RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
09/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/30/2026 12:25
Hong Kong: RSF condemns the arrest of independent journalist Tang Ho-wing, founder of Boom News
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Hong Kong authorities to immediately release independent journalist Tang Ho-wing, founder of the independent online outlet Boom News. His arrest is the latest sign of the criminalisation of journalism in a territory that was once a beacon of press freedom in Asia.
On 30 September 2026, officers from the National Security Department of the Hong Kong police arrested journalist Tang Ho-wing, founder of Boom News, an independent, social media-based news outlet, according to local media. The 37-year-old journalist, also known by the pseudonym "Boomhead", is being held under accusation of "incitement by spreading disinformation", Hong Kong media outlets.
The arrest is reportedly linked to Boom News's coverage of a gathering on 31 August 2026 that marked the seventh anniversary of a police crackdown on protesters in 2019, during the mass demonstrations against an extradition bill with Beijing. Local media report that eight people have been arrested over the commemoration in recent weeks. At the time of writing, police had not publicly confirmed the journalist's arrest.
"We are appalled by the arrest of Tang Ho-wing. His case is yet another demonstration of how national security proceedings are weaponised to silence independent news professionals in Hong Kong. The authorities must release him immediately and ensure that journalists do their jobs without fear of reprisals for their reporting. We call on the international community to take action to protect the remaining independent journalists in the territory, who risk their safety every day to keep covering the news, stepping in for colleagues who have been forced to stop working. They continue to report in one of the world's most repressive environments for journalism, often at great personal risk.
Aleksandra Bielakowska
Advocacy Manager, RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau
The latest attack in an ongoing crackdown
Boom News, founded by Tang in 2020, specialises in on-the-ground reports and interviews broadcast on the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Threads and YouTube. Its Facebook page has about 87,000 followers and its Instagram counts around 66,000.
The Hong Kong authorities have increasingly targeted the outlet as part of an ongoing crackdown on the island's independent press. In the last three years, Boom News, at least six other news outlets, including Hong Kong Free Press, and at least 20 individuals have been targeted by Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department (IRD) through a series of allegedly random tax audits, adding yet another form of pressure on media organisations.
Since the National Security Law came into force in 2020, the Hong Kong authorities have waged a relentless war on the right to information. At least 29 journalists and press freedom defenders have been prosecuted or are facing legal charges, with nine currently detained.
Hong Kong ranks 140th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index, having plummeted from 18th place in just two decades.
Published on 30.09.2026
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