New Delhi

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday accused China of using security legislation to "target dissenting voices" in Hong Kong. Earlier on Thursday, about 500 police officers swooped-in on Hong Kong's pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily's office. The police officers made arrests and went through computers and seized journalistic material.

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"Today's raids & arrests at Apple Daily in Hong Kong demonstrate Beijing is using the National Security Law to target dissenting voices, not tackle public security," Raab wrote on Twitter.

"Freedom of the press is one of the rights China promised to protect in the Joint Declaration & should be respected," Raab said.

It is the first time the content of media reporting has sparked arrests under the city's new national security law. Jimmy Lai, the media tycoon who runs Apple Daily is already in jail

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In a message to readers, Apple Daily warned that Hong Kong's press freedoms were "hanging by a thread" but the paper vowed to "stand tall". 

Its union described the operation as a "wanton violation of press freedom" that "displayed how much police power has inflated under the national security law".

Police said the five executives were arrested for collusion with a foreign country or external elements "to endanger national security".

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"They have overall responsibility for the content, style and principles of news reporting," senior superintendent Steve Li told reporters. 

Authorities also seized HK$18 million (US$2.3 million) in Apple Daily assets, the first time a national security law seizure order has been made directly against a Hong Kong media company, rather than an individual.

(With inputs from agencies)