US calls for the release of Stand News employees following raid

China has continued its crackdown on Hong Kong, this time against the press. The US has now called for the release of the employees of one of Hong Kong’s prominent pro-democracy media outlets following a recent raid.

Reuters reports US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the authorities in China and Hong Kong to release the employees of The Stand News, one of the remaining pro-democracy media outlets in the region. The Stand News became the last remaining pro-democracy publication following the raid and shutdown of another pro-democracy tabloid, Apple Daily.

“We call on PRC and Hong Kong authorities to cease targeting Hong Kong’s free and independent media and to immediately release those journalists and media executives who have been unjustly detained and charged,” said Blinken in a statement.

“By silencing independent media, PRC and local authorities undermine Hong Kong’s credibility and viability,” said the State Department chief.

The raid that was recently carried out on The Stand News also raises concerns about the agreement made when Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 by the UK. The former British colony was returned to the mainland with the promise that its freedoms, including freedom of the press, are protected.

Hong Kong appears to still be experiencing a time of civil unrest when China clamped down on the former British colony. This time, Hong Kong university students recently expressed outrage when the University of Hong Kong dismantled and removed a statue related to Tiananmen Square from the campus. The statue in question commemorated the Tiananmen Square massacre, where pro-democracy protesters were killed by Chinese authorities.

The council of the University of Hong Kong released a statement explaining the decision to remove the statue. The council cited legal advice and risk assessment as to its reasons for the removal. The statue was seen as a symbol of the freedoms granted to Hong Kong residents when it returned to China in 1997.

“The university is a coward to do this at midnight,” one student told Sky News. ”I feel very disappointed as it’s a symbol of history.”

Another student said they were “heartbroken” to see the statue being dismantled.