Dignity Over Trade: Sebastien Lai Urges Australia to Fight for Father’s Release

Sebastien Lai, son of Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, at a park in Taipei, Taiwan, on Nov. 27, 2023. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images

The son of jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has urged the Australian government to stand up for democratic values and not give in to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) pressure in exchange for trade.

Sebastien Lai is visiting Australia to raise awareness and support for the case of his father, who has been imprisoned by the communist regime for several charges, including allegedly “colluding” with foreign forces under the China-imposed National Security Law.

Mr. Jimmy Lai, 76, is a British citizen and Hong Kong billionaire media mogul.

He is also a supporter of Hong Kong’s past pro-democracy movements and the founder of the Apple Daily, which used to be one of the largest independent Chinese-language newspapers in the region.

The CCP shut down the Apple Daily in 2021 as the communist regime intensified its crackdown on freedom of the press and pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong.

Mr. Jimmy Lai has been in prison for three and a half years and is awaiting trial. His family is concerned about his health and safety.

Dignity Over Trade: Lai

Speaking at the National Press Club of Australia on July 1, Mr. Sebastien Lai spoke about the present ordeal endured by his father, and the need to release him from the CCP’s prison.

While the United States, the UK, Canada, and European Union have called on the CCP to unconditionally and immediately release Mr. Jimmy Lai, the Australian government has yet to express its stance.

The media mogul’s son was aware of the trade ties between China and Australia and concerns that speaking about human rights could impact this relationship.

However, Mr. Sebastien Lai pointed out that the CCP bought resources from Australia because it had a need.

“It’s important to trade with China. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do that,” he said.

“I’m saying that they'll buy your resources when they want to buy your resources, and once it’s not good for them to do that, they’re not going to do it.”

Mr. Sebastien Lai also noted that the CCP would not trade with Australia for the sake of a good relationship.

“Nobody trades out of the goodness of their heart,” he noted.

“And so my point was simple: you should stand up for your beliefs and not trade out your people’s dignity for what is short-term, a little economic bump that will disappear the moment they do not need the resources that you sell them.”

Lawyers Explain Why Australia Should Join Other Allies

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, a human rights barrister who is part of Mr. Jimmy Lai’s legal team, said Australia had a stake in the case of her client.

Ms. Gallagher explained that the CCP had weaponised Australia against the media mogul.

“I mentioned the multiple references to Jimmy Lai engaging with Australia and then the ridiculous suggestion that because Australia shares human rights concerns which Jimmy Lai shares, therefore he’s somehow in ‘conspiracy’ with Australia,” she said.

“Australia is one of the foreign forces which the prosecution claims Jimmy Lai is colluding with.”

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai at the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong, China, on Dec. 31, 2020. Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times

The barrister also said many Australians had been impacted by the National Security Law (NSL) imposed on Hong Kong by the CCP since 2020.

“Just last month, 14 democracy activists were convicted under the NSL, including an Australian citizen,” she said.

“Hong Kong has even issued bounties for the arrest of high-profile activists living here in Australia, including former legislator Ted Hui and lawyer Kevin Yam, an Australian citizen.

“Even those on Australian soil are not immune to this threat to media and political freedoms.”

At the same time, Ms. Gallagher said that her team’s request for Australia to call for Mr. Jimmy Lai’s release was not a “radical proposal.”

She said there had already been an international push from other countries and parliaments.

“We’re asking Australia to join those other countries which have already done that and taken that step,” she said.

“And it’s interesting when you look at the nine countries in particular that were targeted by the prosecution in the opening, that Australia is not alone, but one of a minority who’ve yet to call for his release, whereas the majority of them have already done that.”

The Truth Will Win Out in the End: Lai

As he encouraged Australian journalists and politicians to call out to the CCP, Mr. Sebastien Lai said he also was aware of the consequences of speaking out against autocracies.

However, he warned that staying silent was no solution.

“If we don’t speak out, then we let these dictators get away with doing whatever they want,” he said.

“That’s the whole point of journalism, right? You need to speak out.

“You need to tell the truth even though it’s not the easy thing in the short-term because you trust that in the long-term, it [the truth] wins out.”