Police use of media interviews in National Party crackdown ‘casts a shadow’ over freedom of speech in Hong Kong, Journalists Association warns
Hong Kong Journalists Association says it is worried that by citing media interviews as evidence in pro-independence party clampdown, some media outlets may think twice before publishing
The Hong Kong Journalists Association warned on Sunday that the police force’s use of press interviews as evidence to crack down on a pro-independence political party could lead to media censorship.
The association’s chairman, Chris Yeung Kin-hing, also said Beijing’s emphasis of “one country” over “two systems” is a knife hanging over Hong Kong that hinders the city’s political development.
He was referring to the “one country, two systems” principle under which Hong Kong has a high degree of autonomy from Chinese rule.
“Freedom of speech in Hong Kong has tightened, which in turn has had an inevitable impact on the freedom of the press in the city,” Yeung said.
He made the remarks on Sunday as his association released a report called “Candle in the wind – national security law looms over diminishing freedom”. The report contains five chapters analysing freedom of the press and of speech in the city.