Hong Kong’s free media has been almost completely wiped out by government repression, clearing the market for an expanded pro-Beijing and state-run media sector, a new report said.
The report by the UK-based Hong Kong Watch advocacy group came shortly after the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club announced it was suspending its human rights awards because it did not want to inadvertently violate the city’s 2020 comprehensive national security law. Beijing.
The working environment for domestic and foreign journalists in Hong Kong is becoming increasingly difficult, the report said, detailing the widespread use of “laws” against journalists – including the National Security Act – acts of intimidation and police violence, mass dismissals and government interference or censorship of commercial sites. He noted the police’s redefinition of who a journalist is, the forthcoming introduction of a fake news law and the criminalization of traditional investigative methods.
Following pro-democracy protests in 2019, repression led to the closure of Apple Daily, Stand News and others. Sources and citizens now fear retribution or legal consequences for talking to journalists. Government intervention in RTHK has deprived the public of its previous editorial independence and a chilling effect has spread to other media, with some engaging in alarming self-censorship.
In one example, Chris Wong, a former TVB news anchor, described to Hong Kong Watch his attempts to report on the November 2019 attack on pro-democracy adviser Andrew Chiu, whose ear was bitten. The attack was proven by clear photos and videos, the report said.
“The script provided by the editor said that Mr. Chiu’s ear fell naturally, in some way,” Wong said. “No one did anything, it wasn’t a bite and the ear just fell to the floor. The editors did not want to cover the violence of the pro-Beijing “blue” supporters.
Wong also said they had been ordered to call the protesters “black shirts” and not to cover their press conferences while they were run entirely by police.
“Unfortunately, TVB has damaged the reputation of its journalists, and because of TVB’s reputation, all former employees live and work under a lot of public criticism.”
The report also details a number of acts of police violence against journalists during the protests, including some that appeared to be targeted.
“We were sitting on the ground, taking off our equipment, our masks, helmets and other protective equipment,” a South China Morning Post photojournalist said, covering a protest. “The police came and blew tear gas directly at us. The police’s hatred of the media was shocking.
The jamming and intimidation of the Hong Kong media scene has been aided by pro-Beijing media, which is now taking advantage of the shrinking industry, the report said.
“In the absence of pro-democracy media, it is worth stopping here to look at the consequences of the erosion of press freedom and how it creates additional space for pro-Beijing media,” the report said, accusing the media of “providing propaganda for the regime.” the Chinese Communist Party and the Hong Kong government and threatening their critics, both in the press and through various forms of harassment.
“I think we are witnessing encouragement from them,” said Benedict Rogers, director of Hong Kong Watch, noting Ta Kung Pao’s recent moves to dedicate entire pages to the attack on the church, church schools, Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen and Hong Kong Clock.
“It simply came to my notice then. They’ve always chased people like me and people in Hong Kong from time to time, but I’ve never seen full pages. “
The report also notes allegations by Ronson Chan, a former Stand News editor and chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists’ Association, that he was followed by a Ta Kung Pao reporter before the newspaper published a front-page article accusing him of visiting sex worker. In March 2020, Ta Kung Pao published a list of artists and art organizations he said were linked to anti-government activists, including artist Casey Wong, who later fled to Taiwan.
The report also accused newspapers of publishing “propaganda”, including descriptions of the 2021 legislative vote, as “the most successful after the broadcast”, despite historically low turnout of around 30%.
For now, the general public can still get news from the remaining free media and international media, Rodgers said, “but when it comes to local Chinese-language media, they do have a much narrower choice, and the danger is then getting information filtered through the lens of Beijing’s propaganda. “
In the report, Hong Kong Watch called on international governments to offer ways and assistance to fleeing Hong Kong journalists who want to emigrate, and to continue Cantonese-language media from abroad. He also called on governments to use Magnitsky-style sanctions and other forms of pressure to encourage the Hong Kong government to restore media freedoms.
“The international community must not allow those responsible for these violations to go unpunished and without consequences,” the statement said.
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