#NationalSecurityLaw #Visa #ForeignMedia #PressFreedom
Hong Kong's Immigration Department Suspected of Delaying and Denying Foreign Correspondents' Visas

The Foreign Correspondents' Club (#FCC) released a statement on 6 August 2020, indicating that multiple foreign correspondents in Hong Kong were having their visa renewal applications delayed.

Sources close to the Immigration Department revealed to Stand News that visa applications for foreign correspondents have to be double-checked by the "National Security Section" which had only been established in late June, 2020.

No public announcement has been made concerning the "National Security Section". The special section is currently under the jurisdiction of a Chief Immigration Officer who belongs to the "Quality Migrants and Mainland Residents Section" (#QMMR).

Sources said that the QMMR's office is located on the 6/F of the Immigration Headquarters, but that the officer working for the "National Security Section" does not work at that office. The Immigration Department Organisation Chart also had no mention of such an officer.

Sources also claimed that the Immigration Department had used technical reasons to hinder foreign correspondents' visa applications. For example, for a correspondent who had applied for a visa in 2018 with the status of an editor, were he/she found to have reported on the recent protests, the Immigration Department could delay or deny the application, citing the reason that their title reported and their current job are not consistent.

When processing the application, the Immigration Department also checked the correspondents' MPF (Mandatory Pension Fund) and wage records. Source said, "This wasn't necessary before. The guide on the [government's] website didn't state that it was necessary." However, the Immigration Department claimed that the check was to ensure that said media worker was really conducting regular work in Hong Kong. If it was found that the person was not paid for a few months, the authorities could claim that "the person does not no need to work in Hong Kong. Anyway, they are just making up excuses."

Source: Stand News #Aug12
#ImmigrationDepartment #FailedState

Foreign Media Reporters Slammed for Obstructing Beijing Winter Olympics Coverage: Stalking, Harassment, and Reprimands

Foreign media reporters based in China issued a statement on 2 November, accusing the Chinese government of "constantly blocking" foreign media from covering Beijing Winter Olympics-related events, including denying or ignoring requests to cover the event, as well as stalking, harassing, bullying and making things difficult for reporters with almost impossible-to-reach epidemic prevention requirements.

The Guardian reported on 2 November that the Foreign Correspondents' Club in China (FCCC) issued a sternly worded statement on Twitter accusing the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Winter Olympics of failing to uphold the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s charter requirement to adequately ensure media coverage of the Games for a global audience, “Our members have repeatedly asked (the Beijing Winter Games Organizing Committee) how the international media can cover the Games, but have been met with conflicting answers or have been completely ignored.”

The Beijing Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place next February. The statement said that in the past year, most of the FCCC reporters were unable to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics press conference or related events, while domestic Chinese reporters were allowed to cover the event; many of the dates of the press conference were not announced in advance or were announced only a few hours before the press conference. Foreign journalists were denied access to the event because the Beijing Olympic Winter Games Organizing Committee limited their participation to selected media outlets, announced that the number of participants was full, or requested that participants submit their COVID-19 test results within a few hours, which was almost impossible.

Source: LibertyTimesNet #Nov03

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.ltn.com.tw/amp/news/world/breakingnews/3724243

#China #Beijing #ForeignMedia #BeijingOlympicWinterGames #BeijingWinterGamesOrganizingCommittee #InternationalOlympicCommittee #IOC #ForeignCorrespondentsClubinChina #FCCC #TheGuardian