World Press Freedom Day: Release My Father Jimmy Lai, Who Published What China's Leaders Did Not Want To Hear

George Orwell famously said, "If liberty intends thing astatine all, it intends nan correct to show group what they do not want to hear." On World Press Freedom Day, we must punctual ourselves of nan group who person mislaid their freedoms fighting for this very right. 

My begetter Jimmy Lai is 1 specified man. He is presently successful Stanley maximum information situation successful Hong Kong, facing imaginable life successful situation for simply publishing what Chinese authorities do not want to hear. 

His communicative is 1 of bonzer translator and unwavering conviction. Arriving successful Hong Kong astatine property 12 aft fleeing Communist China, he began his travel arsenic a kid laborer successful a clothing factory, enduring hardship and poverty. 

Sebastien Lai pinch his begetter Jimmy, 1 of 10 journalists being held successful Hong Kong’s prisons, immoderate of whom worked for him astatine Apple Daily. (Fox News)

Yet, done grit and vision, he roseate from mill worker to mill manager, and by 1975, utilized his savings to acquisition a bankrupt garment factory. This bold move laid nan instauration for his first awesome success: Giordano, a clothing concatenation that grew into an world marque pinch thousands of labor and stores crossed Asia.

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The 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre marked a turning constituent for him. Witnessing nan sadistic suppression of pro-democracy protesters, he redirected his life’s activity from business to activism, wished to conflict for state and quality authorities successful Hong Kong. 

In 1995, he founded Apple Daily, a newspaper that quickly became a beacon for free reside and democracy, unafraid to knock nan Chinese Communist Party and expose corruption. My begetter poured $100 cardinal of his ain luck into nan venture, ensuring nan paper’s independency and fearless reporting.

His media empire, including Next Magazine and Apple Daily, became a megaphone for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, rallying citizens and challenging nan authorities. His outspoken disapproval of Beijing and unwavering support for protestors made him a target. 

Sebastien Lai holds a photograph of his father, Jimmy Lai, astatine nan 2025 Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. (UN Watch)

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The CCP branded him a "troublemaker," and his businesses faced retaliation, including nan closure of his Beijing Giordano shop aft a arguable column. Yet, he ne'er wavered, famously stating, "Information is prime and prime is freedom" utilizing some high-brow and celebrated contented to dispersed nan connection of liberty.

His committedness to rule group him isolated from different tycoons. While galore business leaders successful Hong Kong chose soundlessness aliases compromise, he stood alone, enduring threats, arrests, and yet imprisonment for his beliefs. In 2014, he was arrested during nan pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests, and successful 2020, arsenic Beijing tightened its grip connected Hong Kong, my begetter was again detained nether nan draconian National Security Law. 

Despite nan risks, he refused to flee, choosing to stay successful Hong Kong and proceed nan guidelines for his beliefs, moreover arsenic Apple Daily was forced to close, moreover arsenic he now faces nan anticipation of nan remainder of his life down bars.

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My father’s life is simply a testament to nan powerfulness of conviction. He is not conscionable a businessman aliases media mogul – he is simply a awesome of state and dream for many. His outsider status, arsenic an migrant who ne'er rather fresh in, gave him nan spot to play by his ain rules and situation nan position quo.

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, center, who founded nan newspaper Apple Daily, is arrested by constabulary officers astatine his location successful Hong Kong connected April 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

Despite his wealthiness and influence, he remains profoundly quality – a husband, begetter and practicing Catholic. We miss his booming sound and boisterous laughter astir our meal table. We agelong for nan time we tin again stock a meal, again believe together.

Over nan past fewer months, some President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio person publically stated their committedness to securing my father’s freedom, accordant pinch nan president’s prioritizing nan merchandise of those wrongly detained abroad. He has secured nan merchandise of 14 prisoners since taking agency successful January.

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My begetter is fortunate to person heavy bipartisan support successful this state and abroad. The U.S. and nan U.K. person called for his contiguous and unconditional release, arsenic person nan parliaments of Canada and nan EU. He has received galore awards for his courage, and I will person a Bradley Prize connected his behalf connected May 29 successful Washington. But he remains successful prison.

My begetter is 1 of 10 journalists who are still being held successful Hong Kong’s prisons, immoderate of whom worked for him astatine Apple Daily. While he whitethorn beryllium nan astir high-profile among them, each of these journalists were fighting for their correct to speak truth to power, and to take sides their measurement of life.

Their bravery reminds america that state is ne'er guaranteed – it must beryllium fought for, often astatine awesome individual cost. My father’s defiance successful nan look of overwhelming power, his willingness to sacrifice everything for his principles, and his belief successful nan dignity of each individual make him a genuine leader of our time. 

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At 77 years old, he has spent nan past 4 years successful a maximum-security situation for these beliefs. His bequest endures arsenic a beacon of hope, showing that conscionable 1 person’s courageousness tin alteration nan people of history. 

The extremity to my father’s communicative is not yet written. This World Press Freedom Day, I entreaty to each who cherish free reside to subordinate our conflict to unafraid my father’s merchandise truthful he tin time off Hong Kong and walk his aged property pinch his family.

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