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Willa Wu

Hong Kong’s security minister has accused a former lawmaker of glorifying seditious acts in an opinion piece about the recently jailed editor-in-chief of the closed outlet Stand News.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also warned Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao, which ran lawyer and ex-lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee’s article, against becoming a platform for inciting or supporting illegal activities.
He issued the warning in an open letter to the newspaper on Monday, the same day it published Ng’s article, titled “Kuen, hang in there”.
“Kuen” is believed to refer to Chung Pui-kuen, the former editor-in-chief of the now-defunct Stand News, who was sentenced to 21 months in jail last week for conspiring to publish seditious articles. The article did not use his full name.
Chung, who spent time behind bars while on remand, must remain in prison for another nine months.
Ng in the piece described Kuen as a committed journalist who chose not to plead guilty and instead face a lengthy trial “just to leave a detailed public record of the standards of press freedom under today’s laws”.
“We hope to support this person deep down,” she wrote.
The former lawmaker also urged readers to keep accounts of daily news that could be compiled into a book to be given to the journalist upon his release.
But Tang slammed Ng’s opinion piece in his open letter.
“[Ng’s piece] discussed the Stand News case in a roundabout way with insinuations and veiled criticism,” he said.
“It made a hero of Chung, who was convicted after a fair and open trial, disregards the court’s ruling, and embellishes Chung’s criminal act as so-called ‘journalistic work’.”
He added that the government should firmly call out such misleading views in a bid to uphold the truth.
Tang highlighted Stand News’ localist stance against mainland China and its role in criticising both central and local authorities amid the 2019 anti-government protests, which originated from opposition to a later-shelved extradition bill.
The minister also referenced the court’s ruling in Chung’s case, which said the editor-in-chief was aware of and agreed with the inciting nature of the articles that Stand News published.
The District Court ruled Chung had used Stand News as a platform for publishing content intended to incite hatred against the central and city governments, and the local judiciary.
Tang said: “The defendant is certainly not merely a journalist, nor was he convicted by the court solely for fulfilling the responsibilities of a journalist in reporting facts.”
The minister also cited support for the ruling from the Hong Kong Federation of Journalists and Hong Kong Association of Media Veterans, with the groups saying the move was backed by strong evidence and protected press freedom.
Tang concluded his letter by arguing that the media’s ability to disseminate information and influence people was crucial.
“I believe that Ming Pao, as a responsible media outlet, will certainly adhere to the special responsibilities and obligations regarding the media outlined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, safeguarding national security and public order, and will not allow itself to be used as a platform to incite support for illegal activities,” he said.

Stand News, which gained prominence during the 2019 protests and had 1.6 million followers at its peak, was raided by police in December 2021. Seven of its employees were arrested in the operation.
The arrests took place more than a year after Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong.
Kuen’s fellow defendant and Stand News’ ex-acting editor-in-chief, Patrick Lam Shiu-tung, was sentenced to 11 months in prison by the court.
Because of time spent on remand, Lam had 21 days, with the judge allowing him to avoid serving the remainder of his jail term as he suffers from a rare disease.
The open letter is the second one that Tang has sent to Ming Pao in recent weeks over the Stand News case.
The first letter, published on September 4, criticised an opinion piece from veteran journalist Chan King-cheung published on the same day, with Tang arguing the article offered an incorrect interpretation of the court’s verdict.


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Hong Kong politics

The opinion piece published by Ming Pao is believed to refer to former Stand News editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen. Photo: May Tse

The open letter is the second one that Chris Tang has sent to Ming Pao in recent weeks over the Stand News case. Photo: Dickson Lee

John Lee warns Hong Kong news industry against becoming ‘corrupted’ after Stand News case

Chief Executive John Lee speaks at a media industry event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Photo: Dickson Lee

Chung Pui-kuen, one of two former Stand News senior editors found guilty of sedition by a city court. Photo: May Tse

Jailing of Hong Kong journalists for sedition will have chilling effect on media, experts say

Patrick Lam, Stand News ex-acting editor-in-chief, leaves the District Court on Thursday. Photo: Sam Tsang

Former editor-in-chief of Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen, arrives at the District Court for sentencing on Thursday. Photo: May Tse

News

Hong Kong

Politics

Chris Tang warns Ming Pao, which ran lawyer Margaret Ng’s article, against becoming platform for inciting or supporting illegal activities


Chris Tang warns Ming Pao, which ran lawyer Margaret Ng’s article, against becoming platform for inciting or supporting illegal activities.
