Tag: Press freedom

Malaysian Comedian Silenced on Chinese Social Media After Jokes About China

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A Malaysian comedian better known for mocking attempts by Western chefs at Asian cooking has seen his Chinese social media account suspended after making jokes about China. Nigel Ng, who uses the name Uncle Roger, is the latest comedian to feel the consequences of jokes that could be perceived as reflecting negatively on China under increasingly intense censorship and rising nationalism. Last week, a Chinese comedian came under police investigation for a joke about stray dogs. Ng posted a video clip last Thursday from an upcoming comedy special in which…

Hong Kong Court: Jailed Media Tycoon Lai Can’t Use British Lawyer

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HONG KONG —  A Hong Kong court on Friday dismissed an attempt by jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai to challenge a decision by security officials to effectively bar his British lawyer from representing him in a landmark national security trial. Lai’s legal team filed a judicial review after Hong Kong’s National Security Committee (NSC), headed by senior Hong Kong and Chinese officials, ruled that the admission of senior British barrister Timothy Owen could harm national security and advised Hong Kong authorities to reject his visa. The use of foreign lawyers…

Hong Kong Newspaper Cuts Cartoonist ‘Zunzi’ After Officials Complain

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A Hong Kong newspaper has pulled a popular, decades-old political comic strip after government officials accused it of smearing the government’s image and misleading the public. The move is widely seen as another step in the erosion of freedom in Hong Kong under a controversial national security law. Ming Pao, a respected Chinese-language newspaper, said Thursday it would stop publishing cartoons by Wong Kei-kwan, better known under his nom de plume “Zunzi,” starting Sunday. “Ming Pao thanks Zunzi for witnessing with us the changing times in the past 40 years,”…

Son of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon condemns UK government ‘weakness’

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The British son of the jailed Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has criticised Britain and the Vatican for failing to speak out strongly against the crackdown on dissent in the Chinese territory. At a Washington event about the human rights situation in Hong Kong, Sebastien Lai said self-censorship in the former British colony was the anticipated result of the national security crackdown there, but the “hypocrisy” of some governments trying to trade with China was unexpected. “We are incredibly grateful that the Americans have been a lot stronger on…

Blocked, censored, jailed or laid off: why it’s never been harder to be a journalist

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Taisia Bekbulatova, Russia In December 2021, I was declared a “foreign agent” by Russia’s justice ministry. I now have to declare this status on every post, even on Instagram selfies. I refuse to comply. As a result, I could face criminal charges in Russia at any moment. After the Ukraine war began, I had to evacuate the editorial team of my news website, Holod, from Russia because even writing the word “war” became illegal, and sharing unapproved information risked up to 15 years in prison. It’s difficult for me to…

Lawyers Call on Britain to Advocate More for Jailed Hong Kong Publisher

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Bangkok —  British lawyers for jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai are calling for his case to receive more attention. Lai, who was the owner of Next Digital, publisher of the pro-democracy Apple Daily that was forced to close, has been in prison since the end of 2020. He is facing life imprisonment if found guilty on charges under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Lai, who turns 76 this year, faces two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and one count of collusion with foreign forces under…

To Understand China, Foreign Reporters Need Access, Journalists Say

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washington —  Longtime New York Times China reporter Chris Buckley traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the day the city went into lockdown. It was January 2020. “In retrospect, it sounds crazy,” Buckley said. He went prepared with masks and a healthy sense of caution, but he never predicted that what he saw during those weeks would still grip the world three years later. “It was a big story, and I like to cover big stories. It’s exciting. It’s fulfilling. And I hope it didn’t make…

Leaked Documents Show How Russia, China Collaborate on Censorship

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washington —  Leaked documents provided to VOA’s sister network RFE/RL confirm reports that Russia and China collaborate on censorship and internet control tactics. The materials detail documents and recordings said to be from closed-door meetings in 2017 and 2019 between officials from the Chinese and Russian agencies charged with policing the internet in both countries. In those documents and recordings — reported on by RFE/RL — officials from both countries share strategies for tracking dissent and controlling the internet, including requests for help to block “dangerous” news articles and advice…

Joshua Wong Sentenced in Another Hong Kong Activism Case

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Hong Kong —  Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was sentenced Monday to three months in prison for breaching court bans on disclosing personal information about a police officer who injured a protester during 2019 anti-government protests. Wong rose to prominence in 2014 pro-democracy protests in the Chinese territory and was in custody after he indicated his intention to plead guilty in the city’s biggest national security case, in which he faces a potential penalty of up to life in prison. Last year, he finished serving his sentences of about two…