4/3/2024 Hong Kong (International Christian Concern) – After 28 years of operating in Hong Kong, Radio Free Asia (RFA) has closed its Hong Kong office. It cited safety concerns tied to the controversial Article 23, a recently enacted national security law, as its reason for the closure.
RFA, primarily funded by U.S. donors, has been an important source of reliable and insightful news and information regarding various events in Asia, including the persecution of Christians in the region.
Hong Kong authorities have regularly labeled RFA’s work as biased fearmongering, specifically regarding its recent criticisms of Article 23. Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have argued that Article 23 is necessary to restore order in the territory, especially since the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
However, critics around the world have said that Article 23 suppresses freedoms and fundamental human rights, with severe sentences of up to life imprisonment for crimes of treason, sedition, state secrets, espionage, and external interference.
RFA is now the third news outlet, following Apple Daily and Stand News, to close operations in Hong Kong since 2020. These outlets had been critical of China’s growing influence on Hong Kong’s affairs.
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