebook between December 2022 and June 2023 that advocated for Hong Kong and Taiwan independence, and, according to prosecutors, were intended to incite hatred against the government. Kong’s case is the latest in which authorities have invoked a colonial-era sedition law to prosecute people for social media posts. The law had been unused for half a century, until local authorities revived it in 2020.
Featured Initiatives
- Ongoing journalist, foreign correspondent surveys: On July 7, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) released the findings of an annual survey conducted since 2013 of journalists and members of the public on the state of press freedom in the territory. It found that press freedom had declined in 2022, bringing the overall rating to a new low, although at a slower pace of decline than the previous year. Key factors listed by HKJA respondents were hesitation to criticize the central government, and pressure exerted by supervisors on journalists or other forms of self-censorship. The findings align with similar results from a separate survey of foreign correspondents published on July 5. Of those respondents, 83 percent said the environment for journalists had worsened over the past 18 months and 88 percent said they “found sources in Hong Kong had become less willing to be quoted or to discuss sensitive subjects,” a trend described as “a telling indication of fear levels in the community.” Several respondents reported experiencing digital or physical surveillance and 65 percent admitted to practicing self-censorship.
- US legislation to remove Hong Kong representative offices advances: On July 13, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) that would close Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the United States, established in the past as autonomous from China’s embassies and consulates. Since adoption of the National Security Law in 2020, the US government no longer recognizes the territory as autonomous, leading the lawmakers to assert that its offices no longer deserve immunity and other privileges. The bill would move next to the full Senate for voting; companion bipartisan legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives.
What to Watch For
- Transnational pursuit of eight wanted exiled activists: After the July 3 announcement by Hong Kong police that they are offering a bounty for information leading to the arrest of eight activists and former lawmakers now living in exile, watch for additional actions taken in pursuit of these individuals, such as Interpol notices. Watch also for any actions taken by foreign countries with close ties to China to detain and possibly extradite one of the activists, restrictions on their travel due to the charges and bounties, physical attacks against the eight advocates, and any situations whereby the Hong Kong police pay someone the advertised award.
- Proposed Patriotic Education Law’s application in Hong Kong: A new Patriotic Education Law was proposed to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee on June 26 and is open to public comment until July 27. The draft law includes provisions calling for adherence to the CCP’s leadership of the country and outlining duties for patriotic education departments at all levels of the state bureaucracy—including in Hong Kong—and even targeting overseas Chinese. It also codifies ideological controls and curriculum throughout the educational system, and calls on media outlets to “innovate methods for publicity and reporting” on “patriotic” themes, and on internet content providers to “vividly carry out patriotic education activities.” Watch for passage of the law and adoption of relevant measures within Hong Kong’s education and media sectors.
- Avenues for reporting national security violations to Hong Kong government: On July 6, the government department that oversees Hong Kong’s public library system issued a notice that it was launching new ways for members of the public to report potentially problematic content in library collections. The types of objectionable content listed on a form for this purpose include not only violence or pornography but also items that “endanger national security.” The new policy comes after a spate of removals of politically sensitive content from Hong Kong libraries in May. Watch for whether it spurs further censorship, and whether similar mechanisms are enacted for other venues or sectors of society.
The Hong Kong Bulletin is a monthly email newsletter that provides unique insight into media freedom and freedom of expression issues in Hong Kong, drawing on both English and Chinese-language sources.