Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai honored by DW
Key takeaways
- Before being imprisoned for 20 years, Jimmy Lai founded Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy newspaper.
- At the time, Lai could never have imagined how his life would become forever intertwined with this former British colony.
- "I'll sink with the ship, because this place gives me everything," said Lai in an interview about Hong Kong with DW a few months before he was taken into custody in December 2020.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Before being imprisoned for 20 years, Jimmy Lai founded Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy newspaper. His son said the award shows that those who fight for the freedom of others "are never alone."
https://p.dw.com/p/5D324Lai used his Apple Daily publication as a platform for free speech in Hong Kong Image: Alex Ogle/AFPAdvertisement Arriving in Hong Kong as a penniless 12-year-old stowaway from southern China, Jimmy Lai sought only freedom and a future. At the time, Lai could never have imagined how his life would become forever intertwined with this former British colony.
"I'll sink with the ship, because this place gives me everything," said Lai in an interview about Hong Kong with DW a few months before he was taken into custody in December 2020. He was one of the first high-profile figures to be targeted under a "national security law" imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing following a crackdown on pro-democracy protests.