Citizen News bosses say Hong Kong’s ‘vague’ law enforcement forced its closure, triggered by fears over staff safety
- Chief writer Chris Yeung says decision to close news outlet was based on fears they may have unwittingly broken laws they do not understand
- Citizen News to stop updating its website on Tuesday following last week’s national security crackdown on Stand News, another online portal
Senior executives of Hong Kong’s Citizen News on Monday said they were forced to shut it down because they could no longer guarantee staff safety under the city’s “vague” approach to law enforcement.
Choking back tears, Yeung said: “We can’t work in a safe environment. Reporters are also human and have their families and friends too. Journalists don’t want to be landed in this dilemma simply because of their work.”
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Hong Kong independent news site Citizen News to shut down
Yeung, a former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), said the trigger for the decision to fold was the recent operation against Stand News.
Last week, national security police scooped up seven people who worked at or were linked to, Stand News for allegedly publishing seditious content and stirring up hatred against the government.
“The city’s media has been embroiled in a political storm with many media outlets or the overall media being deemed as the target of a shake-up,” Yeung said.
