Hong Kong police have arrested two individuals, identified as independent journalist Tang Ho-wing and activist Lee Ying-chi, for allegedly acting with seditious intent. The arrests were made on Wednesday, with officers from the National Security Department leading Tang in handcuffs to a van from a residential building. This marks the first publicly known time a journalist has been arrested for sedition under Hong Kong's homegrown security law, passed in 2024.
The arrests are linked to an incident on August 31 outside Prince Edward metro station. Police discovered several people standing outside the station holding bouquets and shouting seditious slogans. Six others were arrested over the same offense earlier this month and have since been released on bail. According to police, some individuals at the scene were suspected of spreading false information and attacking the government with lies to incite hatred against authorities.
Tang had posted a video on social media from outside the station showing activists shouting "August 31". The date marks the anniversary of clashes between police and protesters in 2019, which erupted in multiple districts during months-long pro-democracy protests. Critics alleged that officers used batons and pepper spray to indiscriminately attack commuters, leading to some deaths, but the police denied these claims.
The duo arrested on Wednesday were detained for investigation under the homegrown national security law passed in 2024, which came in addition to a law imposed by Beijing after the 2019 protests. If convicted, they could face up to seven years in prison. Tang, who runs the online media outlet Boom News, is known for his large following of about 200,000 across multiple platforms.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) press union condemned the arrest, stating that if journalists can be arrested merely for reporting on-site or because their coverage diverges from the official narrative, all frontline reporters will inevitably bear the same risks when covering public events in the future. The Committee to Protect Journalists' Asia-Pacific director Beh Lih Yi also urged authorities to release Tang immediately and stop intimidating journalists for doing their jobs.
Reporters Without Borders condemned the arrest as the latest sign of the criminalization of journalism in the Chinese city. As of September 1, authorities had arrested 416 people for various national security crimes, with 186 of them convicted. The incident has raised concerns about press freedom and the increasing restrictions on journalists in Hong Kong.
The arrest of Tang Ho-wing has sparked international concern, with many calling for his immediate release. The incident highlights the challenges faced by journalists in Hong Kong, where the government's increasing restrictions on press freedom have raised concerns about the erosion of democratic values. The HKJA and other press freedom groups have urged the authorities to respect the rights of journalists to report without fear of persecution.
Key points
- The arrest of Tang Ho-wing marks the first time a journalist has been arrested for sedition under Hong Kong's homegrown security law.
- The incident is linked to an anniversary event commemorating the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
- The arrest has sparked international concern about press freedom and the increasing restrictions on journalists in Hong Kong.
