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| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is deeply concerned by the news of Hong Kong Journalists Association chairperson Selina Cheng’s dismissal as an employee of The Wall Street Journal. |
| Ms Cheng said that senior editors at the paper asked her to withdraw from the HKJA’s recent election once they learned she was running to be the chairperson of the journalists’ union. When she refused, she said she was told that being HKJA’s chairperson would be incompatible with her job. Less than a month later, she was fired. |
| The FCC has reached out to The Wall Street Journal for comment and to ask why Ms Cheng’s employment was terminated. |
| Press freedom is enshrined in Article 27 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the same article that guarantees Hongkongers the right to form and join trade unions. Representing the rights of journalists, which includes defending freedom of the press, should not be controversial. The FCC fully supports The Wall Street Journal’s ongoing efforts to secure the freedom of its reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been unjustly imprisoned in Russia for more than a year. If the editors of the Journal advocate for reporters’ rights to do their jobs without fear and intimidation in Russia, they should do the same in Hong Kong. |
| We urge The Wall Street Journal and all news organisations to respect reporters’ rights to join press clubs and to advocate for press freedom without the fear of punitive action from their own newsrooms. |
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Temporary Suspension of FCC Website (July 13-15)
FCC Statement on World Press Freedom Day
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| This World Press Freedom Day, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong reinforces its commitment to pushing to maintain freedom of the press in Hong Kong and around the globe. |
| As journalists and media organisations in Hong Kong face rising pressure and uncertainty due to the recent passing of the Safeguarding National Security Act, May 3 acts as a reminder for government officials to respect their stated commitment to press freedom. It is also a day for media professionals to reflect on issues of press freedom and professional ethics. |
| Today we celebrate the media’s role in providing a platform to tell stories which keep our society informed and engaged about issues which affect us all. We advocate for journalists’ right to continue to carry out their work unhindered, free of harassment and danger. |
| We show solidarity with Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for over a year, and the hundreds of journalists imprisoned or killed as a consequence of doing their jobs covering conflicts in Myanmar, Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere. |
| The Israel-Gaza war, in particular, calls attention to the need for governments to do more to safeguard journalists’ ability to inform the public. We mourn the 97 journalists and media workers killed in the course of covering that war, and express our deep concern for the 45 others reported injured, missing or arrested.1 |
| The FCC will continue to monitor the press freedom situation in Hong Kong, make statements and question government policy with an aim to ensure that journalists can carry out their work without fear or favour. |
“Freedom of the press is a precious privilege that no country can forgo” – Mahatma Gandhi |
1Committee to Protect Journalists, 29 April 2024 https://cpj.org/2024/04/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict |
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FCC Statement on border entry denial of Reporters Without Borders representative
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| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is concerned that a representative of global press freedom NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has been denied entry to Hong Kong by the city’s immigration officials. |
| Aleksandra Bielakowska travelled to Hong Kong twice in 2023 without incident, both times in her professional capacity as an Advocacy Officer at RSF, but was denied entry on this trip. Her colleague Cédric Alviani, who was travelling with Ms Bielakowska on April 10, was granted entry to Hong Kong. |
| The FCC has reached out to the Immigration Department to ask why Ms Bielakowska was denied entry. |
| While we appreciate that the Immigration Department does not normally comment on individual cases, we respectfully request an explanation in order to improve the transparency of the system, and so that the public may better understand the reasons behind the decision. |
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FCC Submission on the Consultation Document of Article 23 of the Basic Law
On February 28, The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong sent the following submission to the Security Bureau on the Consultation Document of Article 23 of the Basic Law.
Opening Hours during the Chinese New Year 2024
Festive Season Opening Hours
In loving memory of John McBeth
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| John McBeth |
| May 31 1944 – December 7 2023 |
| Of all the foreign correspondents who have worked in southeast Asia over the past six decades, none surpassed John McBeth in dedication to his craft and the esteem and friendship of his colleagues. |
| As a young and adventurous journalist from Taranaki, he left the Auckland Star en route to London. He never got there. Stopping off by chance in Indonesia he found a new Asian home and field for his talents. |
| Working in Bangkok for a variety of publications and agencies, he was an early recruit to Asiaweek, then in 1979 joined the Far Eastern Economic Review where he was to remain until its 2004 closure. He was in a Bangkok bureau with such talents as Rodney Tasker and Paisal Sricharatchnya and close friend of Neil Davis, the noted war cameraman killed in an abortive Thai coup. Eased out of his Bangkok comfort zone to Seoul, he distinguished himself covering the turmoil and political change of the late 80s and, with colleague Nayan Chanda, scooping the world on the North Korean nuclear programme. |
| From there it was to Manila and a still much-quoted series on the nation’s regional warlords. He then had a medical issue which resulted in the amputation of one leg. This trauma would have killed the spirits of most journalists, but with the never ending support of his wife Yuli Ismartono, the correspondent for Tempo he had met in Bangkok, he overcame the challenge. It is hard to overstate the importance of their bond. |
| They moved to Jakarta where he again distinguished himself with coverage of the latter Suharto years and then turmoil which followed his downfall. After the Review’s closure he wrote a regular column on Indonesia for the Straits Times and contributed to other publications and in 2011 wrote an entertaining book accurately entitled “Reporter: Forty Years Covering Asia”. |
| He had some strong opinions but never let them get in the way of accurate reporting delivered cleanly and on time. |
| As a colleague, he was always good company. Good friends included not just his immediate workmates but correspondents at large, not least FCC immediate past president Keith Richburg. |
| He seemed indestructible and was in fine form when I saw him just three months ago. But such is aging. Now we mourn with Yuli the passing of someone who has left us with so many good memories and a permanent record of good journalism. |
| Philip Bowring |
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LeaveHomeSafe App Update: “Red and Amber QR Codes”
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| LeaveHomeSafe App Update “Red and Amber QR Codes” |
| Dear Members: |
| I would like to update you that the government has announced a new Vaccine Pass Color Code System — blue, red and amber codes. Under the regulations, any persons with the red or amber codes will not be allowed to enter the club. You can find more details here: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202208/08/P2022080800771.htm?fontSize=1. Please also be reminded to update your LeaveHomeSafe app to version 3.4.0 to access your coloured Vaccine Pass QR Code in the “Vaccination Record” section. |
| The Club restrictions will remain in place. Feel free to visit our site at: https://www.fcchk.org/fcc-restrictions-update-on-2-june-2022/ for more information. |
| Once again, I want to thank all Members for your continued patience, understanding and your support. |
| Keith Richburg President 12 August 2022 |
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FCC Minimum Spend
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| Dear Members, |
| With the lifting of many of the restrictions which have limited FCC activities for so long, we have been delighted to welcome back more members to the Club’s expanded offering of speaker events, film nights and our extensive F&B promotions. As a result of the Club being more accessible, please be advised that FCC Minimum Spend, which was rolled over from March means $1800 requirement (from January to June), will now appear on members’ June statements which will be sent in early July. We will continue to offer the opportunity for Members to purchase vouchers to be used in subsequent months if you are unable to utilise the Club before the end of June. |
| 23 June 2022 |
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