Hong Kong news site shuts as pro-Beijing lawmakers sworn in
CTV
Hong Kong welcomed its newest batch of pro-Beijing lawmakers in the Legislative Council Monday, after an election held without opposition candidates, as the editors of one of the city's last remaining pro-democracy news outlets announced their impending closure.
It was the latest moment in a long series of events in the past year that showed how the local government was reshaping Hong Kong, with Beijing's backing, in an effort to stamp out opposition and dissent in a city once renowned for its freedoms of expression.
The founders of news outlet Citizen News said Monday that although they had not been contacted by the Hong Kong national security police, the current environment in the financial hub is such that they are unclear if their reporting could be considered as violating the law. The news site will stop publishing on Jan. 4.
"We all love this place, deeply. Regrettably, what was ahead of us is not just pouring rains or blowing winds, but hurricanes and tsunamis," Citizen News said in a statement on Sunday, when it originally announced their impending closure.
Citizen News is the third news outlet to close in recent months, following pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and online site Stand News.
