Protesters from Hong Kong and local supporters hold signs reading “Protest Against Totalitarian Liquidation of Stand News” and “Support Press Freedom in Hong Kong,” Taipei, Taiwan, Dec. 30, 2021 (AP photo by Chiang Ying-ying).

The crackdown on political freedoms and civil liberties in Hong Kong appears to be continuing unabated, as Hong Kong residents rang in the New Year with news of the conviction of the activist Chow Hang-tung on charges of incitement, which stemmed from a June social media post calling on people to light a candle on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre last year, after police banned the annual vigil. In addition to Chow’s conviction, Stand News and Citizen News, two of Hong Kong’s independent media outlets, were forced to shutter last week, decisively narrowing what little space remains for meaningfully independent […]