Hong Kong’s last pro-democracy newspaper closed its doors just before midnight Wednesday, ending 26 years of journalism.
The newspaper’s apparent imminent closure comes just days after authorities froze $2.3 million of its assets last week, shortly after more than 500 police officers raided Apple Daily’s offices and arrested its chief editor, Ryan Law, and four other executives with the newspaper and Next Digital.
Three of four Mother Nature environmental activists arrested on Wednesday, had arrest warrants issued for them on the alleged charge of “plotting,” local authorities said, a charge used recently against former opposition officials.
The U.S. is pulling its funding for the Greening Prey Lang project, which works to protect the sanctuary from deforestation, and redirecting money for the Cambodian government to civil society groups and communities working to protect the forest.
The raid and arrests were conducted under the nearly 1-year-old national security law imposed on the semi-autonomous city by Beijing last year. Police said five executives of a company were arrested on suspicion of collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national secur
The activists, all members of the conservation group Mother Nature, were jailed for between 18 and 20 months for incitement to commit a felony or disturb social order.
The statement, which included 45 rights groups and community organizations, highlighted how at least 22 journalists were either attacked or threatened with violence while in the field in 2020.
The warning is in response to several photos and videos posted on Facebook showing police using wooden sticks to beat people.
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