Hong Kong’s press freedom hits record low, amid fears of uncertainty over national security law
- Press freedom in the city is the worst in 30 years, Hong Kong Journalists Association chairman Chris Yeung says
- He hopes the Hong Kong government will assure that the security law will not be used against reporters
Press freedom in the city has dropped to a record low, according to a survey by the Hong Kong Journalists Association, while its chairman raised fears the newly enacted national security law could further restrict the media and reporters.
The warning came as new regulations giving police sweeping powers – from raiding premises without a court warrant to ordering internet firms to remove content or seize their equipment – were announced on Monday, after the first meeting of a committee set up to oversee the enforcement of the law.
“The state of press freedom in Hong Kong is the worst I’ve seen in 30 years. I think all of us reporters feel it is getting harder to breathe,” the association’s chairman Chris Yeung Kin-hing said at the release of its annual report on Tuesday.
The report included the Hong Kong Journalists Association Press Freedom Index 2019.
Virtually all protections for free speech and free press are meaningless
The index is divided into two scores – from journalists and the general public – based on surveys conducted by the association between January and March this year.