#PressFreedom
Press control in #Belarus: Press Cards of Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse Revoked; Award-winning Swedish Journalist Expelled
The anti-govenment demonstrations in Belarus continued. There were many protests and human chains formed in various districts. However, the local government started to restrict news reporters last week, detaining almost 50 reporters who worked at the demonstration site. The reporters from Associated Press, Reuters, AFP Reuters and other foreign media have their press cards cancelled.
According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (#BAJ), the local police detained nearly 50 journalists on 27 August 2020, including many well-known foreign media. Their documents were checked and four of them were detained for refusing to hand over their smartphones for inspection. They were accused of organizing illegal demonstrations and must be detained until they are brought to the court. Meanwhile, Swedish journalist, Paul Hansen, who won the World Press Photo Contest Award was deported. He was banned from entering the country for five years.
Until yesterday, the actions of local government which limited news reporting were expanded. At least 17 people’s press cards were cancelled, including the reporters from Associated Press, Reuters, AFP Reuters, BBC and US Congress-funded Radio Liberty. The Radio France International (#RFI) quoted Anatoly Glaz, an official of the Belarusian Ministry of foreign Affairs, that the relevant decision was made in response to anti-terrorism and anti-extremist forces.
BBC and the Associated Press issued a statement of condemnation. The US embassy in the local area also issued a statement, showing concerns that journalists are being unfairly targeted. Attempts on supressing freedom of press, opposition voices and detaining citizens who exercise freedom of assembly and speech were not supported. Dominic Raab, the British Foreign Minister, also condemned the authorities for suppressing press freedom and demanded to stop targeting journalists.
The anti-government demonstrations in Belarus started last month. Citizens protested for the president election result and police brutality. They claimed that the president, Alexander Lukashenko, had manipulated the election. Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said that they have reserved police force to intervene for the situation in Belarus when necessary, but there is no such need as of now.
Source: Stand News #Aug30
#BelarusianAssociationJournalists #AFP #Reuters #AP #MediaControl
Press control in #Belarus: Press Cards of Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse Revoked; Award-winning Swedish Journalist Expelled
The anti-govenment demonstrations in Belarus continued. There were many protests and human chains formed in various districts. However, the local government started to restrict news reporters last week, detaining almost 50 reporters who worked at the demonstration site. The reporters from Associated Press, Reuters, AFP Reuters and other foreign media have their press cards cancelled.
According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (#BAJ), the local police detained nearly 50 journalists on 27 August 2020, including many well-known foreign media. Their documents were checked and four of them were detained for refusing to hand over their smartphones for inspection. They were accused of organizing illegal demonstrations and must be detained until they are brought to the court. Meanwhile, Swedish journalist, Paul Hansen, who won the World Press Photo Contest Award was deported. He was banned from entering the country for five years.
Until yesterday, the actions of local government which limited news reporting were expanded. At least 17 people’s press cards were cancelled, including the reporters from Associated Press, Reuters, AFP Reuters, BBC and US Congress-funded Radio Liberty. The Radio France International (#RFI) quoted Anatoly Glaz, an official of the Belarusian Ministry of foreign Affairs, that the relevant decision was made in response to anti-terrorism and anti-extremist forces.
BBC and the Associated Press issued a statement of condemnation. The US embassy in the local area also issued a statement, showing concerns that journalists are being unfairly targeted. Attempts on supressing freedom of press, opposition voices and detaining citizens who exercise freedom of assembly and speech were not supported. Dominic Raab, the British Foreign Minister, also condemned the authorities for suppressing press freedom and demanded to stop targeting journalists.
The anti-government demonstrations in Belarus started last month. Citizens protested for the president election result and police brutality. They claimed that the president, Alexander Lukashenko, had manipulated the election. Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said that they have reserved police force to intervene for the situation in Belarus when necessary, but there is no such need as of now.
Source: Stand News #Aug30
#BelarusianAssociationJournalists #AFP #Reuters #AP #MediaControl
立場新聞 Stand News
白羅斯限制新聞採訪 美聯、路透、法新社等外媒被撤記者證 驅逐得奬瑞典記者出境 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞
白羅斯反政府示威持續，多個地區有抗爭活動，又有婦女組成人鏈，但當地政府上周起限制記者採訪，一度拘留近 50 名...
Attacks on media coverage of protests increase worldwide. UNESCO: Police don’t have to fear punishment.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released a report on Monday, stating that violence against journalists covering protests has risen sharply across the world, mainly due to police not fear of punishment. The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, urged governments to take positive steps to ensure the safety of journalists at work.
UNESCO monitoring media development stated that journalists attacked, arrested and even killed in 21 protests around the world between January and June this year were just the tip of the iceberg. The report pointed to “a wide upward trend in the use of unlawful force by police and security forces over the past five years”.
According to a report investigated protests in study 65 countries, at least 10 journalists were killed during protests, and there were 125 instances of attacks on, or arrests of journalists who worked in Syria, Mexico, Israel, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Nigeria and Iraq. “Hundreds of journalists around the world trying to cover protests have been harassed, assaulted, intimidated, arrested, put under surveillance and kidnapped and their work equipment have been destroyed, “ mentioned in the report.
The report stated that the police and security forces carried out most of the attacks. "The police use of non-lethal ammunition such as rubber bullets and pepper bullets has injured dozens of journalists, and some lost their eyes." Police don’t fear to attack reporters. Impunity has continued to be the norm in recent years."
#UNESCO #PoliceBrutality #ViolenceAgainstJounalists #AFP
Source：Appledaily #Sep15
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200915/MOUCF7VSHFAJFBTS6AGJEM4VEA/
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released a report on Monday, stating that violence against journalists covering protests has risen sharply across the world, mainly due to police not fear of punishment. The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, urged governments to take positive steps to ensure the safety of journalists at work.
UNESCO monitoring media development stated that journalists attacked, arrested and even killed in 21 protests around the world between January and June this year were just the tip of the iceberg. The report pointed to “a wide upward trend in the use of unlawful force by police and security forces over the past five years”.
According to a report investigated protests in study 65 countries, at least 10 journalists were killed during protests, and there were 125 instances of attacks on, or arrests of journalists who worked in Syria, Mexico, Israel, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Nigeria and Iraq. “Hundreds of journalists around the world trying to cover protests have been harassed, assaulted, intimidated, arrested, put under surveillance and kidnapped and their work equipment have been destroyed, “ mentioned in the report.
The report stated that the police and security forces carried out most of the attacks. "The police use of non-lethal ammunition such as rubber bullets and pepper bullets has injured dozens of journalists, and some lost their eyes." Police don’t fear to attack reporters. Impunity has continued to be the norm in recent years."
#UNESCO #PoliceBrutality #ViolenceAgainstJounalists #AFP
Source：Appledaily #Sep15
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200915/MOUCF7VSHFAJFBTS6AGJEM4VEA/
Australia Hiring Additional Mandarin-speaking Manpower For “Foreign Intervention Cases”
The relation between China and Australia remains tense. In an interview from The Australian, the Chief of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Reece Kershaw stated that they would be hiring more Mandarin-speaking staff to handle foreign interference cases. Besides, he said that the AFP was also hiring some language graduates and Chinese-Australians for these “new and complex” cases.
Besides the transnational or organised crime, the AFP also needs to handle the missions of protecting national safety. Facing the intensified conflict between China and Australia, “We are facing the well-trained high-tech people… the challenge for such criminals is how to bring intelligence to evidence.” said Kershaw, who had just been the Chief for a year in the interview by The Australian.
He stated that there were 65 detectives in charge with foreign intervention at the moment but that AFP still had inadequate in detectives who know Chinese. As a result, he would continue to employ related staff, “Our team needs to be more diverse, similar to the Australia society, but we are not there yet”.
Kershaw disclosed that he asked the FBI for assistance last year, the bureau provided detailed training materials for the federal police, to help with the investigation which involving the crimes of violations of the Foreign Intervention Law passed in 2018. Among them, there was a joint action between the AFP and NSW police, raided Labour MP Shaoquett Moselmane and his office part-time assistance John Zhang involving in the Chinese Communist Party’s infiltration incident. Zhang was even accused of participating in the CCP’s united front training in 2013, hiding his identity from his boss, and influencing his boss wit improper means.
Source from: Stand News #Oct01
https://bit.ly/3dd2ar6
#CCP #China #Australia #AFP #ReeceKershaw #TheAustralian #Mandarin
The relation between China and Australia remains tense. In an interview from The Australian, the Chief of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Reece Kershaw stated that they would be hiring more Mandarin-speaking staff to handle foreign interference cases. Besides, he said that the AFP was also hiring some language graduates and Chinese-Australians for these “new and complex” cases.
Besides the transnational or organised crime, the AFP also needs to handle the missions of protecting national safety. Facing the intensified conflict between China and Australia, “We are facing the well-trained high-tech people… the challenge for such criminals is how to bring intelligence to evidence.” said Kershaw, who had just been the Chief for a year in the interview by The Australian.
He stated that there were 65 detectives in charge with foreign intervention at the moment but that AFP still had inadequate in detectives who know Chinese. As a result, he would continue to employ related staff, “Our team needs to be more diverse, similar to the Australia society, but we are not there yet”.
Kershaw disclosed that he asked the FBI for assistance last year, the bureau provided detailed training materials for the federal police, to help with the investigation which involving the crimes of violations of the Foreign Intervention Law passed in 2018. Among them, there was a joint action between the AFP and NSW police, raided Labour MP Shaoquett Moselmane and his office part-time assistance John Zhang involving in the Chinese Communist Party’s infiltration incident. Zhang was even accused of participating in the CCP’s united front training in 2013, hiding his identity from his boss, and influencing his boss wit improper means.
Source from: Stand News #Oct01
https://bit.ly/3dd2ar6
#CCP #China #Australia #AFP #ReeceKershaw #TheAustralian #Mandarin
Opinions of China low
Canadians continue to feel positive about its Asia-Pacific neighbours – with one significant exception, an Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada national poll (AFP) has revealed.
The exception is China.
The country, increasingly defiant of the West in areas ranging from Hong Kong, the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Huawei 5G networks to the Meng Wanzhou arrest, the detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and the origins of COVID-19, now scores only a 3.6 out of 10 in terms of favourability.
“Canadians clearly hold the view that Canada must move forward in Asia, but in a way that upholds our core values, respects human rights and sustainability, and provides economic benefits to all Canadians,” Beck said.
Soruce: Castanet #Nov27
https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/317690/Canadians-embrace-Asia-Pacific-neighbours-except-China-poll
#AFP #Canada #China #AsiaPacific
Canadians continue to feel positive about its Asia-Pacific neighbours – with one significant exception, an Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada national poll (AFP) has revealed.
The exception is China.
The country, increasingly defiant of the West in areas ranging from Hong Kong, the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Huawei 5G networks to the Meng Wanzhou arrest, the detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and the origins of COVID-19, now scores only a 3.6 out of 10 in terms of favourability.
“Canadians clearly hold the view that Canada must move forward in Asia, but in a way that upholds our core values, respects human rights and sustainability, and provides economic benefits to all Canadians,” Beck said.
Soruce: Castanet #Nov27
https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/317690/Canadians-embrace-Asia-Pacific-neighbours-except-China-poll
#AFP #Canada #China #AsiaPacific
Castanet
Opinions of China low
Canadians continue to feel positive about its Asia-Pacific neighbours – with one significant exception, an Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada national poll (AFP) has revealed.
#Newspaper
#AppleDaily Arrests Make Headlines Across the World: "Blatant Attack on Journalism", "Silencing All Dissent"
News of national security arrests of #AppleDaily senior staff on June 17, 2021 in Hong Kong has been widely reported by mainstream news outlets across the world.
On June 18, 2021, the Hong Kong police presses charges on the newspaper's editor-in-chief #RayLaw and #NextDigital CEO #CheungKimHung.
The two are mentioned in court on June 19, 2021.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30148
Below are excerpts from several news reports, in addition to other news media from Europe, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and more.
====
#BBCNews:
//Police entered the Apple Daily office premises at around 07:30 local time on Thursday (23:30 GMT Wednesday) and blocked off all entrances and exits.
Police said in a statement that they conducted a search operation at a media company, adding that their warrant "covered the power of searching and seizure of journalistic materials".
The police separately visited the homes of editor-in-chief Ryan Law, parent company Next Digital's CEO Cheung Kim-hung, COO Chow Tat-kuen, Apple Daily publisher Chan Pui-man and Director Cheung Chi-wai, and arrested them.
Police did not name those arrested but confirmed that the five people, aged between 47 and 63, were arrested for "collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security".//
Full article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57507256
=====
#AssociatedPress
//In an apparent show of force, more than 200 police officers were involved in the search of Apple Daily’s offices.
Police also froze 18 million Hong Kong dollars ($2.3 million) in assets belonging to three companies linked to Apple Daily, said Li Kwai-wah, a senior superintendent at Hong Kong’s National Security Department.
Trading in shares of Next Digital was halted Thursday morning at the request of the company, according to filings with the Hong Kong stock exchange.
[Hong Kong Journalists Association Chairman Chris Yeung] said that the court warrant that allowed police to search the offices of Apple Daily had undermined journalists’ ability to protect their materials, a vital part of upholding press freedom.//
Full article:
https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-arrests-business-97e0fbed611073be258763dcf80c4b7f
=====
#AFP
//The arrests are the latest police operation targeting the popular tabloid that has unapologetically supported the financial hub's pro-democracy movement.
It is the second raid on Apple Daily in less than a year.//
Full Article:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210617-hong-kong-police-raid-pro-democracy-newspaper-apple-daily-arrest-five
#PressFreedom #PoliceState #Censorship #PoliticalProsecution
Image: Stand News
https://bit.ly/3q9AmdJ
#AppleDaily Arrests Make Headlines Across the World: "Blatant Attack on Journalism", "Silencing All Dissent"
News of national security arrests of #AppleDaily senior staff on June 17, 2021 in Hong Kong has been widely reported by mainstream news outlets across the world.
On June 18, 2021, the Hong Kong police presses charges on the newspaper's editor-in-chief #RayLaw and #NextDigital CEO #CheungKimHung.
The two are mentioned in court on June 19, 2021.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30148
Below are excerpts from several news reports, in addition to other news media from Europe, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and more.
====
#BBCNews:
//Police entered the Apple Daily office premises at around 07:30 local time on Thursday (23:30 GMT Wednesday) and blocked off all entrances and exits.
Police said in a statement that they conducted a search operation at a media company, adding that their warrant "covered the power of searching and seizure of journalistic materials".
The police separately visited the homes of editor-in-chief Ryan Law, parent company Next Digital's CEO Cheung Kim-hung, COO Chow Tat-kuen, Apple Daily publisher Chan Pui-man and Director Cheung Chi-wai, and arrested them.
Police did not name those arrested but confirmed that the five people, aged between 47 and 63, were arrested for "collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security".//
Full article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57507256
=====
#AssociatedPress
//In an apparent show of force, more than 200 police officers were involved in the search of Apple Daily’s offices.
Police also froze 18 million Hong Kong dollars ($2.3 million) in assets belonging to three companies linked to Apple Daily, said Li Kwai-wah, a senior superintendent at Hong Kong’s National Security Department.
Trading in shares of Next Digital was halted Thursday morning at the request of the company, according to filings with the Hong Kong stock exchange.
[Hong Kong Journalists Association Chairman Chris Yeung] said that the court warrant that allowed police to search the offices of Apple Daily had undermined journalists’ ability to protect their materials, a vital part of upholding press freedom.//
Full article:
https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-arrests-business-97e0fbed611073be258763dcf80c4b7f
=====
#AFP
//The arrests are the latest police operation targeting the popular tabloid that has unapologetically supported the financial hub's pro-democracy movement.
It is the second raid on Apple Daily in less than a year.//
Full Article:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210617-hong-kong-police-raid-pro-democracy-newspaper-apple-daily-arrest-five
#PressFreedom #PoliceState #Censorship #PoliticalProsecution
Image: Stand News
https://bit.ly/3q9AmdJ
Telegram
📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Sports
#Taiwan Will Not Participate in Gay Games hosted by Hong Kong due to the #NationalSecurityLaw
Hong Kong successfully applied for hosting the Gay Games in 2022. It is the first time for the game to be held in Asia.
However, the Taiwan Gay Sports and Movement Association (#TGSMA) issued a statement, pointing out that due to possible China's intervention, the TGSMA would not participate in the Gay Games unless Hong Kong authorities can ensure the safety of the athletes.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Yang Chih-Chun, president of the TGSMA, that after the Hong Kong National Security Law implementation, the authority could use any reason to arrest people, which TGSMA could not ensure the athletes' safety.
Yang Chih-Chun also showed his concerns to AFP that the Taiwanese athletes and staff would be arrested because of waving the Taiwanese flag or competing under the name of "Taiwan".
#GayGame #TGSMA #Taiwan #AFP #NSL #YangCihChun
Source: Stand News #Aug07
https://bit.ly/3xzEWnG
#Taiwan Will Not Participate in Gay Games hosted by Hong Kong due to the #NationalSecurityLaw
Hong Kong successfully applied for hosting the Gay Games in 2022. It is the first time for the game to be held in Asia.
However, the Taiwan Gay Sports and Movement Association (#TGSMA) issued a statement, pointing out that due to possible China's intervention, the TGSMA would not participate in the Gay Games unless Hong Kong authorities can ensure the safety of the athletes.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Yang Chih-Chun, president of the TGSMA, that after the Hong Kong National Security Law implementation, the authority could use any reason to arrest people, which TGSMA could not ensure the athletes' safety.
Yang Chih-Chun also showed his concerns to AFP that the Taiwanese athletes and staff would be arrested because of waving the Taiwanese flag or competing under the name of "Taiwan".
#GayGame #TGSMA #Taiwan #AFP #NSL #YangCihChun
Source: Stand News #Aug07
https://bit.ly/3xzEWnG