item details
Overview
This is a copy of the 24 June 2021 edition of the defunct Hong Kong newspaper, Apple Daily. It is one of two Apple Daily newspaper editions sent to Te Papa anonymously and received in August that year. Both the 18 June and 24 June editions of Apple Daily made global headlines when Hong Kongers bought copies of them in bulk to protest not only against the Chinese government’s role in the closure, but also the earlier highly-publicised arrest of Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and the broader issues captured within the Hong Kong protest movement (see below).
Background
In August 2021, two parcels arrived at Te Papa. No sender name was listed on the front of the parcels and the listed sender address is that of a hotel in Hong Kong. The parcels were accompanied by an anonymous typed note, which read:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for supporting Hong Kong!
Sincerely,
A Hong Konger
August 2021
In each of the two envelopes, wrapped carefully in plastic, were historically-significant editions of the defunct Hong Kong newspaper, Apple Daily. One contained this copy of the last issue of the paper ever to be printed, published on 24 June 2021. The other contained a copy of the 18 June 2021 issue, the edition printed immediately after the media outlet’s impending closure was announced.
The papers and note were sent to Te Papa in response to the We Are Kiwi Hong Konger group’s recent donation of protest objects relating to their participation in solidarity activities supporting the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protest movement. The collection's acquisition attracted some attention from pro-democracy media outlets in Hong Kong, including Stand News, now also defunct. The front of the envelope containing the 18 June edition is labelled 'ATTN: Topic 11038' - this a reference to the file path in the URL link for the 'Hong Kong protest movement in Aotearoa' topic entry on Te Papa's Collections Online website.
Apple Daily
Founded by former apparel businessman Jimmy Lai in 1995, the pro-democracy daily paper was forced to close following an assets freeze in 2021. Lai had been arrested in 2020 on unlawful assembly charges in connection with the Hong Kong protests, and in the weeks before the closure of the paper, Apple Daily had its headquarters raided by police, several staff arrested and its computers scrutinised.
Hong Kong protest movement and Aotearoa
The Hong Kong protests were originally incited by the proposed Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019. Also known as the Hong Kong Extradition Bill, the proposed legislation would have enabled Hong Kong residents to be extradited to mainland China to face trial. As China’s criminal justice system lacks the independence and openness to which Hong Kongers were accustomed under their own common law system, this development triggered deep concern among many sectors of Hong Kong society over the erosion of the autonomy secured until 2047 under the ‘one country two systems’ principle stipulated in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. As the protests evolved, activists laid out five key demands: 1) Full withdrawal of the Extradition Bill 2) A commission of inquiry into alleged police brutality 3) Retraction of the categorisation of protesters as 'rioters' (rioting is a punishable crime) 4) Amnesty for arrested protesters and 5) Dual universal suffrage (for elections of Hong Kong's Legislative Council and Chief Executive). Protests in Hong Kong continued through much of the first half of 2020, though the Extradition Bill was withdrawn in October 2019. On 30 June 2020, the Chinese legislature approved the highly controversial Hong Kong Security Law, bypassing Hong Kong’s own elected legislative council. This law effectively outlawed activities perceived as dissenting or secessionist, including the possession of protest banners and flags carrying slogans associated with the protest movement, such as ‘Free Hong Kong/Revolution of our Times’.
The Hong Kong protests have garnered significant international attention due to Hong Kong’s importance to the global economy and the political aspects of China’s increasing prominence as a global player. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the protests have prompted wide-ranging debates, including those relating to democracy and freedom of speech, New Zealand’s relationship to China and the government’s obligations to those connected to Hong Kong but based here, among them international students and temporary visa holders, as well as citizens and permanent residents with familial and cultural links to Hong Kong.