Human Rights Press Awards winners announced

 

The Human Rights Press Awards celebrated their 20^th anniversary on Friday, May 6, with an awards ceremony and reception at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum on the Central Waterfront.

 

Winners were chosen from 274 entries. These included 139 Chinese-language works, 80 English-language works and 55 works of photojournalism. All submissions covered human rights issues in the Asia-Pacific, and were printed or broadcast in professional media outlets in 2015.

 

The HRPA was founded 20 years ago by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong, Amnesty International Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Journalists Association. These three organizations run the HRPA to this day. Winners are chosen by panels of volunteer judges who come from the fields of journalism, law, academia and activism.

 

The full winners list is below:

 

 

English News & Features Grand Prize

英文新聞及專題大獎

“Seafood from Slaves” – By Margie Mason, Robin McDowell, Martha Mendoza and Esther Htusan – The Associated Press

海鮮背後的奴工– Margie Mason, Robin McDowell, Martha Mendoza and Esther Htusan –美聯社

 

English News Merits

英文突發新聞優異獎

“Four Hong Kong Publishers Known for Books Critical of Chinese Regime Missing” – By Ilaria Maria Sala – The Guardian

四名中國政評書出版業者失蹤 – Ilaria Maria Sala – 衛報

“Something Hideous Happened in Elishku, Xinjiang” – By Benjamin Haas – Agence France-Presse

新疆艾里西湖鎮的暴力衝突 – Benjamin Haas – 法新社

“Asia’s Migrant Crisis” – By Preeti Jha, Nurdin Hasan and Shafiqul Alam – Agence France-Presse

亞洲移民危機 – Preeti Jha, Nurdin Hasan, Shafiqul Alam – 法新社

“Asia’s Migrant Crisis” – By Preeti Jha, Nurdin Hasan, Shafiqul Alam  and Thanaporn Promyamyai – Agence France-Presse

 

English Features Merits

英文特寫優異獎

“Ghost Children: In the Wake of China’s One-Child Policy, a Generation is Lost” – By Nathan VanderKlippe – The Globe and Mail

一孩政策下消失的一代：超生黑戶兒童–  Nathan VanderKlippe – 環球郵報

Series on “Crackdown on Chinese Rights Lawyers” – By Verna Yu – South China Morning Post

中國抓捕維權律師系列– 余詠恩– 南華早報

“Elderly Bused in for District Election Vote” – By Jeffie Lam – South China Morning Post

老人被運往區選票站– 林凱旻 – 南華早報

English Online Grand Prize

英文網絡報道大獎   

Series on “The Long Arm of China” – By David Lague, Paul Mooney, Benjamin Kang Lim, Sui-Lee Wee and Stephanie Nebehay – Reuters

《中國勢力擴張》系列– David Lague, Paul Mooney, Benjamin Kang Lim, Sui-Lee Wee and Stephanie Nebehay – 路透社

 

English Online Merits

英文網絡報道優異獎

“Sea Slaves: The Human Misery That Feeds Pets and Livestock” – By Ian Urbina – The New York Times

揭秘南海漁船海上奴工的悲慘生活– Ian Urbina – 紐約時報

“For Rohingya, Fear and Forced Marriages” – By Jonah M. Kessel – The New York Times

洛興雅人面臨的恐懼及逼婚 – Jonah M. Kessel – 紐約時報

 

English Commentary Merit

英文評論優異獎

“Beijing Autumn” – By Ilaria Maria Sala – China File

重返天安門– Ilaria Maria Sala – 中參館

***

 

English Broadcast Grand Prize

英文廣播傳媒大獎

“The Invisible Children of Sabah, Malaysia” – By Chan Tau Chou – Al Jazeera English

馬來西亞沙巴的隱形兒童– Chan Tau Chou – 半島電視台

 

English Television Merits

英文電視新聞報道優異獎

“Asia’s Meth Wars: Myanmar’s State-Backed Militias are Flooding Asia with Meth” – By Patrick Winn and Mark Oltmanns – GlobalPost

亞洲冰毒戰爭：緬甸政府支持的民兵在亞洲廣泛販毒– Patrick Winn and Mark Oltmanns – 環球郵報

“China’s Locked-Up Lawyers” – By Carrie Gracie – BBC World

中國被囚律師– Carrie Gracie – 英國廣播公司國際頻道

 

English Radio Merit

英文電台報道優異獎

“Soccer Nuns: The Trials of Tibetan Women’s Football” – By Ivan Broadhead – BBC World Service

足球女僧：西藏女足球隊的考驗– Ivan Broadhead – 英國廣播公司國際頻道

***

 

Chinese News & Features Grand Prize

中文新聞及專題大獎

“The Fate of Chinese Rights NGOs” – By Zhao Sile – Initium

中國權利NGO生死劫（上中下）– 趙思樂 – 端傳媒

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese Features Merits

中文特寫優異獎

“Kou Yanding: 128 Days of Hell and 100 Kilometers of Salvation”– By Zhao Sile – Initium

寇延丁：128天的地獄，100公里的救贖 – 趙思樂 – 端傳媒

“Conflict Escalates over Christian Crosses in Zhejiang” – By Zhu Yongxiao – Yazhou Zhoukan / Asiaweek

《浙江基督徒大抗爭拆十字架風暴升級》；附文《專訪坐牢一年的黃益梓牧師》– 朱永瀟– 亞洲週刊

“Never Grow Old” – By Chen Yimin – Ming Pao Weekly

智障無礙– 陳伊敏– 明周

 

Chinese News Merits

中文突發新聞優異獎

“Vote Rigging in District Council Elections”– By Leung Yu Wo, Yuen Pak Yan, Alexander Lam Wai Chung and Lee Nga Man– Apple Daily

區選種票 – 梁御和、袁柏恩、林偉聰、李雅雯 – 蘋果日報

“A Brother Asks Society to Respect the Disabled” –  By Simpson Cheung Wai-Ming, Yammy Tsang Ying-Mui, Gemini Cheng Pui-Shan and Chin Wai-Ki – Ming Pao

智障男三稱「無推伯伯」 二哥淚下盼社會尊重殘障 – 張煒明、曾映妹、鄭佩珊、錢瑋琪 – 明報

“Elderly Stripped Naked on Rooftop, Waiting to Be Showered” – By Winky Liu Wing-Ki and Edward Choi Chuen-Wai – Ming Pao

長者遭脫光露天等沖涼 – 廖穎琪、蔡傳威 – 明報

 

Chinese Online Merits

中文網絡報道優異獎

“Investigation of the Shenzhen Landslide: Why Waste Was Dumped in an Ecological Zone”– By Yannan Jiang– Initium

深圳山泥傾瀉追蹤：事故元兇渣土山為何建在法定生態控制區內？– 江雁南– 端傳媒

 

Chinese Commentary Merit

中文評論優異獎

“A Lifetime of Suffering for Chinese Women” – By Zeng Jinyan– Initium

中國女性終其一生承受的暴力– 曾金燕– 端傳媒

***

 

Chinese Broadcast Grand Prize

中文廣播傳媒大獎

“The Myth of ‘One Person, One Vote’”– By Choy Yuk Ling – Radio Television Hong Kong

《鏗鏘集》一人一票的迷思 – 蔡玉玲 – 港台電視

 

Chinese Broadcast Special Prize

中文廣播傳媒特別獎

“The Refugee Crisis in Europe”– By Michelle Chan – Radio Television Hong Kong

《鏗鏘集》大逃亡– 陳穎忻– 港台電視

 

Chinese Television Merits  

中文電視報道優異獎

“Infallible Church”– By Amy Wong Nga-Man – Radio Television Hong Kong

不倒的教會– 黃雅文– 香港電台電視部公共事務組

“Caring for the Intellectually Disabled” – By Grace Wong – Radio Television Hong Kong

《鏗鏘集》老障無依–  黃佩英 – 港台電視

 

Chinese Radio Merits

中文電台報道優異獎

Myanmar Elections series – By Ivan Luk Yuk-Kwong and Wong Lui – Radio Television Hong Kong

緬甸大選系列– 陸宇光，王磊– 香港電台

Human Rights Lawyers – By Chan Miu-Ling – Radio Television Hong Kong

維權律師的苦困– 陳妙玲– 香港電台

***

 

Photography Grand Prize

圖片特寫大獎

“Dying to Breathe,” a series about Chinese gold miners – By Sim Chi Yin, Freelance Photographer for VII Photo Agency. The work appeared in National Geographic, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and The New York Times

一個塵肺病家庭的愛與絕望 –沈綺穎–自由攝影師 – 此作品獲刊於國家地理、普利策中心的危機報告，以及紐約時報

 

Feature Photography Special Prize

圖片特寫特別獎

“Refugees Crossing the Aegean Sea for Survival” – By Nicole Tung – Initium

難民的彼岸:這一年，為生存穿越愛琴海 – Nicole Tung – 端傳媒

 

Spot News Photography Merits

突發新聞圖片優異獎

“Disputed Land” – By Sam Tsang – South China Morning Post

地權爭議 – Sam Tsang – 南華早報

“The Lonely Life of the McSleepers” – By Dickson Lee – South China Morning Post

麥當勞內的無家者 – Dickson Lee – 南華早報

“The First Blood Shed in the Yuen Long Anti-smuggler Movement”– By Chan Yik-Chiu – Apple Daily

光復元朗第一滴血–陳奕釗–蘋果日報

“Defendant” – By Ho Kwan-Kin – Sing Tao Daily

原告變被告 – 何君健 – 星島日報

“British Lesbian Faces Discrimination in Hong Kong” – By Yik Yeung-Man– Apple Daily

英女同志被歧視–易仰民 –蘋果日報

 

Feature Photography Merits

圖片特寫優異獎

“Southeast Asia’s Migrant Crisis” – By Christophe Archambault– Agence France-Presse

南亞難民危機 – Christophe Archambault – 法新社

Myanmar Elections – By Ye Aung Thu– Agence France-Presse

緬甸大選–Ye Aung Thu–法新社

“Stage Performers With Down Syndrome” – By Fu Chun-Wai – East Week

戲裡戲外的「二一三」– 傅俊偉 – 東周刊

“We Shout ‘Erwiana!’” – By Ko Chung-Ming – Next Magazine

我們呼喊Erwiana! – 高仲明 – 壹週刊

 

 

 

 

***

 

Student Human Rights Press Awards

High School Journalism Prize

高中學生組大獎

“Disenfranchised: Education for Non-Chinese-Speaking Children in Hong Kong” – By Xaviera Artaza of West Island School – Harbour Times

非華語學生教育權利被剝奪 – Xaviera Artaza –西島中學 – 港報

 

University English-Language Broadcast Prize

大專英文廣播作品大獎

“Education for All” – By Ho Kar-Hei, Leung Ka-Yu, Tsui Kit-Sze, Xi Qiaosong and Wong Wing-Kwan of The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Varsity Magazine

普及教育– 何家曦，梁嘉瑜，徐潔思，黃穎筠，襲橋松– 中文大學– Varsity Magazine

 

University English-Language Writing Prize

大專英文寫作大獎

“Transparently Unclear” – By Tsim Wing-Sze, Lin Yi-Ting and Kwan Cho-Ming of The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Varsity Magazine

政府透明度成疑 –詹詠詩, 連漪婷, 關祖明– 中文大學– Varsity Magazine

 

University English-Language Writing Merit

大專英文寫作優異獎

“Finding a Way Forward” – By Jayce Lai, Man Sze-Wai and Tsang Hoi-Kee of The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Varsity Magazine

雨傘運動後尋求前路 – 黎焯施，文思慧，曾海琪 – 中文大學– Varsity Magazine

“Sexual Harassment at Hong Kong’s Universities – Rarely Reported, but not Rare” – By Medhavi Arora of the University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong Free Press

本港大學性騷擾非罕見卻少有舉報– Medhavi Arora – 香港大學 – Hong Kong Free Press

 

University Chinese-Language Broadcast Prize

大專中文廣播作品大獎

Body of Work: “The Rights of Domestic Workers” and “Power of the Police”– By Li Lok Man, Nicolle Liu Ka-Wun, Leung Yat-Nga, Winnie Tang Man-Yan and Yeh Ka-Lun of The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Pinpoint website

《警權》及《外傭權益》– 李樂敏，廖珈媛，梁逸雅，鄧雯欣，葉嘉麟 – 中文大學– 點子

 

University Chinese-Language Writing Prize

大專中文寫作大獎

“Questionable Police Testimony and Prosecutions after Occupy” –By Lam Tsz-Ching and Gloria Chan Hoi-Ching of Hong Kong Baptist University– Sanpoyan

警口供連番被質疑  檢控不當損法治–林子晴 ，陳凱晴 – 浸會大學– 新報人

 

Youth Essay Contest

Review of “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” (2012) – By Melissa Leung On-Ki of the University of Hong Kong

梁安琦 -香港大學

 

The following is a Visa Survey 2015 Findings issued by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (Beijing) for its members. The FCC (Hong Kong) relays it as a service to the media community; any views expressed are not necessarily shared by the FCC (Hong Kong).

 

FCCC Visa Survey 2015 Findings

 

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China has compiled the results of this year’s annual survey of visa issues for correspondents, based on your experiences during the visa renewal season at the end of 2015. We received 142 responses (including 35 from non FCCC members), up from 127 last year. To those who participated, thank you for your help.

In general, most correspondents (72%) seeking to renew their press cards received them from the Foreign Ministry within seven working days. About 87% received their new residence visas within the 10 working days that the PSB had said would be necessary. This 10-day window for visas was a substantial improvement over 2014, when the standard wait time was 15 working days. The FCCC notes with appreciation Chinese authorities’ efforts to shorten this wait time.

While less than 4% of respondents reported problems renewing their press cards or visas, Chinese authorities continued in 2015 to abuse the press card and visa renewal process in a political manner, punishing reporters and media organizations for the content of their coverage if it has displeased the government.

The most glaring example of this was the well publicized case of Ursula Gauthier, a correspondent for the French publication L’Obs, who became the first foreign reporter expelled from China since 2012. For a recap of that incident, please see the bottom of this email.

Ms. Gauthier’s case was the most serious incident; however, it was not the only one. The authorities delayed credentials for one correspondent apparently because of displeasure at his network’s coverage of China in 2015.

Another correspondent reported being invited for “tea” by a Foreign Ministry official on the first day of press card renewals.

“The official was very friendly and polite, but still repeatedly reminded me that their colleagues in the Chinese embassy in [a European capital] were ‘very worried’ about me and my reporting, and that I should focus more on reports that ‘support the friendship between our nations.’” — European newspaper reporter

While fewer correspondents reported trouble renewing their press cards and visas at the end of 2015 than in 2014, police and other authorities throughout the past year have persisted in their attempts to discourage correspondents from reporting on sensitive court cases and protests by suggesting that their presence at such events might result in non-renewal of their press cards or visas.

“Reporting on the Fanya Metal protests in front of CCTV, an officer asked me to leave the place, reminding me politely that ‘we will see you again at window 26 in the PSB (Public Security Bureau) office.’ ” — European reporter

Another journalist said he was threatened by police with non-renewal of his credentials while reporting on the trial of civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang in Beijing in December 2015

“The Foreign Ministry routinely issues vague threats that our ‘relationship’ will suffer if they dislike our coverage.”

One correspondent reported being intimidated by a request from the PSB to give a detailed account of his/her whereabouts over the past months.
“I was asked for (a) rundown of everywhere I had reported from in China, and indeed the region, since arriving in China, while (the officer) appeared to be checking information on his computer. … Journalists should be allowed to report their stories without having to explain themselves to a policeman afterwards. I was also asked in detail about aspects of my CV, and previous postings. I do not see how this is relevant to my work within China.”

Because the visa waiting time was shortened this year, fewer correspondents reported that their work was interrupted by the obligation to deposit their passports with the PSB during the visa processing period. And in an improvement from recent years, authorities in 2015 appeared more amenable to requests to fast-track or expedite visas and press cards.

A majority of the 18 correspondents who sought expedited service for personal or professional reasons reported that they were able to receive it.

Still, one-third of respondents said the 10-day visa waiting time affected their work (down from 46% in 2014, when there was a standard 15-day waiting period). China-based correspondents who cover multiple Asian countries reported being highly inconvenienced.

“Our bosses in New York were interested in a story in Hong Kong at the time and we could not travel there.” — American broadcaster

“I had considered a trip to Taiwan to prepare for the election there but could not go.”

“I have to inform [my head office] that I am unable to travel during this time, which is a massive problem given that we cover the entire Asia region. This leaves us very exposed during this time, and prevents me from being deployed on stories, disadvantage get me against colleagues based outside China, and affecting our ability to respond to stories across the region.”

“When we’re stuck in China during the visa renewal process – other teams have to cover Asia (our beat) or in some cases we just don’t cover stories in the region because we can’t leave the Mainland.” — American broadcaster

The PSB issues a temporary yellow document that is supposed to substitute for a passport for domestic travel and other business within China; however, this document is routinely greeted with suspicion by police, hotel and airport personnel, and is not recognized at banking institutions. Said one TV journalist:

“During the Pu Zhiqiang trial coverage, a policeman said the yellow form was not officially valid ID in China. I explained it was, and he refused. Later, after sneaking past the first one, a second police officer accepted it as ID.”

“Traveling to Xinjiang during this period, the airport and hotels were unfamiliar with the yellow paper.”  

Others reported they were unable to complete routine banking and insurance tasks without their passports.

“I was unable to change money.” — European broadcaster

Some 94% of survey respondents said visa applications by journalists intending to take up existing posts in China (replacing an outgoing correspondent) were approved in three months or less by the Chinese embassies concerned, and over 73% were issued in less than two months. Though this marks an improvement in an area about which the FCCC has long complained, we still believe that this process should not take longer than 30 days.

The FCCC remains gravely concerned, however, that multiple organizations continue to face extensive delays – some lasting years – to be issued visas for their designated correspondents. Even more troubling, a number of these organizations fear that speaking publicly about this treatment will only result in reprisals or worse.

In one case, a journalist from a Japanese newspaper was named as the publication’s Beijing bureau chief and applied for J-1 visa in 2013; after two years of waiting to receive the visa, the journalist in 2015 was assigned to a new position in Japan. The newspaper named a correspondent already in China to the bureau chief position.

Problems persist for those who apply from abroad for J-2 visiting journalist visas. The survey found multiple occasions on which journalists were obliged to abandon plans for reporting trips because of lengthy delays in the provision of J-2 visas.  The full number of cancellations is unknown, but we believe it may be much higher given that journalists applying for J-2 visas are typically based outside China and therefore aren’t FCCC members.

If the Chinese government wants foreign media to locate their Asian Regional headquarters in Beijing, it should ensure that correspondents are free to travel region-wide as and when they need to, and that colleagues from abroad can travel here easily to provide supplementary coverage or vacation relief.

The FCCC notes with appreciation Chinese authorities’ announced intention to modify the press card and visa renewal process in 2016, allowing for earlier renewals.

About the expulsion of Ursula Gauthier

As the FCCC noted in December 2015, Ms. Gauthier was harshly criticized  in the state-controlled media following an article she wrote on Xinjiang. She became the target of numerous death threats, with her picture and address published and distributed online.

According to Ms. Gauthier, the Chinese authorities issued an ultimatum to her, insisting that in order to renew her press card and visa, she must–among other things–apologize publicly, state publicly that she did not support terrorism and distance herself from foreign NGOs and media who presented her case as “an infringement of press freedom in China.” Failure to comply would result in the denial of accreditation.

Ms. Gauthier decided she could not comply with such an ultimatum. Chinese officials responded by accusing her of “flagrantly championing acts of terrorism and the brutal killing of innocent people.” Ms. Gauthier left China at the end of 2015.

As the FCCC stated at the time, receiving criticism is a normal and necessary part of journalistic work, but this was neither proportionate nor reasonable. Insinuating that Ms. Gauthier supports terrorism was a particularly egregious personal and professional affront with no basis in fact. The FCCC views this incident as a most serious development and a grave threat to the ability of foreign correspondents to work in China.

*About the survey:
The survey was sent to 177 FCCC 2015 correspondent members and 351 non-members in January 2016, of whom 142 replied. Figures indicate absolute number of responses, unless otherwise indicated. When percentages are used, they reflect all respondents to that specific question. Not all respondents answered every question. Please note that non-members were not surveyed in the previous year. Data may be used if credit is given to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC).
The Foreign Correspondents Club of China is a Beijing-based professional association comprising more than 160 correspondents from 33 countries and regions. Contact: [email protected]. Website: www.fccchina.org.

—
FCCC Administration Office
E-mail: [email protected]
General Manager: [email protected]
Website: www.fccchina.org

 

 

Tuesday, 5 April 2016