Government accuses RFA of hyping smart ID card replacement into a conspiracy to suppress Hong Kong people; Tang says he understands why it withdrew: ‘They intended to break the law’
政府批RFA將換舊身份證炒作成打壓港人陰謀 鄧炳強稱明白撤出原因：佢哋有犯法意圖
Radio Free Asia (RFA), which withdrew from Hong Kong after being named and criticised in February this year, published a report yesterday (20th) titled “Hong Kong government ‘threatens’ Hongkongers to return and replace their identity cards as soon as possible—what are the consequences if overseas Hongkongers do not replace them?” The government issued a press release this evening, accusing RFA of maliciously distorting the government’s policies and measures and turning its call for citizens to replace their smart identity cards as soon as possible into “a so-called conspiracy to suppress Hong Kong people”. After attending a meeting this evening, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung criticised RFA for distorting the facts and attempting to incite distrust and hatred of the government among the public. He condemned RFA as “wearing the cloak of the media” while actually endangering national security and Hong Kong’s security, and said he “finally understood” why RFA withdrew from Hong Kong: “They intended to break the law and believed that staying in Hong Kong would mean breaking the law, so they had to leave.”
今年2月被點名批評後撤出香港的自由亞洲電台（RFA），昨（20日）發布一篇題為〈港府「威嚇」港人盡快回港換身分證 海外港人不換會有後果麼？〉的報導。政府今日傍晚發新聞稿，點名批評RFA惡意曲解政府的政策和措施，將呼籲市民盡快換領智能身份證，「炒作成所謂打壓港人的陰謀」。保安局局長鄧炳強傍晚出席一個會議後，批 RFA 扭曲事實，企圖煽動市民對政府的不信任和憎恨，斥 RFA「披媒體外衣」，實質是危害國家和香港安全，並稱「終於明白」RFA 撤出香港的原因，「就係佢哋有犯法意圖，認為留喺香港就會犯法，所以呢，就要離開。」