Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily assured its readers in Taiwan, that its operations in the island nation would continue. The newspaper, which had been publishing reports supporting the pro-democracy movement, published its last edition on Thursday. The decision to shut the paper came after hundreds of policemen arrested five of the paper’s senior editors and senior executives. The tabloid that criticised China’s authoritarian leaders had been a constant thorn on Beijing’s side.
The arrest of the newspaper’s top officials was probably one of the toughest moves by Beijing to bring down the morale of Hong Kong’s citizens after it passed the National Security Law on June 30 2020. On Thursday, sold over a million copies of its last edition. The National Security law has criminalised dissent.
also read
- Disabled crude oil tanker 'Njord' under tow after sudden blackout in South China Sea: Here is what happened
- After 'Operation Sindoor', China now getting to test its weapons thanks to Thailand-Cambodia conflict
- The CIA lost a nuclear generator device in the Himalayas in a failed 1960s Cold War mission. Is it causing floods now?
Hong Kong authorities, along with arresting its senior editors and executives, had also frozen $2.3 million worth of assets. The cash-strapped Taiwanese edition of the newspaper, ceased its print edition last month, but, its website is still going strong.
Beijing has also introduced reforms in the legislative council to review candidates running for the legislative council, vet their history to ensure that only patriots contest elections. Following the passage of the national security law, several pro-democracy leaders were arrested including Joshua Wong and Apple Daily’s founder Jimmy Lai, while several others fled Hong Kong.