The SAR government on Wednesday strongly condemned a statement issued by a foreign coalition on the press freedom situation in Hong Kong, calling it “totally wrong”.
Earlier this week, 22 member countries of the Media Freedom Coalition accused Hong Kong authorities of targeting and cracking down on independent media in the city since the enactment of the national security law, citing the Stand News police raid. late last year and the arrests of its staff. .
In response, the SAR government said it had been firmly committed to protecting freedoms of the press and speech since the handover.
“We must reiterate that all law enforcement actions taken by Hong Kong law enforcement under the Hong Kong National Security Law, or any local law, are evidence-based, strictly in accordance with the law and for the acts of the persons or entities concerned”, and have nothing to do with their profession, their background or their political position. The law enforcement actions taken by the Hong Kong SAR government against Stand News have adhered to these fundamental principles,” a government spokesperson said.
Officials said the media landscape in Hong Kong is “more vibrant than ever”, citing an increase in the number of government-registered media organizations since the enactment of the security law.
