Anything can be called a collusion or conspiracy. Former executives of Apple Daily, the pro-democracy publication founded by entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, pled guilty last year to charges of collusion. They “conspired with” or “colluded with” Lai to call for sanctions against Hong Kong or China in response to the Chinese government’s assault on freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.
Claims that people are involved in a conspiracy usually imply an attempt at secrecy. Conspiracies are hatched behind closed doors, in hushed tones. They aren’t blared from the headlines of a popular newspaper that never tried to hide its advocacy of freedom and democracy.
Of course, it’s not the purported elements of conspiracy or collusion regarding the editorial policies of the now-defunct Apple Daily that the Chinese Communist Party really objects to; the problem is the element of resisting CCP tyranny.
Now the 76-year-old former publisher of Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai, already serving five years and nine months on a phony fraud charge, will be tried for conspiring with others at Apple Daily to publish Apple Daily—a seditious act—and colluding with foreign forces to impose sanctions on China. Associated Press reports (December 16, 2023):
After the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, Lai became an outspoken advocate for democracy. Later, following Chinese government attacks on Giordano, Lai sold his shares in the business.
In 1995, he launched Apple Daily, which quickly became one of the city’s top-selling newspapers with its sometimes outrageous coverage of politics and celebrities. The paper adopted a strong pro-democracy stance, often urging readers to join protests, and denounced the enactment of the security law in June 2020….
Although the 2019 protest movement lacked a clear leader, Lai’s high profile made him a target of the authorities. He was arrested in August 2020 under the law, with about 200 police officers raiding the paper’s building.
Britain has called for Lai’s release and for the repeal of the 2020 National Security Law.
What Jimmy Lai is about to undergo starting on Monday, December 18, is being called a trial. But the purpose of conducting a trial is to determine something. Whatever his fate will be, the fix is probably already in.
Also see:
Acton Institute: “The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom”
Bitter Winter: “Hong Kong Neon: Jimmy Lai in Chains”
