The report mentioned that it was supposed to be the 30th Annual Report on Freedom of Expression by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), but due to the National Security Law in Hong Kong, a group of overseas independent journalists took over the duty.
In an interview with The Epoch Times, scholar Chung Kim-wah said that the HKJA is under a lot of pressure, so it is reasonable not to write the report in 2022; and the anti-Beijing media still operating in Hong Kong can only “muddle along,” some media have adjusted themselves and no longer publish articles about some specific topics.
Since 1993, the HKJA has published the freedom of expression report in Hong Kong every year. The last one was published on July 15, 2021, with the theme “Scattered Freedom.” Ronson Chan Ron-sing, chairman of the HKJA, described at the time that “the past year was the worst year for press freedom.” Apple Daily, an anti-Beijing paper, was shut down for violating the National Security Law (NSL) in June 2021. “The media can’t see the uncrossable political red line,” said Chan.
The report, published by the IFJ on Oct. 14 with the theme of “The Story That Won’t Be Silenced,” stated that it was supposed to be the 30th annual report by the HKJA, but under the threat of the NSL formulated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), this was not achievable. An independent group of journalists and journalism researchers took over the report, documenting the latest developments in the demise of freedom of expression.
The report is available in both Chinese and English, with a total of five chapters and recommendations. The report begins by pointing out that the HKJA had already recommended repeal of the sedition provisions of the Crimes Ordinance law as early as 1993 because of the grave threats it poses to freedom of expression and of the press. This time the report describes “the current situation proves that these fears have become reality” and describes how the Hong Kong government, in recent years, has prosecuted activists, journalists, students, and authors of children’s books for the crime of incitement.
The report criticized the charges of incitement, the abuse of the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, the human rights violations of the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation, the threat to freedom under the Official Secrets Ordinance, and the hollowing out of the freedom of the press in Hong Kong by the National Security Law. In 2021 and 2022, a total of at least 12 Hong Kong media outlets ceased to operate.
The report also mentioned that many media people moved overseas and continued to speak out through YouTube channels.
Chapters 4 and 5 of the report describe, respectively, “National security trumps free speech in courts” and RTHK’s (Radio Television Hong Kong) “The death of public broadcasting.”
Finally, the report recommends repealing the National Security Law and the sedition provisions of the Crimes Ordinance; restoring RTHK’s identity as a genuine public service broadcaster, and rebuilding media diversity to benefit Hong Kong’s people.
Chung Kim-wah: Media in Hong Kong Can Only Muddle Along
Scholar Chung Kim-wah said in an interview with The Epoch Times that he believes that the freedom of the press in Hong Kong is very limited. The government can get some media into trouble at any time, and no one can precisely say how long the anti-Beijing media can still operate. Some independent media are even more resource-strapped and stretched and can only “muddle along.” Some media have adjusted themselves by not publishing articles about specific persons and topics.John Lee Ka-chiu Rejects Promise to Protect Press Freedom
On April 30, Chief Executive of Hong Kong John Lee replied to a question from a reporter about what practical measures were in place to make people believe that press freedom is indeed guaranteed. Lee repeatedly emphasized that “Hong Kong already has freedom of the press!” At the same time, he also criticized some people who used news for illegal or politically motivated acts in the past. “In the future, everyone will see this type of case in court.”On June 12, when Lee delivered a speech at the 120th anniversary of the founding of Ta Kung Pao, the mouthpiece of the CCP in Hong Kong, he declared that freedom of the press in Hong Kong is guaranteed by the Basic Law and in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, also claiming that the standards of the Hong Kong government are consistent with those of advanced regions in the world, including Western countries.
On Sept. 22, when Lee delivered a speech at a reception held by the Hong Kong press to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the CCP, he called on the media to tell more “good” Hong Kong stories but also take the initiative to tell Hong Kong stories well and tell the successful practice of “one country, two systems.” He also said that everyone should beware of those who engage in illegal acts under the guise of journalism and hoped that the press would stay away from those “disguised media” and “bad elements who undermine press freedom.”
