Hong Kong journalist arrested on sedition charge 

Hong Kong police have arrested an independent journalist on suspicion of incitement by spreading disinformation, local media report.

Tang Ho-wing, founder of the online Boom News, was arrested on Wednesday morning, according to Hong Kong news outlet Sing Tao. The publication displayed a photo of the alleged moment of arrest.

Boom News covered an incident on August 31 commemorating the seventh anniversary of the Prince Edward station clash between antigovernment protesters and police, where protesters claimed some were killed.

The outlet, which has more than 66,000 followers on Instagram, posted a video featuring a woman’s account of the 2019 events.

Authorities denied the allegations, and police said on Wednesday that rumours of deaths during the clash were baseless.

Hong Kong journalists face mounting restrictions under sweeping political changes triggered by Beijing’s 2020 national security law and reinforced by a local 2024 statute.

The chilling effect on the press became starkly visible in February, when Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Several of Lai’s former staff members received sentences ranging from nearly seven to 10 years.

Police said on Wednesday they arrested two people on suspicion of committing seditious acts under the 2024 national security law. Authorities did not name the suspects, but the South China Morning Post identified the second arrested as activist Lee Ying-chi.

According to authorities, the arrests stemmed from an August 31 gathering outside a subway station, where people carried flowers, chanted banned slogans, and allegedly spread disinformation intended to incite hatred against the government and police.

Six others previously arrested in connection with the same offence were later released on bail.