On March 13 the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) delivered a letter to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong H.E. Leung Chun-Ying co-signed by 55 international human rights and media organisations. It calls on Mr Leung to take immediate steps to protect freedom of expression and defend press freedoms.
The letter includes a catalogue of press freedom violationsthat have occurred between June 2013 and February 2014, including the brutal attack with a cleaver on former Ming Pao chief editor Kevin Lau on 26 February 2014.
The global signature campaign was initiated by the IFJ Asia Pacific through IFEX, the global network of organisations unified in defending and promoting free expression and culminated on March 7. The 55 international organisations included Reporters without Boarders, Freedom House, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers and the World Press Freedom Committee (see full list below).
The letter was delivered yesterday to both Leung Chun-Ying, Chief Executive of Hong Kong and Andy Tsang, Hong Kong’s Commissioner of Police.
“That such a large number and vast array of international organisations have added their weight to this campaign shows the groundswell of concern around the world about diminishing press freedoms in Hong Kong,” said the IFJ Asia-Pacific’s deputy director, Jane Worthington.
The IFJ-HKJA letter calls on Leung Chun-Ying to honour his promise to defend press freedom and enact Freedom of Information legislation.
“Leung Chun-Ying has repeatedly claimed that he and his government place great importance on press freedom. According to Article 27 of the Basic Law, which functions as the constitution of Hong Kong, the territory's residents enjoy press freedom. In addition, Section 16 of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance says that Hong Kong enjoys freedom of opinion and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is in effect in Hong Kong by virtue of the Bill of Rights Ordinance and Article 39 of the Basic Law,” the letter states.
“Sadly, the Hong Kong government and the Chief Executive have not fully upheld these rights and Mr Leung has failed to honour the HKJA charter that he signed in 2012, namely to defend press freedom and play an active role in implementing a freedom of information law (See page 2 of the 2013 HKJA annual report).”
“The IFJ alongside the HKJA call on the Chief Executive to make a public statement affirming that he will address the concerns of the international media community and honour his pledge to defend a free media in Hong Kong,” Worthington said.
Read the letter here:
IFEX members call on Hong Kong Chief Executive to honour press freedom.pdf
The list of co-signed organisations:
Hong Kong Journalists Association
International Federation of Journalists
Adil Soz - International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech
Afghanistan Journalists Center
Aliansi Jurnalis Independen/Alliance of Independent Journalists
Association of Caribbean Media Workers
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Cartoonists Rights Network International
Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
Center for Media Studies & Peace Building
Committee to Protect Journalists
Freedom Forum
Freedom House
Independent Journalism Center - Moldova
Index on Censorship
Initiative for Freedom of Expression - Turkey
Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information
International Press Institute
International Publishers Association
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
Media Watch
National Union of Somali Journalists
Pacific Islands News Association
Pakistan Press Foundation
Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms - MADA
PEN International
Reporters Without Borders
Southeast Asian Press Alliance
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers
World Press Freedom Committee
All About Media (論盡媒體)
Alliance of the Guard of Canadian Values
All India Newspaper Employees Federation (AINEF)
Andhra Pradesh Journalists Union (APJU)
Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)
Association of Taiwan Journalists
Canada-Hong Kong Link
Federation of Overseas Hong Kong Chinese, District of Columbia (FOHKC-DC) (華盛顿海外香港華人聯會)
Giang Dang, Center for Community Support and Development Studies (CECODES)
Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles
Hong Kong In-Media
Independent Chinese Pen Center (獨立中文筆會)
The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)
ITUC/GUF Hong Kong Liaison Office (IHLO)
Juned Sonido, Baratillo.net
Malaysiakini
Media Association Blong Vanuatu
Movement for Democracy in China (Calgary)
National Union of Journalist Malaysia (NUJM)
National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia
Next Media Trade Union
New School for Democracy (華人民主書院)
New Zealand EPMU
The Norwegian Union of Journalists (Norsk Journalistlag)
Taiwan Society for Democracy (華人民主文化協會)
Toronto Association for Democracy in China
UNI Asia & Pacific
Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement (VSSDM)
心語(自由亞洲電台記者)
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2 9333 0950
The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries
Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific