Jimmy Lai, owner of the Apple Daily, was arrested today under the provisions of the new National Security Law. I’ve always thought Lai a bit of a clown, a jerk even. But he didn’t deserve to be arrested for that. Even if he did go to Taiwan where he called for interference in Hong Kong by the US and Britain, which I thought pretty abysmal. [ADDED: the point is made that the NSL was not supposed to be retroactive, so what has Lai done since July 1st?).
As the owner of one of the most popular tabloids in Hong Kong, his arrest certainly sends a clear message. Don’t mess with us, or else. It’s the classic Chinese tactic, to “Kill the chicken to scare the monkey” 杀鸡儆猴, Sha Ji Jing Hou. Monkeys are already scared. Today on RTHK Radio 3 Hong Kong, their talk show, normally lively and provocative, was just music and lifestyle progs.*
Today a comment of mine on the SCMP website was removed. First time ever. In one comment thread, only seven out of 19 comments remained, after the rest had beeen moderated out. Again, never seen before. Self-censorship is censorship and it’s started in a big way.
This is all pretty shitty. And it doesn’t help that we could say to the likes of Jimmy Lai “we told you so”.
Do I start packing?
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*RTHK Radio 3 today (11/8) seems normal again, with eg. Emily Lau, Democratic Party, lambasting Beijing and the government, and hammering the arrest of Lai.
ADDED (11 August): comments on radio that international business based in Hong Kong are positive about HK future and we’d agree based in our own contacts. Local offices have problems convincing their head offices because they have the views of their local media, namely that “HK is dead”. Not quite. Even if trend not good.
