Apple Daily Staff Face Collusion Charges
*On Tuesday, November 22, six former Apple Daily employees stepped into court and pleaded guilty to colluding with foreign forces in a high‑stakes national‑security case. The confession that follows will put the case in exquisite detail, yet wrapped in a conversational tone that makes the story almost feel like a newsroom gossip column.
The Six Names on the Table
*- Cheung Kim‑hung – ex‑CEO of Next Digital, Apple Daily’s former owner
- Chan Pui‑man – former associate publisher
- Ryan Law – former editor‑in‑chief
- Lam Man‑chung – former executive editor‑in‑chief
- Fung Wai‑kong – former English edition editor‑in‑chief
- Yeung Ching‑kee – former editorial writer
What the Charges Actually Say
*These six journalists conspired with media magnate Jimmy Lai and a handful of collaborators to “request a foreign country or organisation to impose sanctions or blockade, or engage in other hostile activities” against the Hong Kong and Chinese governments from July 2020 to June 2021.
The prosecutor, Anthony Chau, kept it blunt: Apple Daily was “used as a platform to advocate for foreign sanctions.” He said the content ranged from “news‑style articles” to “propaganda that unlawfully pushes a political agenda.”
Chau also pointed to March 2019 pieces that were oddly seditious – calling on the public to join the 2019 protests that shook the city back to its first wave of democracy after the 1997 handover.
Why 2019 Matters
*- The Largest Protest – the 2019 rallies were the biggest since Hong Kong re‑joined China in ’97.
- ‘One Country, Two Systems’ Crisis – activists claimed Beijing had broken its promise to keep Hong Kong’s autonomy.
- China’s Response – Beijing argued the protests “undermined stability” and blamed foreigners for fueling dissent.
Enter the 2020 Security Law
*In 2020, China hammered a new law with severe penalties up to life imprisonment – covering subversion, secession, terrorism, and, notably, collusion with foreign forces. Jimmy Lai, already serving a jail sentence for an illegal assembly, now faces a fresh charge under this law.
He and his three companies have pleaded not guilty to national security and sedition accusations, even as the six former staffers will testify at his trial – scheduled to start on December 1 and expected to last thirty days.
What’s Next?
*The eventual punishment will be decided hand‑in‑hand with the outcome of Lai’s trial. For the six who admitted guilt, the verdicts will be delivered alongside the sentencing for Lai himself.
Why This Feels Like a City‑Wide Drama
*Those of us who love scoops know that when a paper like Apple Daily dissolves, the ripple reaches far beyond its desks. The court’s drama is not just about legalities; it’s the face‑to‑face story of a city grappling with its own identity, censorship, and the heavy hand of security legislation.
Readers Note
*Whether you’re a fan of hardcore journalism or just curious about how rebellious voices become footnotes in law books, stay tuned. The next pages will unfold in little court‑room chapters, each revealing another layer of the Hong Kong narrative. Till then, keep the conversation going – that’s the spirit of the press, after all.
