Media mogul Jimmy Lai’s activism grew after Umbrella Movement, Hong Kong court hears as 2nd ex-publisher testifies
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai became more involved in political activism after the Umbrella Movement of 2014, a former publisher at Apple Daily has said as she began testifying against her former employer in his national security trial.
Chan Pui-man, the former associate publisher at Apple Daily, began her testimony on Friday afternoon. Wearing a blue blazer and a beige top, Chan was escorted to the witness stand by corrections officers. She did not look at Lai when she entered the courtroom.
The veteran journalist was charged alongside Lai with conspiring to collude with foreign forces. She pleaded guilty in November 2022 and is now a prosecution witness. Chan is the second ex-Apple Daily employee charged in the case to testify against Lai, after ex-publisher Cheung Kim-hung finished providing testimony on Friday morning.
Government prosecutor Ivan Cheung began his examination of Chan by confirming that she joined Apple Daily as a senior reporter in December 1996. She then rose through the ranks, taking up positions including principal reporter and editor-in-chief.
She stepped down from her editor-in-chief position in 2016 as she was receiving cancer treatment. At the time of her arrest in June 2021, she was the publication’s associate publisher.
Cheung questioned Chan about Apple Daily’s coverage of the Umbrella Movement in 2014. The 79-day civil disobedience campaign saw pro-democracy supporters occupy major roads in a call for the right to vote.
Testifying in Cantonese, Chan said the publication covered the entirety of the Umbrella Movement. When asked if there was news coverage almost every day, she said “it could be put that way.”
She also said she believed the newspaper reduced its focus on entertainment news – for which it was also known – after the Umbrella Movement began.
Cheung then asked Chan if she would describe Lai as a public figure, to which the ex-publisher said he was known by many people as a media mogul.
“Would you say that perception changed or remained the same after 2014?” Cheung asked.
Chan replied: “I can’t put it very scientifically whether the general public’s perception of him changed, but among [Apple Daily] colleagues, he took a step forward in the social movement.”
The ex-publisher added that she believed he became better known internationally after 2014.
Lai, 76, faces two charges of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the national security law, and one of conspiring to publish “seditious” materials under a colonial-era law. He has pleaded not guilty and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Chan and Cheung Kim-hung are among six ex-Apple Daily staff who were charged together with Lai. All six pleaded guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces and are in custody awaiting sentencing, which will take place after Lai’s trial.
‘Clear values’
Friday marked the 22nd day of Lai’s closely-watched national security trial, seen globally as a bellwether for press freedom in Hong Kong.
Apple Daily halted operations in June 2021 after a police raid and the arrest of top executives. Founded in 1995, the publication was one of Hong Kong’s most prominent newspapers and was known for its entertainment coverage as well as its pro-democracy stance.
Before Cheung asked Chan about Apple Daily’s Umbrella Movement coverage, he questioned the ex-publisher on whether she would describe it as a “political newspaper” when she joined in 1996.
“I would say that the founder had very clear values,” she replied. “He was very supportive of Hong Kong’s democratic development… and respected human rights, freedoms, and these kind of values.”
Chan said that while Lai stressed the entertainment value of his newspaper’s coverage, he was also concerned with exposing scandals in the public’s interest.
The prosecution will continue its examination of Chan on Monday.
Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong in June 2020 following a year of protests and unrest sparked by a controversial extradition bill. The legislation criminalises subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorism.
Lai’s trial is expected to last 80 days. He is appearing before a panel of three judges handpicked by the government to oversee national security cases, rather than a jury, a departure from the city’s common law system.
The media mogul has been detained since December 2020. He is currently serving a five-year and nine-month sentence in a maximum security facility for a separate fraud case.
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