London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 03, 2025

Hong Kong justice chief lashes out at critics of Stand News arrests

Hong Kong justice chief lashes out at critics of Stand News arrests

Accusing critics of acting ‘out of ignorance or with ulterior motives’, Cheng maintains the press’ freedom to operate ‘has always been well respected in Hong Kong’.

Hong Kong’s justice chief has lashed out at foreign critics of a recent national security police operation that prompted the closure of an online news platform, accusing them of making “baseless allegations” regarding the state of press freedom in the city.

Secretary of Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah on Friday became the latest official to defend the operation, which saw the arrests of several people linked to the opposition-leaning website Stand News. The portal subsequently ceased all operations.

Accusing critics of acting “out of ignorance or with ulterior motives”, Cheng maintained that the press’ freedom to operate “ has always been well respected in Hong Kong”.

“It is appalling to see that some even openly demand the immediate release of the arrested persons,” she wrote on her official blog, in reference to calls from foreign officials such as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“Such demands are not only a gross disrespect for the rule of law, but also are in blatant violation of international law and the basic principle of non-intervention.”

National security police on Wednesday arrested seven people who worked at, or were linked to, the now-defunct Stand News portal, which gained popularity among opposition supporters during and after the 2019 anti-government protests.

West Kowloon Court on Thursday denied bail to the portal’s former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen, 52, and acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam Shiu-tung, 34, who were charged with conspiracy to publish seditious content.

Lam made his first court appearance on Friday, having previously been hospitalised due to a medical condition. He confirmed he would waive his right to renew his bail application at the same court, although he could still apply for bail before a High Court judge.

The arrests prompted an outcry from the West, with Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Thursday insisting there was no “suppression” of press freedom in the city.

In her blog post, the justice secretary said the recent arrests had “drawn baseless criticisms from overseas politicians and entities”.

“Since the legal proceedings of the case concerned have already commenced, no one should further comment on any matter that is sub judice. Our legal system ensures that justice will be properly administered and due process will be observed,” Cheng added.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng has accused Western politicians of making ‘baseless criticisms’ of the arrests.


Cheng went on to say that while freedom of speech, expression and the press were guaranteed by the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, and the Bill of Rights, they were not absolute.

“They may be subject to restrictions that are provided by law and are necessary for pursuing legitimate aims … It should be borne in mind that the safeguarding of national security and the preservation of the constitutional order of ‘one country, two systems’ are matters of fundamental importance,” she argued, referring to the principle under which Hong Kong is governed since its return from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

Cheng also argued that the concept of “responsible journalism” was well established, and that the press was not exempt from complying with the law.

“Journalists are entitled to the protection of the freedom of expression on the premise that they act in good faith,” she said.

The boundary between genuine journalistic activities, which should be protected, and offences endangering national security, which should be suppressed, was “reasonably clear”, she added.

“It is indisputable that the free flow of information in accordance with the law has always been well respected in Hong Kong.”

Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu on Wednesday said people who attempted to make use of reporting as a tool to endanger national security were “the evil elements that damage press freedom”.

Asked to comment on the Western backlash to the Stand New cases, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Thursday said Washington only “pretended to support press freedom”, and had arrested or detained at least 117 journalists in 2020.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×