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FCC supports FCC China’s calls for end to intimidation of journalists reporting Liu Xiaobo’s death

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong, supports this statement from our colleagues at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China.

The FCCC is concerned by reports that foreign journalists in Shenyang covering the death of Nobel Peace laureate, Liu Xiaobo, have been harassed and intimidated by plainclothes security officers.

Reporters “were escorted everywhere by plainclothes men, who shamelessly followed them into restaurants and even bathrooms,” according to one report.

Another journalist said: “I entered the hotel lobby to catch a taxi. Four plainclothes state security officers, all men and wearing black, were already waiting. They asked me where I was going as well as where my friend, a photojournalist, was going. I ignored them. Shortly after I showed up at a nearby press conference hastily convened about Liu Xiaobo, the same men were already waiting in the hotel lobby. They stayed there for the rest of the day, glancing over at us periodically, about 15 feet away. They would follow us as we went to the bathroom or make calls outside.”

Further details described in the Tweets below have caused us concern.

The FCCC calls on the Chinese government to take steps to prevent foreign reporters from being subjected to such intimidation.

FCC statement on threats to Al Jazeera

Three years ago, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong stood with our Al Jazeera English colleagues convicted in Egypt in a shocking attack on press freedom everywhere.

Today, we reiterate that call on behalf of Al Jazeera itself.

More than ever, the Gulf region and the world need the services of a news-gathering organisation that brings a unique, informed perspective.

To those that demand that Al Jazeera be shut down, and those that attack the work of our colleagues as fake news:

We demand journalists be able to do their jobs free from intimidation and threat.

We demand diversity of thought and opinion be cherished, not feared.

We demand the public have access to unbiased information.

We demand journalists not be treated as criminals.

We demand those without a voice be heard.

We demand press freedom.

You can join the conversation and share your demands using the hashtag #DemandPressFreedom.

FCC supports HKJA letter to Carrie Lam over discriminatory policy against Hong Kong online media

The FCC supports this letter from Hong Kong Journalists Association to new Chief Executive Carrie Lam over the Hong Kong government’s continued discriminatory policy against online-only media.

Dear Mrs Lam,

We are writing to express our disappointment in your failure to honour your promise to stop the government’s discriminatory policy against online-only media.

Journalists working in those media have been barred from attending at least two of your important press events, namely your first press gathering in your official capacity as the Chief Executive on July 3 and your press conference to introduce your team of principal officials on June 21.

The ban has contravened the press freedom charter that you have signed at an election campaign forum hosted by us. In the charter, you pledged to grant online-only media equal rights and access to government press functions.

Those arrangements have run against an earlier judgement by the Ombudsman Office that found the present ban unreasonable. The Ombudsman has called for flexibility in the accreditation of online journalists before a policy review is completed.

We appreciated that you and your campaign team have engaged online media in your campaign. Online journalists have been invited to attend all of your press events during the election campaign. By doing so, you have proved the so-called space and security concern raised by the Government in defending their ban is mere excuse. To keep the unreasonable and unjust policy towards online media after you took office unchanged is unacceptable.

We urge you to accept the Ombudsman’s recommendations in particular its call for flexibility. Before the completion of policy review, online-only journalists should be granted access to government press functions on the production of membership cards from the Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association.

We look forward to your prompt response and are happy to discuss with you on the matter.

Hong Kong Journalists Association
4 July 2017

Statement on Government ban of online media from attending press conference held by Carrie Lam

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong supports the following statement:

The Hong Kong Journalists Association today issued a statement on the Government’s decision to bar online media representatives from attending the press conference held by Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam. Our stance is as below:
1. HKJA expresses deep regret and disappointment with the decision;
2. HKJA reiterates the existing policy contravenes the Basic Law and Bill of Rights Ordinance, which safeguard freedom of speech and the press. It is also unfair;
3. The Ombudsman has ruled the current policy unreasonable and suggested flexibility before completion of a policy review.
4. Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam has signed a charter to uphold press freedom, in which there is a pledge to allow professional online media organisations to attend government press conferences and events. We hope she will honour her pledge at the earliest time.
Hong Kong Journalists Association
21 June 2017

 

FCC and HKJA ‘concerned’ at government demand for journalists’ personal details for Handover anniversary coverage

The FCC stands by Hong Kong Journalists Association by co-signing this letter highlighting concerns that journalists have to provide personal details including their HKID number. They are also required to consent to the transfer of their personal data to the police.

Mr Joe Wong

The Director

Information Services Department

Dear Mr Wong,

We are writing to express our concern on the press accreditation for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the city’s return to China.

According to accreditation form sent to us by our members, journalists have to provide personal details including their HKID number. They are also required to consent to the transfer of their personal data to the police.

This arrangement deviates from the long-held press accreditation practise of the government in which the police is rarely involved. A good comparison will be the One Belt One Road forum attended by Mr Zhang Dejiang, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Journalists were required to submit their personal data for accreditation and to bring along their identity card for entrance. There was no suggestion of police involvement in this process. Neither did the journalists have to consent to the passing of their personal information to the police.

There is no justification in changing the accreditation practice that has served every party well over the years. The personal data provided should be sufficient in identity verification while the meticulous security check and bag search at the door step of the venue would keep the event free from any hazard.

We are also disappointed that the digital-only media and their journalists are denied entry to this significant event. This is despite earlier appeals from both the Ombudsman and the High Court.

Both institutions have asked the government to be flexible in the accreditation of digital-only media before a review on the policy is completed. However, none of them has received any invitation to register for the event so far.

Both issues should be rectified as soon as possible. The police should not be involved in the accreditation of journalists.  No journalist should be forced to consent to the transfer of their personal data to the police in order to get entry to the event. Journalists from digital-only media holding the association’s membership cards should be accredited and allowed entry to celebration events. That has always been the policy under the Police General Orders.

We look forward to your prompt reply.

Hong Kong Journalists Association

14 June 2017

FCCT Statement on Journalists and Body Armour

FCCT statement on journalists and body armour

 

The professional membership of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand is deeply unhappy with the decision of the Thai authorities to file criminal charges against a British journalist for carrying personal body armour and a gas mask in his check-in luggage.

 

Tony Cheng was detained and subsequently arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport last night as he prepared to board a flight to Iraq. He was on assignment for the Chinese state broadcaster China Global TV News (CGTN), formerly CCTV. He has already covered the battle for Mosul this year, where body armour is indispensable

 

Cheng was this afternoon charged under the 1987 Arms Control Act, which categorises gas masks and body armour as restricted military equipment. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

 

It should be noted that Cheng was leaving the country at the time of his arrest, and intended to use the banned safety equipment outside Thailand. He therefore posed no conceivable threat to national security.

 

The FCCT has on a number of occasions offered to work with the Thai government to find a way whereby journalists and others (particularly medical personnel) who may be required to work in conflict zones can carry personal protective equipment. The club sought a solution to this problem as a matter of urgency after a photojournalist from Hong Kong was detained and charged in August 2015 for trying to carry body armour through a Thai airport. After a time-consuming and expensive legal process, charges were eventually dropped in that case.

 

Some journalists based in Thailand have to cover armed conflicts in other countries, and are required by their employers and insurers to travel with adequate protective equipment. Under the present implementation of the 1987 law, they are presented with an invidious choice: break Thai law or increase the risk to life and limb. It is worth recalling that two foreign journalists were killed in the violence in Bangkok in 2010; both might have survived had they been wearing body armour.

 

The FCCT urges the Thai authorities to drop the charges against Tony Cheng, and to find a way going forward whereby journalists are able to carry the equipment they need to protect themselves.

 

The FCCT stands ready to assist in resolving this divisive issue.

 

Press Freedom Committee

Wednesday, 31 May 2017

 

 

 

The 21st Human Rights Press Awards announces its winners

The Human Rights Press Awards winners are announced at the FCC. Photo: (c) 2017 carstenschael.com The Human Rights Press Awards winners are announced at the FCC. Photo: (c) 2017 carstenschael.com

The 21st Human Rights Press Awards announced its full list of winners and merit prizes at a ceremony on Saturday. The presentation was held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong.

The 21st Human Rights Press Awards had received received 324 submissions in total. There were 144 submissions from Chinese-language print and broadcast media, 122 submissions from English-language print and broadcast media and 58 photojournalism entries.

All submissions covered human rights-related issues in the Asian region. They were published or broadcast in professional media outlets in 2016.

The full list of winners is below.

The awards are jointly organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong, Amnesty International Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Journalists Association. They were the first such honours created in Asia and are the region’s top awards for human rights-related reporting.

English Spot News
英文突發新聞

Winner: “A woman’s gruesome hanging shocked Tibet — but police have silenced all questions”
Simon Denyer – The Washington Post
大獎﹕《藏女上吊自盡震驚西藏》
Simon Denyer – 華盛頓郵報

Merit: “Wukan series: Wukan riots”
Mimi Lau and Jun Mai – South China Morning Post
優異﹕《烏坎村系列: 烏坎騷亂》
Mimi Lau and Jun Mai – 南華早報

English Feature News
英文特寫新聞

Winner: “Bacha bazi: child sex slavery in Afghanistan”
Anuj Chopra – Agence France-Presse
大獎﹕《童戲 : 阿富汗兒童性奴》
Anuj Chopra – 法新社

Merit: “Stateless Rohingya flee Myanmar crackdown”
Sam Jahan and Shafiqul Alam – Agence France-Presse
優異﹕《緬甸鎮壓羅興亞人逃亡》
Sam Jahan and Shafiqul Alam – 法新社

English Broadcast
英文廣播傳媒

Winner: “Malaysia: Babies for Sale”
Chan Tau Chou – Al Jazeera English
大獎﹕《馬來西亞: 販嬰》
Chan Tau Chou – 半島電視台英語頻道

Merit: “Maid in Singapore”
Lynn Lee and James Leong – Al Jazeera English
優異﹕《新加坡傭工》
Lynn Lee and James Leong – 半島電視台英語頻道

English Multimedia
英文多媒體新聞

Winner: “The Impunity Series”
Patricia Evangelista and Carlo Gabuco – Rappler.com
大獎﹕《有罪不罰系列》
Patricia Evangelista and Carlo Gabuco – Rappler.com

Merit: “Duterte’s War”
Andrew R.C. Marshall, Clare Baldwin, Damir Sagolj, John Chalmers, Manny Mogato, Karen Lema, David Lague, Jerome Morales, Ezra Acayan and Erik De Castro – Reuters News
優異﹕《杜特爾特的反毒戰》
Andrew R.C. Marshall, Clare Baldwin, Damir Sagolj, John Chalmers, Manny Mogato, Karen Lema, David Lague, Jerome Morales, Ezra Acayan and Erik De Castro – 路透社

English University Text
英文學界報導(大學組別)

Winner: “Hong Kong’s working homeless”
Chloe Kwan, Stanley Lam/ The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Varsity
大獎﹕《香港有工開的露宿者》
Chloe Kwan, Stanley Lam/香港中文大學 -Varsity

Merit: “The Exploited”
Lee Ching Yee / The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Varsity
優異﹕《被剝削的清潔工人》
Lee Ching Yee / 香港中文大學 – Varsity

English University Broadcast
英文學界廣播報導(大學組別)

Winner: “Seeking refuge in Lesvos”
Choi Wun Ting Martin, Christoph Donauer/ The University of Hong Kong
– Mediajungle.dk
大獎：《在萊斯沃斯島尋找難民》
Choi Wun Ting Martin, Christoph Donauer/ 香港大學 – Mediajungle.dk

English Secondary Text
英文學界報導(中學組別)

Winner: “I stand with Ahmed”
Victoria Li and Kate Ellen Lowe/ Marymount Secondary School – MSS Messenger
大獎: 《撐Ahmed》
Victoria Li and Kate Ellen Lowe /瑪利曼中學 – MSS Messenger

中文突發新聞
Chinese Spot News

優異獎:  《手機應用程式洩私隱系列報導》
調查組記者 –  傳真社
Merit: “Mobile apps leaking personal data”
Investigative Team – FactWire News Agency

優異獎:  《IT選民大增之謎》 – 岑詠欣、林浚源、李穎欣、賴偉家、蔡瑤、張煒明 – 明報
Merit:  “Mysterious ballot growth in the information and technology legislature constituency”
岑詠欣、林浚源、李穎欣、賴偉家、蔡瑤、張煒明- Ming Pao

中文特寫新聞
Chinese Feature News

大獎: 《殘疾院舍黑幕系列報道》
龍婉琪 , 趙振龍, 陳凱敏, 勞顯亮, 羅嘉凝 – 香港01
Winner﹕”Abuse at care centre for the disabled”
龍婉琪, 趙振龍, 陳凱敏, 勞顯亮, 羅嘉凝 – HK01

優異獎: 《我看到「菲版杜林普」以外的真實 》
周澄 – 端傳媒
Merit: “The truth behind ‘Trump of the Philippines’”
周澄 – Initium Media

優異獎:《「7.09」家屬：從受難者到行動者的一年跋涉》
趙思樂 – 端傳媒
Merit:  “709 family members: the year-long journey from victims to activists”
趙思樂 – Initium Media

中文評論文章
Chinese Commentary

優異獎: 《書寫抗爭系列評論》
趙思樂 – 端傳媒
Merit: “Reporting on activism”
趙思樂- Initium Media

中文廣播傳媒
Chinese Broadcast

大獎: 《刀鋒上的公義》
陳偉利 – Now News, Now TV
Winner: “Blades of Justice: Story of Jiang Tianyong”
陳偉利 – Now News, Now TV

優異獎: 《立法會選舉大埔票站三百票之謎 》
楊量傑 – 有線新聞
Merit: “Mystery of 300 Ballots at the Taipo polling station for the Legislative Council Election”
楊量傑 – i-Cable News

優異獎: 《香港有個尼泊爾記者 》
莫志樑 – 有線電視
Merit: “The story of a Nepalese journalist in Hong Kong”
莫志樑 – i-Cable News

中文多媒體新聞
Chinese Multimedia

大獎: 《離岸之前 》
林佑恩, 蔣宜婷, 吳政達, 王珣沛 – 報導者
Winner: “Leaving the shore: story of Indonesian fishermen in Taiwan”
林佑恩, 蔣宜婷, 吳政達,王珣沛 – The Reporter

優異獎: 《菲律賓掃毒戰爭直撃》
魯嘉裕 – 香港01
Merit: “Anti-Narcotics Campaign in the Philippines”
魯嘉裕 – HK01

中文廣播新聞
Chinese Radio

大獎: 《追蹤烏坎事件五周年》
陳妙玲 – 香港電台
Winner: “Fifth anniversary of the Wukan crackdown”
陳妙玲 – RTHK

優異獎: 《丈夫無罪：709維權律師家屬》
陳妙玲 – 香港電台
Merit:  “My husband is innocent: 709 family members”
陳妙玲 – RTHK

中文學界報導(大學組)
Chinese University Text

大獎: 《跨性別 難得一廁》
張美萍, 陳穎思, 林家儀/香港中文大學 – 大學線月刊
Winner: “Transgender toilets nowhere to be found”
張美萍, 陳穎思, 林家儀/Chinese University of Hong Kong – U-beat Magazine

優異獎: 《缺陷美 身體雖殘美麗有法》
沈敏兒, 潘祖兒/香港中文大學- 大學線月刊
Merit: “Imperfect beauty”
沈敏兒,潘祖兒/Chinese University of Hong Kong  – U-beat Magazine

中文學界報導(中學組)
Chinese Secondary Text

優異獎: 《同一片天空》
袁展柔, 張祝珊/張祝珊英文中學 – 評台
Merit: “Beneath the same sky”
袁展柔,張祝珊- Cheung Chuk Shan College – Pentoy

特寫攝影
Photography Feature

Winner: “Quezon City jail”
Noel Celis – Agence France-Presse
大獎: 《奎松市監獄》
Noel Celis – 法新社

Merit: “Philippines’ Drug War”
魯嘉裕 – HK01
優異獎: 《菲律賓掃毒》
魯嘉裕 – 香港01

 

Merit: “They Were People Too”
Dondi Tawatao – Getty Images
優異獎: 《他們也是人》
Dondi Tawatao – Getty Images

突發攝影
Photography Spot

Merit: “Lamentation”
Raffy Lerma – Philippine Daily Inquirer
優異獎: 《哀悼》
Raffy Lerma – Philippine Daily Inquirer

Merit: “The arrest of Wukan party secretary and the protest against it”
羅君豪 – HK01
優異獎: 《烏坎村書記林祖戀被指涉嫌受賄,遭武 警強行帶走。其後數天村
自發遊行抗議,為林祖戀伸 冤》
羅君豪 – 香港01

 

Press freedom in Hong Kong shows slight improvement, though remains abysmally low

A recent Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) survey indicates a slight rise in the Hong Kong Press Freedom Index after two consecutive years of decline.

Based on personal experience journalists on the ground believe that the situation has worsened in 2016, compared to the year before. HKJA chairperson Sham Yee-lan explained that the slight increase in the Press Freedom Index was likely to be related to the emergence of online media, which has led to some diversity in the industry. However, since obtaining information for news coverage was becoming increasingly difficult, the improvement in the Index was limited. She urged the chief executive-elect- to implement her promise to enact a freedom of information law and archives law.

The Hong Kong Press Freedom Index for 2016 increased slightly by 0.6 points to 48 for the general public and a more significant 1.2 points to 39.4 for journalists compared to 2015. The index ranges from 0 to 100, which is the highest point for press freedom. Despite this first-ever increase in the Index after four years, Sham Yee-lan described the result as worrying, stating that both index were still below the passing score of 50.

In fact, the survey also shows that 72% of journalist respondents believe the overall press freedom had worsened in the past year. Meanwhile, the feedback from the general public was more diverse. A total of 45% of general public respondents believed that press freedom had worsened; while 42% believed that there had been no change./p>

However, as many as 71% and 97% of respondents from the general public and journalists respectively believed that the disappearance of the Causeway Bay bookseller had seriously affected press freedom in Hong Kong. Sham Yee-lan pointed out that as insiders, journalists would have a much deeper understanding of how the incident had worsened press freedom, thus contributing to a higher percentage.

The differences in the perceptions of the general public and journalists also appeared in other areas surveyed. The general public believed that difficulties were often faced by the news media when it tried to obtain information needed for reporting, rating it at 4.5 (with 0 being most common), with a slight increase of 0.3 compared to last year. In contrast, journalists believed that the situation had worsened, the rate dropping 0.3 from last year to 3.7 in the latest survey. Furthermore, both the general public and journalists believed that existing laws were insufficient to allow journalists to obtain the information they needed for reporting. With 10 being very adequate and 0 being very inadequate, the average rate for the general public was 5.7 and a much lower score of 4.3 for the suffering journalists. Journalists stated that Hong Kong government officials, including the chief executive, chose to avoid media inquiries on many occasions, maintaining a low rating of 2.8. The HKJA urged the government to enact the freedom of Information law as soon as possible, making sure that information held by the government and public bodies could be easily accessed by the general public and journalists in Hong Kong. In the meantime, it must implement the Basic Law to protect the freedom of expression enjoyed by Hong Kong people under the international human rights conventions so that the general public’s right to know could be protected.

The newly elected chief executive Carrie Lam had signed the Pledge to Uphold Press Freedom in an election forum held by The Hong Kong Journalists Association last month, promising to introduce an access to information law and archive law, as well as lifting the ban on access by online media to government press events and facilities within her term.

It is worth pointing out that the self-censorship rating had slightly improved since last year, yet it still had the lowest score amongst all categories, indicating that the problem was still severe. With 10 being not at all common and 0 being very common, the average rate for journalists was 3.1 while it was 4.5 for the general public.

In spite of all the obstacles, the Hong Kong media was still able to play its role as a watchdog. Their performance had been highly credited. The average score given by the general public and journalists were 6.2 and 6.3 respectively, similar to last year.

The Press Freedom Index was divided into two parts, the public and journalists. The former part was conducted by the HKU Public Opinion Programme from Jan 11 to 17. A total of 1010 Cantonese speaking Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above were successfully interviewed. A total of 465 journalists were successfully interviewed from Jan 14 to Feb 20 by the Hong Kong Journalists Association.

The Press Freedom Index has been conducted since 2013. The HKJA would like to express its sincere appreciation for the generous help of members of the survey consultant group, who are as follows:

Ms. Mak Yin Ting (Former Chairperson, HKJA)
Mr. Ng Lap Tak (Convener of the press freedom committee, HKJA)
Dr. Clement So (Professor, School of Journalism & Communication, CUHK)
Prof. Lisa Leung (Associate Professor, Department of Cultural Studies, Lingnan University
Dr. Robert Chung (Director, Public Opinion Programme, HKU)

If there are further enquiries, please call us at 25910692.

Open letter to C.Y. Leung appealing for digital media access to cover Hong Kong Chief Executive election

Dear Mr Leung,

Twelve journalists unions and news group urge you to give professional online-only media full access to government press activities and facilities in relation to the election of the Chief Executive on 26 March 2017.

Under the existing policy, those media are excluded from all official functions and denied entry to locations where elections will be held. Not only does this arrangement deviate from the government’s pledge of a fair, open and honest election, it is also against the press freedom promised in the Basic Law.

In this regard, we would stress that the Ombudsman had concluded in her December 6 finding that the Government has offered no convincing justification for its ban on online-only media from its press events. The Government is obliged to facilitate press access as part of the protection of press freedom stipulated in the Basic Law. Yet, the Ombudsman’s call for the lifting of the ban has yielded no result. Nor has there been any move towards accreditation of online media. In fact, there has been no discussion, whatever, with the industry in this regard.

With less than a week to go before the Election, the Information Services Department has provided no accreditation channel for the online-only media.

Given the significance of the Chief Executive election, such continued inaction is not only regrettable but also unreasonable. The press area, which will be located in the Hong Kong Convention Centre, should be spacious enough to include those journalists. Professional unions have already proposed different ways of accrediting journalists that are widely adopted by various authorities overseas.

Ignoring what has become an integral part of life worldwide is not in anyone’s interests, least of all the younger generation to whom the online medium is their sole access to the wider world.

Looking forward to your favourable reply, we remain.

Hong Kong Journalists Association   

Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong

HK Press Photographers Association     

Independent Commentators Association

Next Media Trade Union

Ming Pao Staff Association

RTHK Programme Staff Union 

Initium Media

Stand News

Local Press

CitizenNews

Hong Kong Free Press

FCC statement on prosecution of BBC Southeast Asia correspondent Jonathan Head

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong is appalled by the criminal defamation and Computer Crimes Act case in Thailand against Jonathan Head, the BBC’s Southeast Asia correspondent. The charges, initiated by a private citizen over Head’s reporting on foreign retirees who were scammed in Phuket, carry a possible five-year prison sentence. Head had to surrender his passport, seriously impeding his ability to report across Asia.

Head’s case is emblematic of the state of press freedom in Thailand. Laws pertaining to criminal defamation, computer crimes and lese majeste are routinely abused, both by authorities and private citizens, to harass and silence journalists. The end result is a climate of fear that leads to self-censorship, depriving Thai citizens of free speech and access to reliable information, and enabling a culture of impunity for the powerful and shameless.

The FCCHK stands in support of our colleagues in Thailand. It calls on those responsible to throw out the case against Head. Moreover, Thailand’s leaders should undertake long overdue reform of laws regarding criminal defamation, computer crimes, and lese-majeste.

Journalists should be free to do their jobs responsibly without fear of frivolous lawsuits that deprive them of time, money, and the ability to travel freely for months or years. In addition, private citizens shouldn’t be able to launch cases that carry criminal penalties, particularly given the current lack of even common sense oversight.

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