The Foreign Correspondents' Club Hong Kong

FCC statement on July 14 silent protest march in defence of press freedom

Several Hong Kong organisations including the Hong Kong Journalists Association are organising a silent protest march this Sunday, July 14, starting at 10.30am from Harcourt Garden to the Office of the Chief Executive, in defence of press freedom in covering the Hong Kong protests free of violence. The organisers welcome working or former journalists, journalism teaching staff and students and campus news teams to join them.

HKJA Facebook post

As this silent protest occurs, the FCC reiterates its call for Hong Kong authorities to allow unfettered press access to those covering the demonstrations and urges an independent investigation of allegations made by journalists and other witnesses of the use of force by police.

FCC statement on press access during protests

FCC statement on press access and journalists’ rights in covering Hong Kong protests

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong calls on Hong Kong officials to ensure unfettered press access to those covering demonstrations and to uphold the rights of the media to cover such protests free of violence and intimidation by authorities. Under Hong Kong law, journalists and correspondents have a right to cover such protests.

The FCC expresses grave concern about reports of journalists with visible press identification apparently being targeted by police firing tear gas and using other crowd control measures during the recent demonstrations that resulted from the government’s proposed extradition bill. We condemn any use of force against journalists during the protests, urge an independent investigation of allegations made by journalists and other witnesses of the use of force by police, and call for such investigations to be thorough and transparent.

FCC Hong Kong statement on release of Reuters journalists

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong welcomes the release of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who had been jailed for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.

Reuters journalists Wa Lone (L) and Kyaw Soe Oo, who are based in Myanmar, pose for a picture at the Reuters office in Yangon, Myanmar December 11, 2017. Picture taken December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Antoni Slodkowski

Over the 16 months the pair spent behind bars, the FCC Hong Kong and other press organisations had repeatedly called for the charges to be dropped and for the two men to return home to their families. They were only doing their jobs, and had not committed any crimes.

The FCC Hong Kong congratulates them on their long overdue freedom and reunion with their families.

Reporters in Myanmar continue to face prosecution for public-interest reporting as well as pressure to self-censor, even under the elected civilian-led government of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate who had been the country’s most famous political prisoner for many years.

The FCC Hong Kong continues to call on Suu Kyi and her administration to support press freedom and ensure that journalists are able to work without threat of retaliation.

FCC statement on proposed extradition agreement between Hong Kong and mainland China

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong supports local media organisations and plans to host discussions on the proposed extradition agreement with mainland China, which has been criticized for threatening the safety of journalists and freedom of expression in Hong Kong.

The media organisations’ statement can be read here:

https://www.facebook.com/242729300308/posts/10156930891150309?sfns=xmwa

And the associated petition is here:

http://chng.it/rHpxqBZzQj

FCC appalled at arrest of Philippine journalist Maria Ressa

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong, is appalled at the Philippine government’s efforts to silence Rappler’s CEO, Maria Ressa.

Maria Ressa, Rappler

On Wednesday, Ressa was arrested on a cyber libel complaint filed by a businessman for an article published in 2012. She has denied wrongdoing in the case, calling it “baseless”.

The move came several months after a warrant was issued for her arrest on five charges of tax fraud — a case she called “politically motivated.”

“We are not intimidated,” Ressa told reporters.

“No amount of legal cases, black propaganda and lies can silence Filipino journalists who continue to hold the line,” she said. “These legal acrobatics show how far the government will go to silence journalists, including the pettiness of forcing me to spend the night in jail.”

Rappler has repeatedly pushed to hold the government accountable despite repeated attacks from Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. It has exposed corruption within the police force, which has led the deadly crackdown against drugs, as well as in government ranks.

Duterte has repeatedly gone after his critics, and even said in 2016 that some reporters could be legitimately killed. “Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch,” he said at the time.

Ressa has been a journalist in Asia for more than 30 years and has won multiple awards for her work, including the 2018 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. She has repeatedly sought to shine a light on misdeeds in a region where the powerful have increasingly sought to silence any media outlets that expose wrongdoing.

The FCC has previously honoured outstanding journalism conducted by Maria Ressa and her website Rappler, and expresses its staunchest support to her and her team to face this new challenge. It also calls on authorities to respect due process in the cases against Ressa, and uphold the right of Rappler and other media outlets to operate freely and safely.

New press freedom report ‘paints darkest picture of reporting conditions inside China in recent memory’

Rapidly expanding surveillance and widespread government interference against reporting in the country’s far northwestern region of Xinjiang drove a significant deterioration in the work environment for foreign journalists in China in 2018.

In December and January, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China surveyed its correspondent members about their work experiences during the calendar year 2018. The results of that survey, as well as interviews with bureau chiefs from nine major media organizations and a timeline of notable incidents, form the basis of a new report, “Under Watch: Reporting in China’s Surveillance State.”

Survey results painted the darkest picture of reporting conditions inside China in recent memory. For the first time in three years, a foreign correspondent was effectively expelled through visa denial. Separately, Chinese authorities also issued severely shortened visas and reporting credentials, one for just 2.5 months, to at least five correspondents. Pressure on Chinese national news assistants and sources intensified, and close to half of respondents reported themselves being followed or having their hotel room entered without permission while in the field.

Fifty-five percent of respondents said they believed conditions deteriorated in 2018 — the largest proportion since 2011, when foreign media coverage of pro-democracy protests prompted an extensive government backlash. Not a single correspondent said conditions improved last year.

“The wider monitoring and pressure on sources stop journalists even before they can reach the news site,” said FCCC president Hanna Sahlberg. “There is a risk that even foreign media will shy away from stories that are perceived as too troublesome, or costly, to tell in China. These trends run contrary to the FCCC’s hopes for real openness for foreign media to be able to cover China.”

Sahlberg said recent reports of Chinese authorities offering, on behalf of Malaysia, to conduct intense surveillance of Hong Kong-based foreign correspondents was a disturbing development that violated both Hong Kong law and international standards.

“While 2018 has seen state-supported Chinese media expanding and widening its scope abroad, the room for reporting inside the country shrinks,” Sahlberg said. “The restrictions now facing foreign correspondents call for a serious look at the commitments China’s government has as the 2022 Winter Olympic host. We want to see an even playing field.”

2018 KEY FINDINGS

The following results are based on a survey of journalists who belong to the Foreign Correspondents’ of Club of China in Beijing. The survey was completed by 109 of 204 correspondent members. More detailed results are in the full report, which can be downloaded through a link at the bottom of this email.

• 55% of respondents said reporting conditions deteriorated in 2018, compared with 40% in the FCCC’s 2017 survey.

• Surveillance, both human and digital, became a key concern. 48% said they were followed or were aware that a hotel room was entered without permission, 91% were concerned about the security of their phones, and 22% said they were aware authorities tracked them using public surveillance systems.

• Reporting grew much more difficult in Xinjiang, where the mass detention and political “re-education” of as many as one million persons from Muslim minorities has attracted global attention. 24 out of 27 of respondents who traveled to the region saying they experienced interference while there, with 19 being asked or forced to delete data.

• 37% of 91 respondents said their Chinese colleagues were pressured, harassed or intimidated, and 34% said sources had been harassed, detained or called in for questioning at least once.

• Six correspondents said they had visa renewal difficulties related to their news coverage. BuzzFeed News bureau chief Megha Rajagopalan was effectively expelled from China after she was unable to renew her visa. Australian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent Matthew Carney, received a visa of 2.5 months, leading to his departure. Both had done reporting in Xinjiang.

Download the full report (click the download button at top right of the page)

FCC appalled at efforts to silence Philippines news website Rappler

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong, is appalled at the ongoing efforts to intimidate and silence Rappler, a news organisation that has pushed to hold the government accountable despite repeated attacks from Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

On Monday, Rappler’s CEO Maria Ressa turned herself into authorities after a warrant was issued for her arrest on five charges of tax fraud. She paid bail and was ordered to return Friday for arraignment on charges that Rappler provided false information to tax authorities.

Outside the court, Ressa called the charges “manufactured” and “politically motivated.”

Earlier this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission revoked Rappler’s operating license because it violated the country’s restrictions on foreign ownership of domestic media. The organisation has continued operating after an appellate court ordered the SEC to review its findings.

Rappler, which denies all wrongdoing, has defied Duterte’s threats and intimidation to expose corruption within the police force, which has led the deadly crackdown against drugs, as well as in government ranks.

Duterte has a long track record of going after his critics. Shortly after he was elected in 2016, he told reporters that some could be legitimately killed. “Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch,” he said at the time.

Ressa has been a journalist in Asia for more than 30 years and has won multiple awards for her work–including the 2018 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. She is a brave and powerful voice against injustice in a region where the powerful regularly seek to silence those who shine a light on misdeeds.

The FCC calls on authorities to respect due process in the case against Ressa, and support the right of Rappler and other media outlets to operate freely and safely. We also stand with Philippine media groups, including the National Union of Journalists and the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, in denouncing the efforts to intimidate Rappler.

FCC Hong Kong deeply concerned over disappearance of photojournalist Lu Guang

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club is deeply concerned over the disappearance of award-winning photojournalist Lu Guang in Xinjiang, amid concerns he has been detained by authorities.

Mr Lu, who is best known for documenting serious social and environmental issues in China such as the AIDS villages of Henan, had reportedly been invited to a number of photography events in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi in late October but has not been heard from since he talked to his wife, Xu Xiaoli, last on November 3.

Ms Xu said she was told that her husband had been taken away by national security officers but she has been unable to get any confirmation from the authorities in Xinjiang, despite repeated attempts.

“It is our 20th wedding anniversary (next week). We should be celebrating it together. I can only hope for his safe return,” Ms Xu told the BBC.

Xinjiang, in the far northwest of China, has been under increasingly repressive government control over the last five years as the authorities seek to crackdown on unrest among the region’s ethnic Uighur population. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has reported that more than one million Uighurs are now being held in internment camps in the region.

China has sought to stifle international criticism and reporting of its policies in the region through a range of measures, including the harassment and detention of dozens of family members of Uighur journalists at Radio Free Asia.

The FCC calls on the Chinese authorities to, at the very least, confirm Mr Lu’s whereabouts, and ensure that he is safe, and, if he has not broken any laws, be allowed to leave China and return to his family in the United States as soon as possible.

Lu Guang has been recognised for his work with a number of top awards in the industry, including multiple World Press Photo awards (First Prize in Contemporary Issues in 2004), the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund in 2009, and a National Geographic Photography Grant in 2010. In 2005, he became the first photographer from China invited as a visiting scholar to the United States by the State Department.

Statement from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong on Victor Mallet

The FCC is shocked and baffled that the government of Hong Kong has denied entry to Victor Mallet, Asia news editor for The Financial Times and 1st Vice-President of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club.

Since the Hong Kong government refused to renew Mallet’s work visa in early October, the FCC has been asking for a reasonable explanation, to no avail.

The FCC is now reiterating its demand for an immediate explanation for this aggravated and disproportionate sanction that seems completely unfounded.

This action places journalists working in Hong Kong in an opaque environment in which fear and self-censorship may replace the freedom and confidence essential to a free society, and guaranteed by the Basic Law.

Hong Kong, 9 November 2018

Petition demanding authorities explain Victor Mallet’s visa refusal: English version, Chinese version

FCC Statement on Victor Mallet’s case

The refusal by Hong Kong authorities to renew the work visa of the Financial Times Asia News Editor Victor Mallet has generated grave concerns both in Hong Kong and around the world.

The FCC has asked the Hong Kong authorities to explain this decision, which sets a disturbing precedent and undermines Hong Kong’s reputation as a jurisdiction where the rule of law applies and where freedom of speech and freedom of association are guaranteed by law.

On October 9, the Chief Executive dismissed as “speculation” the link between the visa refusal for Mr Mallet and the lunch held at the FCC in August where he hosted Andy Chan Ho-tin, co-founder of the now banned pro-independence party HKNP. However, no alternative explanation has been offered. Throughout its long history the FCC has hosted politicians, businesspeople, professionals and artists of varied political persuasions, including senior members of the Hong Kong and Chinese governments and their critics.

The importance of this visa sanction goes far beyond the Foreign Correspondents’ Club and its short or long-term future in Hong Kong; it goes far beyond the FT Hong Kong bureau losing its Asia News editor, and beyond Victor Mallet himself.

This visa decision suggests that free speech may not be permitted in certain unspecified areas. The absence of an official reason or a clear explanation makes the decision appear arbitrary and lacking any basis in Hong Kong law and creates an impossible working environment for the media.

The rule of law is an essential feature of Hong Kong’s identity and its success as an international financial and commercial centre. The FCC therefore reiterates its call for the Hong Kong government to explain its action, or, in the absence of a reasonable explanation, to reverse its decision.

The FCC remains committed to playing an important civic role in facilitating debate and exchange of ideas on a wide range of topics that concern Hong Kong, Asia and the world. We will continue to welcome speakers with a range of views, including pro-establishment figures as well as Hong Kong government and Chinese officials.

12 October 2018

Sign the petition demanding an explanation: English and Chinese

香港當局拒絕續簽金融時報亞洲新聞編輯Victor Mallet的工作簽證，引起香港以及國際的極度關切。
香港外國記者會要求香港當局解釋這一決定，因這絕對是個令人不安的先例。香港法律保障言論自由和結社自由。這一決定破壞了香港作爲一個行使法治的司法管轄區的聲譽。
今年8月，Mallet先生在香港外國記者會主持香港民族黨創始人陳浩天的午餐會。10月9日，行政長官聲稱Mallet先生的工作簽證被拒續與此有關純屬「猜測」，但沒有交代其他原因。香港民族黨是在今年九月被禁止運作的。
香港外國記者會成立多年，經常接待不同政見的政治家､商人､專業人士和藝術家，包括香港及內地官員以及批評他們的人士。
這次簽證制裁的嚴重性並非只關乎本會以及其在香港短期或長期的未來，亦不止關乎英國金融時報香港分社失去其亞洲新聞編輯，以及Mallet先生本人。
該簽證決定表明言論自由並不適用於某些未指明的議題。由於沒有提供官方解釋或明確理由，這一決定令人覺得是武斷的，在香港法律缺乏任何依據，並令傳媒工作面對嚴峻考驗。
法治是香港身份及其作為一個成功國際金融和商業中心的基本要素。因此，本會再次呼籲香港政府解釋它的做法並推翻該決定。
香港外國記者會會繼續履行對社會的責任，致力推廣有關香港，亞洲和世界的廣泛議題的辯論以及意見交流。我們將繼續歡迎持不同意見的講者，包括親建制人士以及香港政府和中國官員。