Hong Kong media should quell talk of independence, by-election hopeful Chan Hoi-yan says, insisting Victor Mallet case has nothing to do with press freedom
- Former television anchor says there is ‘insufficient evidence’ of threat to journalistic freedom
- Local media should make clear there is no room for discussion of city’s independence, she adds
Despite coming under fire for similar comments made after the Victor Mallet saga erupted earlier this month, Chan, who has been endorsed by the pro-establishment bloc to contest a by-election in Kowloon West next month, was adamant there was “insufficient evidence” to suggest the incident had threatened the city’s press freedom.
While the Immigration Department has refused to explain its decision not to renew the Financial Times journalist’s work visa, the move was linked to Mallet’s chairing of a controversial talk at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) in August featuring separatist Andy Chan Ho-tin. Mallet was the acting president of the press club at the time.
“I have been defending press freedom as a journalist for 15 years. But apart from press freedom, what I also learned from journalism was fact-finding,” Chan said during a two-hour election forum on Commercial Radio. “I would not stir up fear before sufficient evidence emerges.”
Chan said there was no sign of the city’s press freedom being in danger given how both broadcast and print media had been able to run wide coverage of the Mallet saga.