Hong Kong (China)

The IFJ and HKJA demand an immediate explanation from the Hong Kong-based newspaper “Ming Pao” about the sudden termination of the paper’s executive chief editor.

A number of online media outlets and various student newspapers were recently barred entry to a centre where a by-election was being held, as the Hong Kong government does not recognise them as traditional media.

The Chinese government should immediately release the five booksellers it abducted and ‘disappeared’ under the guise of law enforcement, HRW said. The five are affiliated with the Hong Kong-based Mighty Current Media, known for publishing books critical of senior Chinese leaders.

The IFJ’s newly released 2015 report is an annual analysis of press freedom and the ever increasing obstacles and challenges for journalists and media workers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.

There are questions about the whereabouts and safety of five Hong Kong-based publishers and booksellers. The latest disappearance of a British passport holder has fuelled concerns about a concerted campaign by the Chinese government to quash free speech in the former British colony.

“A year after Hong Kong people staged an unprecedented protest for democracy, the government continues to deny this fundamental right, while pressing charges against student leaders for organizing the peaceful movement,” said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. “This raises real concerns about adherence to international human rights standards.”

Two men were found guilty today of “causing grievous bodily harm and stealing a motorcycle” in connection with the 2014 assault of journalist Kevin Lau, but have refused to say who ordered the attack.

According to a recent HKJA survey, both the public and journalists believe that press freedom deteriorated in 2014. To counter this, there is a clear need for freedom of information legislation to ensure the right to access information held by the government and public bodies.

The IFJ is concerned by the continuing decline of political impartiality through editorial compromise in Hong Kong’s largest free-to-air television network, Broadcasting Television of Hong Kong (TVB).

A new IFJ report documents the continued challenges facing press freedom in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. It takes its title in direct response to Chinese authorities adopting more repressive measures in 2014.

Internet users and civil society groups in Hong Kong have endured cyberattacks and debated threats to privacy online in the past. But the situation has worsened significantly since June 2014.

The deterioration of press freedom has accelerated over the past year in Hong Kong, coinciding with a period of rising political tension, according to a new report released by PEN American Center at a press conference in Hong Kong.

Next Media headquarters and the home of its former chairman Jimmy Lai were the targets of coordinated firebomb attacks. HKJA condemned this attempt to silence the media through intimidation.

A cameraman for Hong Kong-based “Apple Daily” was handcuffed and detained. He was accused of using his camera too close to police while filming attempts by police to disperse protesters in Mong Kok.

An “Apple Daily” photographer was arrested by the police, while other journalists faced harassment and restrictions while reporting on police operations in Hong Kong’s district of Mong Kok.

IFJ criticises Hong Kong’s largest free-to-air television station, TVB, for penalizing three journalists who helped prepare a news report about seven policemen beating up an Occupy Movement protester in October.