Police violence sparks call to reform mainland media system

The mainland should abolish its accreditation system for Hong Kong journalists, two news associations say, after media workers covering the anti-Japanese protests suffered violence at the hands of the police.

The Hong Kong Press Photographers Association and the Hong Kong Journalists Association issued a joint statement after hearing that five journalists were either detained or beaten up by mainland officials while doing their jobs at the weekend.

While many Hongkongers opted not to get press permits to cover news on the mainland, under the current accreditation system they would be classified as "illegal" workers.

Hong Kong Journalists Association chairwoman Mak Yin-ting warned this meant their rights could be in jeopardy if they were discovered.

"The only way to protect press freedom is for the mainland authorities to scrap the accreditation system for those covering breaking news," the statement read. "This is an era when anyone can be a journalist and raise a camera to take a picture."

The associations also urged Hong Kong media outlets to speak up for their employees.