Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Hong Kong authorities to protect journalists covering protests, which are increasingly targeted by the police and mafia gangs.
While four new attacks on journalists took place in the North Point district last Sunday , Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Hong Kong authorities to end the violence against the media. In the past two months, many journalists covering anti-extradition protests have been victims of intimidation and physical violence by police and pro-Beijing gangs (see chronological order below).
Violence against journalists is now routine and clearly aims to dissuade to cover the protests , says Cedric Alviani, director of the Asia desk of Eastern Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which urges the Hong Kong authorities to ” end the violence against the press and open an independent inquiry into past brutality. “
The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club (FCCHK) today sent a letter to Hong Kong Police Commissioner Lo Wai Chung, Stephen expressing concern over the recent violence.
Since early June, Hong Kong has been the scene of massive protests against a bill that would allow the authorities to extradite residents or visitors to China, including journalists and their sources. Two weeks ago, RSF sent to Carrie Lam, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Executive, five proposals to restore full freedom of the press in Hong Kong.
In the RSF Freedom of the Press Ranking , the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China dropped from 18th in 2002 to 73rd this year. China, for its part, is ranked 177th out of 180.
Two months of violence
- August 11, 2019: Two journalists from Radio Television Hong Kong(RTHK) and the Ming Pao newspaper were assaulted by a pro-Beijing mafia group in the North Point neighborhood, while two journalists from RTHK and Stand News were the subject of insults and threats.
- August 6, 2019: A mafia group dressed in white and armed with clubs attacked an online media photographer HK01 in the Tsuen Wan neighborhood.
- August 5, 2019: In the neighborhood of Sham Shui Po, a journalism student lost consciousness after being hit by a tear gas canister fired by police. In the Wong Tai Sin district, a reporter for Sing Tao Daily was shot in the face.
- July 21, 2019: Four journalists working for Apple Daily , Stand Newsand Now News are among the 45 people seriously injured in a large-scale attack perpetrated at Yuen Long subway station by an armed gangster gangster dressed in white.
- July 7, 2019: In the Mongkok neighborhood, police verbally and physically assaulted three journalists working for Apple Daily , HK01 and Metro Radio .
- July 1, 2019: Unknown gunmen broke into the offices of Independent Radio Citizens’ Radio and vandalized the equipment in front of staff.
- June 30, 2019: During a police support rally in the district of Admiralty, journalists from South China Morning Post (SCMP) of Stand News of HK01 , the daily Ta Kung Paoand Next Magazine have been insulted and kicked .
- June 12, 2019: More than 12 cases of violence against the press were recorded in the Admiralty district, including 10 cases of police firing tear gas at close range.
Copyright ©2016, Reporters Without Borders. Reprinted with the permission of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), CS 90247 75083 Paris Cedex 02 https://rsf.org
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