Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Wednesday it will be monitoring further developments after a Hong Kong court ordered the liquidation of Next Digital Limited, the parent company of the now-defunct Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily.
The Hong Kong High Court on Wednesday ordered the winding up of Next Digital, a media group founded by jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai (???).
This raises concerns the order could impact the fate of the Taiwan edition of the Apple Daily, potentially increasing the risk the personal data of the newspaper's employees and news databank could be misused, the MAC said.
There are also concerns Apple Daily employees in Taiwan and other parties could be sued and having their privacy infringed, the MAC added.
The MAC said in a statement that Taiwan's government is watching the case closely and will take proactive and precautionary measures to protect the personal data, information and privacy of Taiwan nationals.
If necessary Taiwan's government will take legal action to protect people's rights and the public interest, the MAC added.
The MAC stressed that personal freedom, freedom of expression and privacy are all fundamental human rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of China.
Personal data collected by media outlets for reporting purposes should be handled and used within the bounds of the law, it added.
Next Digital's assets had already been frozen by the authorities under Hong Kong's national security law, promulgated last year by Beijing.
Hong Kong's Apple Daily announced its closure in June after its assets were frozen.
Moreover, Lai was recently sentenced to 13 months in jail for participating in an unauthorized assembly last year marking the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel