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The Hong Kong Overseas Correspondents’ Membership (HKFCC) has canceled its annual Human Rights Press Awards over worry of violating the Nationwide Safety Regulation. HKFCC president Keith Richburg shared the information with members on Monday, two days after the board made the choice. Scheduled to be introduced on World Press Freedom Day (Might 3), the Human Rights Press Awards are among the many oldest and most prestigious journalism awards in Asia, and this marks the first time of their 26 12 months historical past that they won’t be held. Christy Leung and Danny Mok from the South China Morning Put up reported on Richburg’s clarification for canceling the awards:
In a press release despatched to members on Monday, membership president Keith Richburg stated the FCC board had reached the “powerful determination” to cancel the accolades pending additional overview after a “prolonged dialogue” on Saturday.
“During the last two years, journalists in Hong Kong have been working underneath new ‘purple traces’ on what’s and isn’t permissible, however there stay important areas of uncertainty and we don’t want unintentionally to violate the legislation,” Richburg stated. “That is the context through which we determined to droop the awards … We explored a wide range of different choices, however couldn’t discover a possible method ahead.”
[…] “However we nonetheless have a powerful Press Freedom Committee, with myself and the membership vice-president as co-conveners, and we’ll proceed to talk out on press freedom points as acceptable,” he stated.
[…] “The FCC intends to proceed selling press freedom in Hong Kong, whereas recognising that latest developments may also require modifications to our strategy,” he stated. [Source]
The cancellation drew criticism from a number of HKFCC members. No less than eight members of the group’s Press Freedom Committee resigned in protest. One in every of them was impartial journalist Timothy McLaughlin, who said, “By censoring statements and ending the awards the membership just isn’t solely failing to uphold this mission however dangers getting used as a prop to maintain up the parable that issues in Hong Kong are carrying on as regular.” Theodora Yu from The Washington Put up described different crucial reactions:
Mary Hui, a reporter at Quartz and former Put up intern, was one among eight members who resigned from the press freedom committee on the Overseas Correspondents’ Membership on Monday. Hui referred to as the membership’s determination “regrettable and disappointing.”
“By canceling the awards, I feel we ship a reasonably worrying message that defending press freedom because the said mission of the Overseas Correspondents’ Membership is now not tenable,” Hui stated.
[…] Veteran documentary filmmaker Connie Lo, one of many adjudicators for 4 classes of the awards, stated the membership’s option to droop the awards is “an insult to the journalism business.”
“Many instances reporters needed to danger their lives to pursue their journalistic works,” Lo stated. “This 12 months’s awards holds a particular which means to journalists from information shops which have already disappeared.” [Source]
Final thought: in HK’s authoritarian period, how we use phrases to understand & mirror actuality is crucial. Nixing the press awards & censoring a press release on a colleague’s arrest whereas persevering with to profess a dedication to uphold press freedom is not reflective of the truth we dwell in
— Mary Hui (@maryhui) April 25, 2022
It’s an award that meant one thing not solely to Hong Kong however journalists throughout Asia who coated a number of the most consequential developments within the area final 12 months — from the Taliban’s return to energy in Afghanistan to the continued plight of the Uyghurs to, sure, Hong Kong
— Shibani Mahtani (@ShibaniMahtani) April 25, 2022
Additional to this, I’ve strongly advisable to the FCC president and its present board that we should always significantly rethink the position of the press freedom committee, and the membership as an entire. I consider it’s now not in a position to serve its core mission: to defend and promote the press
— Shibani Mahtani (@ShibaniMahtani) April 25, 2022
I additionally actually hope that one other establishment can step as much as take the baton from the @fcchk — significantly on the human rights press awards, which implies a lot to our regional journalism neighborhood. I can’t foresee the award coming again in its present type in Hong Kong.
— Shibani Mahtani (@ShibaniMahtani) April 25, 2022
Earlier than I resigned I learn the membership’s “core mission.” Immediately, once I went searching for it, I realised the web site had gotten a little bit of a facelift. pic.twitter.com/z0NFlhWI8E
— Timothy McLaughlin (@TMclaughlin3) April 25, 2022
HKFCC members knowledgeable the Hong Kong Free Press that the choice to cancel the awards stemmed partly from the truth that 9 recognitions—4 awards and 5 mentions—have been to be given to the now-defunct native outlet Stand Information. In late December, police raided Stand Information’ headquarters and arrested quite a few staff for allegedly publishing seditious materials, forcing the group to close down. Two weeks in the past, police additionally arrested Stand Information columnist Allan Au on sedition costs.
HKFP has obtained the checklist of prizes the now-defunct StandNews would have gained on the recently-axed Human Rights Press Awards.
Sources inform HKFP the wins led to the choice to axe the occasion, prompting board member Dan Strumpf to step down. In full: https://t.co/lc47PILph9 pic.twitter.com/iWxjZbRhjL
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) April 26, 2022
Going through comparable strain, the Hong Kong Journalists Affiliation (HKJA) held an extraordinary common assembly on Saturday to debate whether or not or to not disband. Members have been more and more anxious about their security within the face of authorities investigations and scrutiny by Safety Secretary Chris Tang, significantly after Au’s arrest and the concentrating on of Apple Every day, Stand Information, and Citizen Information. Not too long ago, the pro-CCP newspaper Ta Kung Pao revealed an opinion article titled “Dissolution is the one resolution for the HKJA,” and pro-Beijing lawmaker Edward Leung referred to as the HKJA “a suspected anti-China group that disrupts Hong Kong.” The Hong Kong Commonplace described HKJA chairman Ronson Chan Ron-sing’s deliberations over disbanding:
Talking on a radio program this morning, Chan stated the net assembly has mentioned whether or not the affiliation’s structure must be amended to permit the 54-year-old group to disband amid mounting political strain, with the choice presently requiring the consent of at the least five-sixths of the members, based on its structure.
He confirmed that the subject of disbandment got here up throughout the [Saturday general] assembly, however stated such a rushed determination shouldn’t be made by a minority of its members.
[…] Chan stated these in favor of disbanding the group took into consideration the hazard and dangers the group executives confronted, whereas these towards the choice famous the group’s historic worth to each the business and Hong Kong.
In the meantime, Chan confused it was “helpful” for the affiliation to face up and communicate out for the business when journalists have been being criticized for merely doing their job.
“Some individuals suppose there may be not a lot our affiliation can do, however it’s helpful for us to offer a good touch upon issues, particularly when our fellows have been being criticized for fulfilling their duties,” he stated. [Source]
Hong Kong journalists gained the “Asia award of Freedom” from Japan’s Press Awards of @fccjapan, a day after @fcchk cancelled the @HRPressAwards given #NSL dangers. @HKJA_Official chairperson Ronson Chan accepted the award on behalf of the journalists in Hong Kong: pic.twitter.com/6BntvqlEUt
— Jessie Pang (@JessiePang0125) April 26, 2022
On Sunday, Hong Kong’s sole chief government candidate John Lee said, “Freedom of the press all the time exists in Hong Kong. I feel there’s no want to make use of the phrase ‘defend’ as a result of it exists.” A brand new report by Hong Kong Watch—”Within the Firing Line: The Crackdown on Media Freedom in Hong Kong”—paints a really completely different image. Primarily based on interviews with Hong Kong journalists, the report paperwork how press freedom within the metropolis is “being dismantled.” Helen Davidson from The Guardian described the scope of the report and the distortion of data within the absence of a free press:
The working atmosphere for native and international journalists in Hong Kong has change into more and more tough, the report stated, detailing the widespread use of “lawfare” towards journalists – together with with the nationwide safety legislation – acts of intimidation and police violence, mass sackings, and authorities intervention or censorship of shops. It famous the redefinition by police of who constituted a journalist, the pending introduction of a pretend information legislation, and the criminalising of conventional analysis strategies.
[…] The report additionally detailed a number of acts of police violence towards journalists throughout the [2019 pro-democracy] protests, together with some which appeared focused.
[…] “Within the absence of pro-democracy media, it’s value pausing right here to think about the implications of the erosion of press freedom and the way it creates additional area for the pro-Beijing media,” the report stated, accusing the shops of “offering propaganda for the Chinese language Communist get together regime and the Hong Kong authorities, and threatening their critics, each in print and thru varied types of harassment.” [Source]
Earlier this month, a survey by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Analysis Institute (HKPORI) revealed that solely 28 p.c of respondents have been happy with Hong Kong’s press freedom, the bottom price since data started in 1997. In an extra signal of declining press freedom, HKPORI deputy-director Chung Kim-wah revealed that he fled Hong Kong Sunday evening on account of “threats from highly effective our bodies” and fears over crossing “shifting purple traces.” Chung was taken in for questioning by police in January of final 12 months when police raided his workplace for its involvement in an unofficial main. On Tuesday, a Hong Kong political cartoonist who goes by the pen title Ah To introduced on Instagram that he’s leaving the town over the dearth of freedom of expression. Kelly Ho from the Hong Kong Free Press reported on Ah To’s regretful departure:
The comedian artist, who has drawn satirical cartoons about native politics for 11 years, made the announcement on social media on Tuesday. He shared a drawing of one among his iconic characters standing in entrance of what gave the impression to be the London cityscape and stated he left as a result of he “needed to proceed creating for Hong Kong.”
[…] The artist has greater than 142,000 followers on Fb and 123,000 followers on Instagram. He’s recognized for being crucial of Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities and has produced work on varied controversial points, together with the nationwide safety legislation, the electoral overhaul and the 2019 unrest.
[…] In Tuesday’s submit, Ah To stated he had made the choice to go away Hong Kong in a rush and wouldn’t have time to bid farewell to his associates. He stated he felt “responsible” about his departure, including he would “communicate up for the unvoiced” and hoped Hong Kong’s historical past wouldn’t be left with “silence” sooner or later. [Source]
Doodle titled “Surgical procedure”, mourning the HK Alliance in Help of Patriotic Democratic Actions of China, based in 1989.
She’s stood tall for 30 years, however now the Goddess of Democracy’s torch of enlightenment is changed by a purple flag of nationalism.😩
Supply: TG/ IG ah_to_hk https://t.co/sEsstL09gW pic.twitter.com/ScA1TOnKGq
— Niao Collective (@NiaoCollective) September 9, 2021
“By no means Overlook… This Tyranny”
Immediately, we are going to mourn not simply the lives misplaced and goals shattered in Beijing 32 years in the past, but additionally the tip of HKer’s freedom to take action overtly. And like 32 years in the past, it is clear who’s accountable…
Supply: TG/ IG ah_to_hk pic.twitter.com/3oYKdmfR85
— Niao Collective (@NiaoCollective) June 4, 2021
“Police – residents cooperation” … solely ‘residents’ in query is the triad.
Supply: Instagram ah_to_hk (July 2019) pic.twitter.com/vBWdakVHzO
— Niao Collective (@NiaoCollective) April 26, 2022
The 鬥長命 on the tote worn by Ah-To’s mascot means ‘struggle to survive them’ 🥲
Aye. Drink extra water. Outlive all of them. We are going to discover a strategy to endure, at dwelling or in exile. 香港人 加油! pic.twitter.com/Ek4py7d0iC
— Niao Collective (@NiaoCollective) April 26, 2022
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