Hong Kong authorities have arrested an independent journalist on suspicion of incitement through the spread of disinformation, local media reported. Tang Ho-wing, the founder of the online news outlet Boom News, was taken into custody on Wednesday morning, according to the Sing Tao Daily.
The arrest follows an incident covered by Boom News on August 31, which marked the seventh anniversary of the Prince Edward station clash between antigovernment protesters and police. The outlet, which boasts over 66,000 Instagram followers, shared a video featuring a woman’s account of the 2019 events. While protesters alleged that deaths occurred during the confrontation, authorities denied these claims, with police describing rumors of fatalities as baseless.
On the same day as the arrest, Hong Kong police announced they had detained two individuals for suspected sedition under the 2024 national security law. Although officials did not name the suspects, the South China Morning Post identified the second detainee as activist Lee Ying-chi. According to authorities, the arrests stemmed from an August 31 gathering outside a subway station where participants carried flowers, chanted banned slogans, and allegedly spread disinformation intended to incite hatred against the government and police.
Six other individuals previously arrested in connection with the same offense were later released on bail. The case highlights the increasing restrictions faced by journalists in Hong Kong, exacerbated by Beijing’s 2020 national security law and subsequent local statutes passed in 2024. The chilling effect on the press was notably demonstrated in February when Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and several of his former staff members received sentences ranging from nearly seven to 10 years.
Another arrest for sharing videos? The definition of sedition is clearly expanding to crush any dissent.
This is alarming. Journalism shouldn’t be a crime. How long until all independent voices disappear?