Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club renews call for independent inquiry into reports of police impeding journalists amid members’ criticism
- Dozens of members had signed petition asking why club was absent from journalists’ march on Sunday and slamming FCC’s ‘half-hearted’ response
- Club president Jodi Schneider says investigation into allegations police targeted journalists should be conducted by a neutral third party
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong (FCC) has renewed its call for an independent investigation into reports of journalists being impeded in covering the recent extradition bill protests amid criticisms from its members that the club has not been proactive enough in defending press freedom.
FCC president Jodi Schneider made the call as dozens of members signed a petition questioning the club’s absence from Sunday’s march against mistreatment of journalists by police, which was organised by seven media groups.
The city has witnessed a series of anti-bill protests over the past month, which soured relations between police and the public and left dozens injured, including journalists.
Schneider expressed concern about the allegations and video footage, which suggested that journalists – despite having clear press identification – were targeted by the police’s crowd control measures during the demonstrations.
“We are asking for a specific investigation to look into reports of press being impeded by the police when they covered the recent protests,” Schneider told the Post on Tuesday.
“The investigation should be conducted independently by a neutral third party – not a member of the police or the press.”
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Such an inquiry should look into the various allegations by interviewing different witnesses, she said, adding that this was particularly important since the protests are set to continue for some time.
Schneider emphasised that the media’s right to cover such protests free from intimidation was guaranteed by the city’s laws.
The renewed call for an independent inquiry, which was first made by the FCC on June 18, came after at least 1,500 journalists and their supporters staged a silent march on Sunday demanding that the police respect press freedom and not obstruct reporters from doing their jobs.
The march was co-organised by seven media groups, including the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) – but not the FCC.
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In a petition released on Tuesday, dozens of club members raised concerns over the FCC’s absence from the march, describing it as “the first time in its recent history”.
They said the FCC had only issued a “belated and half-hearted” statement to notify members of the march, adding that the documented cases of assaults had been described by board members as “insufficient evidence”.
“We wish to see proactive cooperation with the HKJA and other media organisations and a firm and public commitment given by the Board to respond rapidly to events as they unfold,” the petition read.
In response, Schneider said the club had supported – and would continue to support – the HKJA and other journalists’ organisations, but insisted it was important for the FCC to take its own stance.
“We are taking a very strong stance calling for an independent inquiry into accusations of police force against some members of the press,” she said.
Asked why the club had not joined in co-organising the march, Schneider said the FCC did send out a statement notifying people about it.
“It is a time of high emotions in Hong Kong, we are a journalists’ club and journalists have lots of different opinions. We support their right to have opinions about things” she said, adding the issue would be discussed at a board meeting on Saturday.
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The FCC was embroiled in controversy last August after it hosted a controversial talk by Andy Chan Ho-tin, convenor of the now-outlawed Hong Kong National Party, despite objections from the city’s government and Beijing.
Victor Mallet, a British journalist who chaired the talk, was subsequently effectively expelled by the government, which rejected his application to renew his work visa.
The now-suspended extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to mainland China and other jurisdictions which the city lacks a deal with, triggered an unprecedented political storm in Hong Kong, as angry protesters demanded it be fully withdrawn.
