Hong Kong Media Mogul Jimmy Lai, Critic Of Beijing, Arrested Under The New National Security Law

Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested by Hong Kong police for 'collusion with a foreign country' under the new National Security Law.

Photo credit: Twitter/Jimmy Lai

Hong Kong: The pro-democracy Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai who owns the tabloid-style newspaper Apple Daily and Next Magazine, was arrested on Monday for "for collusion with a foreign country" under the Hong Kong's new national security law which came into effect from July. "He was arrested for collusion with a foreign country, uttering seditious words and conspiracy to defraud," one of the sources told the South China Morning Post (SCMP) according to a report by IANS. The report also says that his two sons, and CEO Cheung Kim-hung, and COO Chow Tat-kuen, were also arrested. While Chow was also arrested for collusion with foreign and external forces to endanger national security, Cheung was arrested for conspiracy to defraud. “They are suspected to be involved in offences including collusion with foreign and external forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to defraud. The operation is ongoing and we do not rule out more arrests," the police have said in the report. Lai and his media outlets are openly critical of Bejing's regime and he has constantly expressed his opinion on his Twitter page.

Without freedom of speech, freedom of inquiry, #HK is just a second-rate city. https://t.co/UVI8haV1Ze

— Jimmy Lai (@JimmyLaiApple) August 8, 2020

The police are also in search of Lai's top raise Mark Simon who is not in the city at the moment.Simon has tweeted about the arrests on his Twitter page.

As of this time the police are in the homes of Mr. Lai and his son executing search warrants. - Other members of the group have been detained or taken in for questioning. It’s a press scrum at Mr. Lai’s home now so info locally will come out. -

— Mark Simon (@HKMarkSimon) August 10, 2020

Lai’s arrest comes two weeks after the police took action against anti-government activists (not directly related to street protests). On July 29, four students, aged from 16 to 21, were taken into custody on suspicion of secession under the new legislation which is aimed at punishing acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. Hong Kong's National Security Law Beijing's National Security Law was imposed on Hong Kong in June this year and came into effect in Hong Kong from July. The Bill was introduced by China, in May and the draft legislation had provisions to outlaw acts of secession, subversion, and terrorism and to "prevent, frustrate and punish" threats to national security in Hong Kong. At the time citizens feared that the law will have an impact on their independent judicial system and their civil freedom. The talks over a national security bill have been going on since 1997 and in 2003 when the Chinese government attempted to impose the Bill it faced a massive backlash. In 2019, there were widespread protests in Hong Kong over another bill that was introduced by China in which suspects in Hong Kong can be extradited to the Chinese mainland.