On 20 February 2014, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) released a catalogue of press freedom violations
in Hong Kong dating back nine months and called on the Chief Executive
of Hong Kong, Leung Chun-Ying to take steps to protect freedom of
expression in Hong Kong.
The list of incidents between June 2013 and February 2014, paints a
concerning picture of constricting press freedom in Hong Kong with the
IFJ receiving reports of incidents at least every month over the past
nine months.
"The IFJ is concerned at the frequency and pattern of media
incidents that range from physical attacks and death threats through to
attempts to influence media independence by economic forces and direct
political interference," the IFJ said.
In issuing this list, the IFJ said the violations show a media that
is under pressure and potentially under influence to self-censorship in
the face of threat from a multitude of fronts.
"While Hong Kong's Chief Executive and its Legislative Councillors
have publicly claimed their respect and support for press freedom in
Hong Kong, that commitment also requires concrete action to ensure the
principles of press freedom are defended," the IFJ said.
"It is critical that Hong Kong observes Article 27 of the Basic Law,
which functions as the constitution of Hong Kong and Section 16 of the
Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance says that Hong Kong enjoys freedom of
opinion."
Press freedom violations in Hong Kong June 2013 - February 2014
June 2013: Prominent publishers were attacked or received death
threats, but no-one was prosecuted in any of the cases. The home of
Jimmy Lai, chairman of the Next Media Group, was rear-ended and an axe
and a knife were left in the driveway. The publisher of e-magazine iSunaffairs, Chen Ping, was beaten up.
July: The founder of the free newspaper am730, Shih Wing-Ching, was attacked in his car.
August: Two photographers were verbally abused, obstructed and
kicked by a retired policeman when they were trying to report on a
scuffle at Mongkok, Hong Kong. A trial found the assailant not guilty.
September: An opinion piece by the deputy chief editor of Hong Kong Economic Journal,
Yuen Yue-Ching, was withdrawn by the editor-in-chief. The piece
criticised Hong Kong's largest free-to-air television station, TVB, for
reporting only comments supportive of the Hong Kong chief executive,
Leung Chun-Ying, when he appeared at a meet-the-public event. http://hk-magazine.com/city-living/column/talking-points-week-september-27-2013
October: Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV) was unsuccessful in its
application for a free-to-air broadcast licence. Reports suggested that
the decision not to grant the licence was made arbitrarily by the chief
executive.
November: Yao Wen-tian, a Hong Kong publisher, was detained in China
after he agreed to publish a new book by a prominent dissident writer,
Yu Jie, entitled Xi Jinping: The Chinese Godfather. Yu said five or six Hong Kong publishers had refused to publish his new book.
December: Shih Wing-Ching, the owner and founder of the free Hong Kong newspaper am730,
said several Mainland-backed companies had suddenly stopped advertising
in his newspaper without explanation. A number of advertisers also
stopped advertising in the outspoken newspaper Hong Kong Apple Daily.
January 2014: The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, a
section of the administration, decided not to submit a revised
application to the Legislative Council Public Works Subcommittee for
funds to build the New Broadcasting House for Radio Television Hong Kong
(RTHK), the public service broadcaster. The bureau said consensus could
not be reached within the Committee.
January: Tiong Hiew King, a Malaysian tycoon who is the Chairperson
of Media Chinese International Ltd, decided to remove Kevin Lau Chun-To,
editor-in-chief of Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper, despite protests by members of the public and the paper's staff.
February: Li Wei-Ling, a veteran outspoken radio talk show host with
Commercial Radio of Hong Kong, was sacked just three months after she
was suddenly removed from her popular morning show. Li said she believed
the Chief Executive of Hong Kong was suppressing press freedom and
Commercial Radio had bowed to government pressure in order to renew its
licence, which is due in 2016.
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