Seeing that "Apple Daily" was suspended and a number of high-level officials were arrested on suspicion of violating Hong Kong's national security law, another chaotic Hong Kong media, "Position News", could not sit still.
On the evening of June 27, Position News suddenly announced the "temporary removal" of commentaries published in may and before this year, on the grounds of so-called "reducing the risks of all parties", and stopped receiving sponsorship. Six directors, including He Yunshi and Wu Yiyi, "accepted the proposal" and resigned.
Regarding the various "self-protection" actions of "Position News", Hong Kong barrister Ma Enguo pointed out to Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po that if the relevant article was suspected of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law when it was published, it would need to bear legal responsibility, and it would not be able to escape legal punishment if it was anxious to "pull the gate and leave".
Position Press director list, 6 of which have resigned
The announcement released by "Position News" on the 27th said that in order to "protect all supporters, authors and editorial staff, and reduce the risks of all parties", all the blog posts, reprinted articles and reader contributions published in May this year will be temporarily removed from the shelves, and after "confirming the willingness and risks of continuing to publish" with the author, appropriate arrangements and re-publications will be considered. As for the news, features, pages, videos, etc. compiled by Position News, they will be updated continuously.
At the same time, Position News will suspend the acceptance of sponsorships, including the suspension of transfer arrangements for paid members, and will stop accepting new members and new sponsorships. The media claimed that the current financial reserves are sufficient to cover the next 9 to 12 months of expenditure.
Position News also terminated the employment contract of employees who have been employed for more than half a year in May this year on the grounds of "protecting colleagues" and signed a new contract to re-employ them "on not less than the original conditions".
In addition, six directors of Position News' parent company, including Yu Jiahui, Chow Tat Chi, Wu Yiyi, Ho Yun Shi, Fang Minsheng and Lian Yizheng, resigned as directors "on proposal", leaving only two directors, Cai Donghao and Zhong Peiquan, to remain in office. Position News claims to continue to operate, and its policy and editorial work remain unchanged.
Position News was founded in December 2014 as a "non-profit-making news site." Among the several directors who resigned, in addition to "Hong Kong independence" artist He Yunshi, there was also Former Legislative Council member Wu Yiyi, who participated in illegal assembly with Lai Chi-ying and others, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and suspended for 2 years. As for practicing Yizheng, in recent years, he has also been shouting for "Hong Kong independence" and desperately singing about Hong Kong.
Cai Donghao, the retained director and founder of Position News, is one of the so-called "Ten Dead Soldiers of Occupy Central".
In the "storm over the amendment of the law", Position News has always acted as a "mouthpiece" for the mob, fanning the flames and tearing apart the society, and repeatedly interviewing members of the "Dragon Slaying Squad" who attacked the Hong Kong police.
On January 6 this year, Hong Kong police went to the office of Position News to request assistance in investigating a case related to the National Security Law and ordered him to hand over the relevant documents within 7 days.
On May 4 this year, Position News reprinted an article entitled "The Future of the Hong Kong Resistance Movement from the Experience of Northern Ireland's Resistance", in which it claimed that "the soil and environment of armed resistance in Northern Ireland are not impossible to appear in Hong Kong", and also declared that "Hong Kong people have the conditions and necessity to fight a war", and more blatantly proposed "lone wolf" terrorism.
Subsequently, a number of Hong Kong citizens went to the Headquarters of the Hong Kong Police to submit a letter of complaint, asking the police to strictly investigate position news for suspected incitement to terrorist activities.
In May this year, some Hong Kong citizens went to the Hong Kong Police Headquarters to protest the incitement of terrorist activities by Position News and asked the police to investigate The source: Tai Kung Wen Hui All Media
With regard to the various actions taken by "Position News" in an attempt to "protect itself," Leung Chi-cheung, a member of the Legislative Council of the DaB, pointed out to Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po that in the eyes of the Hong Kong people, "Position News" and "Apple Daily" have been "singing double reeds.", reminiscent of "Position News" is now seeing a number of high-level members of "Apple Daily" suspected of endangering national security and being arrested by the police national security department, worried that sooner or later it will be their turn, let alone worry that there are materials that violate the national security law will be exposed, so they hurriedly take measures to avoid the limelight or stop losses.
Ma Enguo, chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation and barrister, said that if the relevant news or article is suspected of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law at the time of publication, it will need to bear legal responsibility, and there is no situation where "pulling the gate and leaving" will not be held criminally responsible, even if it goes to the edge of the sky, it will be punished by law.
This article is an exclusive manuscript of the Observer Network and may not be reproduced without authorization.