HK Media Facing Harassment, Threats

Dozens of journalists have been intimidated and harassed

In what the Hong Kong Journalists Association describes as a 'systematic attack against media workers", the group says dozens of journalists in the city are being harassed, as well as their family members, employers, neighbours and landlords.

Reporters from at least 13 outlets, such as Hong Kong Free Press, InMedia, and HK Feature have been targeted through emails and letters containing defamatory content sent to their home addresses, workplaces and other venues.

Cheng said threats interfered with press freedom

HKJA's chair Selina Cheng condemned the harassment as "a serious interference with press freedom", and said the matter had been reported to the police.

"Since June, self-proclaimed 'patriots' have sent anonymous complaints by email or letter to at least 15 journalists' family members and their family members' employers, landlords and related organisations, including charities, schools and private businesses," she said.

"The format of each email or letter is similar but tailored to the different identities and characteristics of a given organisation or individual."

Cheng said many of the letters and emails warned recipients that if they continued to associate with the journalists in question or their family members, they could be violating the domestic national security law.

"Since at least August, users of several private Facebook groups have also posted hateful content against certain media outlets and journalists, portraying legitimate reporting as problematic or illegal, and baselessly accusing articles of being inflammatory," Cheng said.

"According to HKJA's investigation, at least 36 journalists were identified in these Facebook posts, from multiple different outlets, education institutions and the HKJA itself."

Cheuk was unaware of harassment

Some of the messages included threats of violence and death threats.

It is unclear how the journalists' private contact information was found, though the HKJA suspects personal data had been leaked from "government or other private databases" and urged law enforcement agencies to launch and investigation.

Cheng said she too was a victim, with employers of her family members receiving letters containing accusations and false claims about her in late July.

Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip said he had not heard about the harassment and doxxing raised by the HKJA, but stated Hong Kong was a city that followed the rule of law.

"Any individual should be free from threats, free from fear and free from harassment," he said. "So if any individual, irrespective of who you are, if you are receiving such threats and harassment, please come out and report [it]."

He did not believe the association's claim that personal data had been leaked, or that the city's press freedom had further eroded.

Meanwhile the police force spokesman said: "Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law. If members of the public suspect that they are being intimidated or harassed, they should report the case to the Police. Police will handle each case in accordance with the law and actual circumstances."

The Day After June 4

A Porsche escorted by police as its plates have "8964" on them

This weekend in Hong Kong saw many arrests (and releases) of people testing what they could and couldn't do to commemorate June 4.

They could not hold up candles -- even unlit ones -- nor books or flowers. Not even a license plate that happens to be 8964.

Punters trying "8964" combination bets

But they can gamble.

Punters at the Sha Tin Racecourse yesterday made quartet bets using various combinations of 4, 6, 8, 9. That said there is no word on if they won or not.

But we'll take it as a win.

The other big win was today, June 5 in Hong Kong.

Bao Choy Yuk-ling, the freelance producer for RTHK's Hong Kong Connection, where she did investigative reporting on the July 21, 2019 attacks on commuters at Yuen Long Station by men in white shirts armed with long sticks. 

There was video footage of the men being transported by vans and showed the license plates. So she went to the Transport Department to trace the license plates to the owners. However, the form did not have an option for journalism or investigative purposes.

As a result the magistrate found Choy guilty of misstating her intention in obtaining the license plate information and was fined HK$6,000 (US$770). 

She appealed all the way to the Court of Final Appeal which today ruled journalism was a valid reason for her to access the official records.

Choy all smiles outside Court of Final Appeal

"The issues of falsity and knowledge were wrongly decided against the appellant because her journalistic investigation into the use of the vehicle on the dates in question did fall into the wide catchall category of 'other traffic and transport related matters'," the judgment read.

Even if it did not, it was 'not an irresistible inference that she knew that to be false," the judgment said. There was no reason that "bona fide journalism" should be excluded from the phrase," it added.

Choy had big smiles outside of the Court of Final Appeal, a stark contrast to when she was convicted in April 2021.

Before the judgment she said: "Over the last few years, we might have found that many things have disappeared quietly," Choy said. "But I believe our beliefs in our hearts can't be taken away that easily. No matter I win or lose today, the persistence [demonstrated]... is already a meaningful thing."

There to celebrate the win was former Hong Kong Journalists Association chair Sham Yee-lan who hugged Choy. 

"This is real happy Hong Kong," Sham said, referring to the current tourism campaign. 

Indeed. The courts are still defending press freedom.

It's a good day.