Dear all nice lovely foreign press friends…

After all the vitriolic mouth-frothing recently, let’s start with a pleasantly worded letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hong Kong office to the locally based overseas media…

To help foreign media gain a more comprehensive understanding of the case, as the Spokesperson for the Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, I wish to draw your attention to some facts regarding this matter.

Was Jimmy Lai convicted because of “press freedom”?

No. Jimmy Lai was not prosecuted for reporting news or expressing views through his media outlets. The crux of his charges was his collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. Jimmy Lai is a primary mastermind and participant in a series of anti-China activities aimed at destabilizing Hong Kong, and a pawn for external anti-China forces. His case has nothing to do with press freedom.

Probably won’t convince anyone, but full marks for trying to avoid sounding like a psychopath.

For contrast, stats boss Joel Chan calculates the angry press statement bingo results…

One of the weirder habits of Hong Kong’s all-patriots/NatSec regime is the issuing of choreographed statements of support or approval for (typically unpopular) government actions by the administration’s own departments. NatSec judges’ guilty verdict for Jimmy Lai gets the treatment. Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau chief Erick Tsang – apparently already aware of the sentence due to be delivered in another month or 10 – says Lai will have ‘endless imprisonment’… 

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho, on her own Facebook page, said that the court’s ruling sent a “clear message” that any acts that undermine national security will be dealt with in accordance with the law, and those who break the law will face consequences. Her bureau does not have a Facebook page.

The Transport and Logistics Bureau said: “Attempts to use external forces to interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs will ultimately harm the general public. Without a stable society, economic prosperity and people’s livelihoods cannot be achieved.”

The Labour and Welfare Bureau, Environment and Ecology Bureau, Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, Health Bureau, Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Development Bureau, and Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau all released similar statements hailing the ruling on Monday.

Under the principle of cabinet collective responsibility (or ‘democratic centralism’ for all the Leninists out there), these are statements of the obvious: government bureaus do not have minds or opinions of their own. Often, public bodies and even private-sector companies join in this staged cheerleading (for example, welcoming new NatSec laws or urging people to vote). Will we see every university or property developer issue a statement lauding this particular court judgement?

The Law Society and Bar start.

The government blasts the HK Journalists Association for not following the official line…

The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) came under fire from the government on Tuesday, saying it had conducted the “subversive work of brainwashing” youngsters. The criticism came a day after the group expressed “utmost regret” over Lai’s conviction in the city’s first foreign collusion case.

A government spokesperson criticised the government-registered press union as lacking credibility, legitimacy and representation. It was “contemptible” that the group claimed it represented the news industry, when it refused to disclose its executive committee members list, they said.

The HKJA and “anti-China” foreign media “ignored” and “did not respect” the verdict in Lai’s case, which was handed down based on the law and evidence, the government said. They tried to “conceal” Lai’s crimes, and slandered the Hong Kong government, the spokesperson said, without naming any outlets.

“The SAR government strongly urges the HKJA and these anti-China foreign media to recognise the facts as soon as possible… immediately give up doing any form of subversive work of brainwashing on young people in the SAR. The SAR absolutely does not tolerate any behaviour that incites the public to turn their backs on their country and harm the interests of the citizens,” the statement in Chinese read.

(Press statement here.)

Why such sensitivity about what a group ‘lacking credibility, legitimacy and representation’ thinks? Someone is really, really massively pissed off that there are people out there who think the Jimmy Lai trial was a rigged farce and/or political show trial and/or assault on press freedom.

Director Kiwi Chow’s latest (Taiwan-produced) film Deadline has been banned from screening in Hong Kong after a four-month review by the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration…

Chow said the ban was based solely on the grounds that the film was “contrary to the interests of national security,” without further explanation provided.

He added that a lawyer had advised against initiating legal action, noting that pursuing a lawsuit might not be meaningful, as an unsuccessful challenge could result in the government seeking legal costs exceeding HK$1 million.

Expressing sadness and anger over the decision, Chow said the ban prevented the film from being shown in his home city. “I look forward to the day when Deadline is screened publicly in Hong Kong,” he added.

It has been speculated that the decision may be linked to Chow’s previous work on politically sensitive documentaries and films, including Ten Years and Revolution of Our Times.

(Japan Forward profile of Chow here.)