Hong Kong Free Press is a new, progressive English language news source seeking to unite critical voices on local and national affairs. Free of charge and completely independent, HKFP arrives amid rising concerns over declining press freedom in Hong Kong and during an important time in the city’s constitutional development.
Latest posts by Hong Kong Free Press
Ex-editor of Hong Kong’s Stand News Chung Pui-kuen jailed for 21 months for sedition in landmark case
Kwok Wai-kin, the designated judge for national security trials said the defendants were not conducting genuine media work, but participating in the so-called resistance then.
Hong Kong Article 23: Three jailed over a seditious T-shirt, bus graffiti, social media posts in six months
At least 14 people have been arrested on suspicion of violating Article 23 since the law was enacted on 23 of March, 2024.
Hong Kong journalists are under systematic and organized attacks
Threatening messages were sent to family members, landlords, employers and associated organisations of 15 journalists, hateful contents were posted on Facebook targeting 36 journalists.
Two Hong Kong journalists found guilty of sedition after a 2-year trial
Two former chief editors of the now-defunct Stand News were found guilty of sedition, marking the first such conviction of journalists since the former British colony returned to China in 1997.
Chair of Hong Kong press union Selina Cheng fired by Wall Street Journal
Selina Cheng was told that employees of The Wall Street Journal should not be seen as advocating for press freedom “in a place like Hong Kong.”
Tiananmen crackdown commemorations foiled by large Hong Kong police deployment
Hundreds of police officers were stationed around Victoria Park and Causeway Bay on June 4 to thwart the commemoration of the 35th anniversary of Tiananmen Crackdown.
Hong Kong's first domestic security arrest targets Tiananmen activist Chow Hang-tung and her supporters
Ahead of the 35th anniversary of June 4, HK police said the Facebook posts made use of an “upcoming sensitive date” to incite hatred against the central and Hong Kong governments.
Google blocks access to pro-democracy protest song in Hong Kong after court ruling
In addition to the blocking of 32 YouTube videos, links to the videos on Google Search will no longer visible to users in Hong Kong
Government bid to ban ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ protest song approved by appeals court
The judges said that internet platforms are ready to accede to the government’s request if there is a court order.
Hong Kong ranks low on global press freedom index as watchdog cites ‘unprecedented’ setbacks
Hong Kong placed 135 out of 180 countries and territories in the Reporters Without Borders' 2024 press freedom ranking. While the city's ranking is +5, its score actually has fallen -1.8 points.
Reporters Without Borders representative denied entry to Hong Kong
RSF's representative was detained, searched and questioned for six hours at the airport on April 10, 2024 before she was deported.
Hong Kong passes controversial new security law broadly defining treason and insurrection
The city had devoted 30 days to the public consultation of the draft law during the Lunar New Year, and lawmakers had spent 12 days debating it in the LegCo.
US-funded news outlet Radio Free Asia to withdraw from Hong Kong
US funded-news outlet Radio Free Asia (RFA), which had been accused of being “anti-China” by Beijing-backed newspapers, is set to withdraw from Hong Kong.
New domestic security law may affect regular news reporting, says Hong Kong press group
The Journalist Association recommended the authorities to narrow the definition of offences by proving the intention of the offenders to undermine national security and that their acts cause actual damages.
Hong Kong’s homegrown security law seeks to define ‘state secrets’ along China’s legislative line
The definition of state secrets covers secrets in major policy decisions, military, foreign affairs, economic and social development, technological and scientific development, national security operations, HK and China relation.
Man jailed for three months for wearing ‘seditious’ shirt with protest slogan at Hong Kong airport
A Hong Kong man was arrested near a boarding gate at the HK International Airport last November after he was seen wearing a t-shirt with a protest slogan printed on it.
Google denies Hong Kong police request to remove ‘seditious’ film about media tycoon Jimmy Lai from YouTube
This is the second time Google denied taking down political content. Its earlier refusal to alter protest song, 'Glory to Hong Kong,' has ended up in an injunction trial.
Finding the space to speak: Journalism professor Francis Lee on Hong Kong’s changing media landscape
"What we can see is an ongoing negotiation through which journalists try to reconcile the pressure to self-censor with their sense of professionalism."
What is ‘soft resistance’? Hong Kong officials vow to take a hard line against it, but provide no definition
Hong Kong officials have vowed to take a hard line against “soft resistance” but failed to define the term. HKFP tracks the term's usage and quotes views from legal scholars.
Hong Kong’s homegrown security law, Article 23, is back in the spotlight
An attempt to pass the city’s own security law collapsed in 2003 under the weight of mass protests. This time, public opposition is likely to be muted.