Canada 'deeply concerned' after Hong Kong police raid news outlet, lay charges

Canada will stand up to support democracy and freedom of the press, says Minister of Foreign AffairsMlanie Joly, following the police raid on a non-profit news organization in Hong Kong that led to the arrest and detainment of seven activists.

"We are deeply concerned by the arrests in Hong Kong of current and former board and staff members from Stand News, including Canadian citizen and activist Denise Ho," Joly added in a post on Twitter, a day after 200 officers raided the democratic-leaning publication's office, arrested staffand froze the organization'sassets.

Two former senior editors of Stand News, the last-standing and most prominent independentpublication in Hong Kong, have been formally charged with conspiracy to publish seditious materialsamid a national security clampdown on publications.

In the raid on Wednesday, policearrested seven current and former senioreditors and former board members, including Cantopop star and Canadian citizenDenise Ho.

Ho wasreleased on bail Thursday morning after 36 hours of detainment.

Charges laid

Police also said they would prosecute the company for sedition, according to a charge sheet.

Lam was not present in court because he was in the hospital.

Erosion of press freedoms

The move is seen as the latest attempt to erode press freedoms since Chinaimposed a sweeping national security law in the former Britishcolony last year, critics say.

Former federaljustice minister and human rights lawyerIrwin CotlersaidCanada hasa responsibility to take a stand as the leader of the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detentionin State-to-State Relations earlier this year, and as one of the founding countries of the Media Freedom Coalition.

"What we're seeing is a frontal assault not only on media freedom, not only on the safety and security of journalists, not only on the democracy movement but on democracy itself in Hong Kong," Cotler said.

Jenny Kwan, the New Democrat MP for Vancouver-East who was born and raised in Hong Kong, said she is heartbroken by the turn of events as the arrests show freedoms and human rights in the region are being ignored by China's Communist government.

"It clearly illustrates that Hong Kong has turned into a policestate," Kwan said.

The arrests and criticism come days after a Chinese ForeignMinistry spokesman said China-Canada are at a "crossroads."

Along with Ho,three otherformer members of the Stand News board formerdemocratic legislator and lawyer Margaret Ng, Chow Tat-chi and Christine Fang were released on policebail pending further investigations. They had not beencharged yet.

Police said all four are due to report to police in lateMarch.

Ng told reporters as she left the police station that,"continuing to care for each other is very important."

Ho left without comment.

Also arrested on Wednesday was Chung'swife, Chan Pui-man. Formerly a senior editor with the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper,she was already being heldin prison on different charges and was re-arrested there.

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Promise of a free press

Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promisethat wide-ranging individual rights, including a free press, would be protected.

But pro-democracy activists and rights groups say freedomshave been eroded, in particular since China imposed the newnational security law after months of at times violentpro-democracy protests.

"Does Canada see China as a partner or a rival?" spokespersonZhaoLijian said. "This is a fundamental question bearing on the futureof bilateral ties that Canada must think through."

The Canadian government has previously criticized what many see as Beijing's move to stamp out democracy in Hong Kong, which critics say is a violation of the China's agreement with Britain when it took over governance of the former British colony in 1997.

Relations between the two countries hit an all-time low afterChina detained two Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in apparent retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in December 2018.

The pairwere held nearly three years before U.S. authorities, who had wanted Meng extradited from Canada to face fraud charges, agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement. Kovrig and Spavor were released shortly after Meng left Canada.

Canada has also announced a diplomatic boycott of the February Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing extensive Chinese human rights abuses, including crimes against its Muslim Uyghur population and military provocations towardTaiwan.

Meanwhile, the Trudeau Liberals are expected to announce a decision soon on Huawei participation in its next-generation 5G internet network.

Canada is currently the last of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing members to decide the key international security issue. The alliance includes the U.S., which views Huawei as a security threat, as well as Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Hong Kong leader defends raid

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam defended the raid on Stand News amid a wider crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous city, telling reporters that "inciting other people ... could not be condoned under the guise of news reporting."

In a statement, the Chinese foreign ministry's Hong Kong office said supportfor press freedom was being used as an excuse to disruptstability in the city.

"Those who engage in activities that endanger nationalsecurity under the cover of journalism are the black sheeptarnishing the press freedom and will be held accountable," itsaid.

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Ronson Chan, chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association, says the closure of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper may prompt other journalists to avoid reporting on news that be could be affected by the new national security law. (Lam Yik/Reuters)

Stand News was setup in 2014 as a non-profit organization, and until this week wasthe most prominent remaining independent pro-democracypublication in Hong Kong after a national security investigation this year led to the closure of jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai's AppleDaily newspaper.

Stand News shut down hours after the raid and all of itsemployees were dismissed. Its website was not accessible onThursday and its London bureau chief, Yeung Tin-shui, said onFacebook his office had also closed.

If convicted, they could face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $800 Cdn).