On May 4, radio talk-show host Albert Cheng King-hon left Hong Kong on extended leave from his popular programme, Teacup in a Storm. Then on May 13, another popular political commentator, Wong Yuk-man, quit his show, Close Encounter of the Political Kind. And yesterday, Allen Lee Peng-fei, who had taken over from Cheng two weeks ago, also quit Teacup, raising serious questions about freedom of speech. Responding to Lee's resignation, acting chief secretary Michael Suen Ming-yeung vowed that press freedom would be protected. However, both Cheng and Wong's farewell messages left the public with the uncomfortable feeling that they had been silenced by political pressure.
Cheng said the current political environment was 'suffocating' and claimed he had received 'threats of violence'. Wong said some people from the 'left wing' and 'business' world had told him to 'talk less'. He said someone had offered him money to stop hosting his radio show. Cheng's office and Wong's noodle shop were splashed with red paint, a traditional warning from triads, while Wong was assaulted by thugs in March.
Cheng's show had the highest morning ratings, and Wong hosted the most-listened-to evening programme. Their voices became a part of Hong Kong life after their media careers took off in the 1990s, when they co-hosted a television show making public affairs interesting for the average person. Their irreverence and political incorrectness became their hallmarks.
At the same time that the two Commercial Radio commentators went off the air, Ng Chi-sum - who hosts the government-funded RTHK's morning phone-in programme, Open Lines, Open Views - was moved to a less-popular slot. It came after he was critical of Beijing's decision to rule out universal suffrage in elections in 2007 and 2008. RTHK denied that the decision was taken due to political pressure.
Critics of Cheng and Wong say that their views were often unreasonable and their comments were unfair and politically biased. Having been the subject of their tirades, I have a few gripes, too - but that is not the point here. How can one expect a political commentator not to have his own political views? As to whether the views are reasonable, we must remember that freedom of speech is about tolerating opinions, even if we disagree with them. The issue here is that the men felt political pressure because of their views, and it appears that they were warned by powerful people. Both linked Beijing to their troubles.
In another incident, it has been reported that people who do business on the mainland are being pressured not to vote for pro-democracy candidates in the September Legislative Council election. In one case, a businessman was asked to provide a list of 100 Hong Kong voters, along with their phone numbers. In another, a caller to a phone-in programme said his company superior had asked him to vote for pro-Beijing candidates and to make sure that he did, he was asked to take a picture of his completed ballot form with his mobile phone camera.
