Local politicians and an international press freedom advocacy group yesterday voiced their support for democracy and freedom in Hong Kong, as the territory’s Apple Daily printed its last edition.
The world should not sit idly while China destroys the “one country, two systems” framework in Hong Kong, which has greatly harmed democratic values, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) told a news conference in Taipei.
Hong Kong’s Apple Daily is one of the few media outlets that have not hewed to the Hong Kong government and Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) line, he said.
It has upheld press freedom and government check and balance, which are vital instruments in a democratic society, he added.
Freedom of expression and of the press are the essence of democracy, “but it is regrettable that today we have seen the final edition of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily,” he said.
With China imposing oppressive measures, “we hope to see the world and the international media support the people of Hong Kong, and pay attention to human rights issues there, to ensure that China does not ruin Hong Kong’s democracy and its way of life,” he said.
After Beijing unilaterally imposed the National Security Law in Hong Kong last year, freedom and democracy have regressed in the territory, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) said.
This should be a lesson to other democratic countries — on how China had step by step encroached on the territory and devoured it, he said.
Through its entertainment and media industries, Hong Kong had in the past inspired several generations of people in Asia to aspire for freedom, but since its takeover by Beijing, democracy advocates in the territory are now seen as troublemakers who are targets for elimination, You wrote on Facebook.
Taiwanese are paying an active interest in Hong Kong, and are distressed and saddened by the deterioration of Hong Kong’s democratic society, he added.
“Democracy is the only way forward. Without democratization, China has no hope for the future,” he wrote, quoting democracy activist Fu Cheng (傅正).
Condemning Beijing and the Hong Kong government for the crackdown on the Apple Daily, the New Power Party urged the Taiwanese government to lend more support to Hong Kong democracy campaigners.
The party issued a statement reiterating its call for the government to amend the Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong and Macau Affairs (香港澳門關係條例) to facilitate reviews of applications for political asylum by Hong Kong and Macau residents.
Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) said that the final edition of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily “symbolizes Hong Kong’s death certificate.”
“It is also a gift for Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平), as China gets ready to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP” on July 1, the TSP said in a statement.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) “deplores the shutdown, announced on Wednesday, June 23rd, of Apple Daily, one of the last major Chinese-language media critical of the Beijing regime, which follows the freezing of its financial assets imposed by the Hong Kong government,” RSF Taipei bureau head Cedric Alviani said in a statement.
“The tearing down of Apple Daily, one of the last major Chinese-language media critical of the Beijing regime, after years of harassment, is sending a chilling message to Hong Kong journalists,” Alviani said.
“If the international community does not respond with the utmost determination, President Xi Jinping will know that he can erase press freedom in Hong Kong with complete impunity, as he has already done in the rest of China,” he added.
Additional reporting by Wu Su-wei
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