| US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln <자료사진> © Reuters=News1 |
US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln has called on Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to immediately release the staff of the Democratic Party’s online media ‘Ipjang Sinmun’, which has been discontinued after police raids and seizures. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam has called for the release of seven people arrested, calling it “a violation of the rule of law”.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement in the name of Secretary of State Blincoln on the 29th (local time) saying, “We stop targeting the free and independent press of Hong Kong to the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, and we are resolving journalists and media executives who have been unfairly detained and charged. We urge him to be released immediately,” he said.
“Freedom of expression, including freedom of speech, and access to information provided by an independent press are critical to a prosperous and safe society,” Blincoln said in a statement. was able to prosper as a global center of
“By silencing the independent press, the CCP and Hong Kong authorities undermine Hong Kong’s credibility and vitality,” he said.
 |
| Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam <자료사진> © AFP=News1 |
In response, Reuters reported that Lam countered the foreign government’s demand for the release of seven people arrested in connection with the search and seizure of the newspapers, saying it was “a violation of the rule of law.”
“The search and seizure and arrest by the police on admissions papers are for law enforcement only, not the media industry,” Lam added.
Earlier, local time, the day before, the Hong Kong police seized and searched the headquarters of Ipji newspaper on charges of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law, and arrested or detained about 10 former and current executives. “The police arrested a number of current and former executives this morning and confiscated a number of computers and documents,” the newspaper said on its official Facebook page. stopped immediately,” he said.
Founded in 2014 when the Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution took place, Ipji Newspaper has enjoyed popularity as an online media representing the democratic camp. Reuters reported that the closing of the newspaper is raising concerns about freedom of the press in Hong Kong, which has been returned to China with the promise of ‘one country, two systems’ (one country, two systems).
pbj@news1.kr
