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Hong Kong Security Police Arrest Boom News Founder Tang Ho-wing over Alleged Sedition
Hong Kong's National Security Department arrested Boom News founder Tang Ho-wing and a second man on Sept 30 over suspected sedition linked to a video about the 2019 Prince Edward station incident.
Why it matters
The arrest of a working online-media founder under Hong Kong's 2024 national security law is the latest test of the boundary between journalism and alleged sedition — and has drawn international attention within hours.
Full report
On the morning of Sept 30, Hong Kong police's National Security Department arrested Tang Ho-wing (鄧浩榮), known as "Boom Head" or "Bobby", the founder of the online media outlet Boom News. A second man, dentist Lee Ying-chi (李瀛智), was arrested in the same case.
The offence under investigation is suspected "incitement by spreading disinformation" — a sedition offence under the 2024 local national security law carrying a maximum sentence of 7 years. Police link the case to a gathering outside Prince Edward station on Aug 31 marking the seventh anniversary of the 2019 Prince Edward station incident; Boom News had published a video in which a woman recounted the 2019 events, and police said rumours of "deaths" were groundless. Six other people were previously arrested for the same offence and released on bail.
Tang is a graduate of the Chinese University of Hong Kong who previously worked for the university's student newspaper and the Golden Forum news channel; he has run Boom News since 2020, which has about 66,000 Instagram followers. The Hong Kong Journalists Association issued a statement expressing concern, saying "reporting is not sedition".
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