London – The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Association (FCCHK) condemned the island government’s refusal to register local and international press representatives to accompany official events that took place on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong. The inauguration of the new head of the Chinese territory and local government.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 25th anniversary events of the island’s return to Chinese sovereignty by agreement with Britain. A huge security plan has been created where the streets are blocked and pro-democracy demonstrations are banned, and the media coverage is part of it.
According to the association, professionals from Chinese broadcasters and reporters from Reuters, Bloomberg and other organizations abroad have refused their accreditation for “security reasons” (Agence France-Press) Ming Pao, HK01, South China Morning Post and Now News.
Reporters banned from watching ceremonies in Hong Kong
Recent actions are just a few examples of the growing oppression scenario experienced by the former British colony. 148th place Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is among 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.
FCCHK in May cancel annual prize delivery The Department of Journalism and Human Rights feared that the ceremony would represent involuntary violations of the Chinese government’s harsh national security laws.
According to local media reports, the government said it was “for security reasons” to refuse to provide credentials to several professionals without providing further information.
While media outlets would have the option to request accreditation from other professionals instead of the banned ones, this would not be possible as new applicants must test negative for covid-19 every day between last Sunday and July 1 – this was not done. , forwarded Tuesday, 28th as a rejection of requests.
The association points out that in the past, similar official events were open to press registration without invitation or verification.
Read more
How China Is Using Its Citizens To Attack Foreign Journalists At Home And Chinese Journalists Abroad.
According to the association, the change of command and celebrations of Hong Kong’s 25th anniversary of return to China underline the importance of “wide coverage in international and local media” for Hong Kong’s history.
The party criticized the government’s stance:
“The Hong Kong government has repeatedly told the public that the right to freedom of the press and freedom of expression – enshrined in the city’s Basic Law – still exists.
The FCCHK considers these restrictions, implemented without a detailed explanation, a serious deviation from this expressed commitment to freedom of the press.
FCCHK urges government to reconsider immediatelyrestrictions to allow all media to cover this important story. ”
FCC Statement on July 1st Media Restrictionshttps://t.co/TtCEsgezoW pic.twitter.com/sskikIXVLK
— Foreign Correspondents Club, Hong Kong (@fcchk) 29 June 2022
The Correspondents’ Association has already condemned the crackdown in Hong Kong
When the association announced it was canceling its awards in May, it attributed the decision to an environment of “significant uncertainty” over the past two years that has caused Hong Kong journalists to work under “new ‘red lines’ that determine what’s what. Not allowed”.
The same week, the British NGO Hong Kong Watch published a report denouncing the persecution of press freedom on Chinese soil, saying: “The working environment has become increasingly difficult for domestic and foreign journalists in Hong Kong.”
The document details various methods used by Hong Kong authorities to restrict press freedom in the city.
Some of these include: violence and police raids against media professionals and companies; closure of independent media outlets; management change at public broadcasters such as RTHK; and brutal laws that imprison reporters and editors.
The report points out that the crackdown on the press has developed since 2019 and intensified with the enactment of the National Security Law on 1 July 2020.
Read more
Hong Kong’s free journalism ‘undermined’ by pro-Beijing state media, report condemns
Three newspapers closed in six months in Hong Kong
The obstruction of press freedom on the island led to the closure of the three main newspapers within six months. The most recent case was that of the independent digital newspaper Citizen News, which closed its doors in January this year.
The announcement of the end of Citizen News came in a week after a police operation that arrested seven Stand News employees, accused of incitement.
Among those arrested were Denise Ho, a famous pop singer who is a member of the newspaper’s board of directors, and one of the editors who heads the Hong Kong Journalists’ Association.
Apple Daily, another pro-democracy publication, known for its criticism of the Chinese government in Hong Kong.i had to close in june last yearAfter constant pressure from the authorities on the newspaper, which was published from 1995 to 2021.
All six directors of the broadcast were arrested last year on charges based on national security law.
Its owner, famed media mogul Jimmy Lai, 74, is serving a prison sentence for multiple convictions related to the pro-democracy protests that gripped Hong Kong in 2019. One of the oldest journalists arrested today.
Read more
source: Noticias
[author_name]
