#JointStatement #PressFreedom
Student Reporters Group denounces Police’s attempt to re-define “Media Representatives”, calling it a decoy to licensing regime on journalists

Source: RTHK #Sept23

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/25470

#JointStatement #PressFreedom
Student Reporters Group denounces Police’s attempt to re-define “Media Representatives”, calling it a decoy to licensing regime on journalists

Responding to the Police’s attempt to re-define “Media Representatives” in Police General Orders, refusing to recognize accreditation from Hong Kong Journalists Association (#HKJA) and Hong Kong Press Photographers Association (#HKPPA), 5 student press groups of local universities and institutions, joining over 48 online news outlets and 8 press unions, also denounced the Police’s unilateral revision of definition.

The group of student reporters pointed out in their statement that the revision is a decoy to licensing regime on journalists, which is meant to encroach, in particularly, the rights of web-based media, civil journalists and school press to report, depriving their freedom of speech.

Source: RTHK #Sept23

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Joint Statement by Over 48 Online News Outlets, Sept 22, 2020: "We Will Keep Reporting: A Petition Against Police-determined Media Whitelists"
https://www.facebook.com/2406628919558580/posts/2793962724158529/

8 Press Associations and Unions in Hong Kong Call On HK Police to Withdraw Unilateral Revision of "Media Representative"
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/25450

#LukedePulford: UK's Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to 'Prosecute' Beijing Loyalist #JuniusHo and Remove him from the UK Solicitors Register

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (#SRA), a licensing body that regulates solicitors in England and Wales, has taken action and scheduled a hearing of Junius Ho's case in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

With the latest news from SRA, Hong Kong Watch's fellow Luke de Pulford commented that "people who spout hate, incite violence and encourage authoritarianism have no place practising law in the UK."

In October 2019, Anglia Ruskin University (#ARU) in the UK has revoked Ho's honorary degree citing Ho's conduct and public behaviour as a concern. This came after Ho's alleged connection with the white-clad assailants in Yuen Long 7.21 triad attack on train passengers, reporters and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong in 2019.

Source: Luke de Pulford's Twitter #Sept23
https://twitter.com/lukedepulford/status/1308789185705381888?s=09

#StandwithHongKong

#Statement #PressFreedom #Unfreedom
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong Speaks Up for Press Freedom for All; China Spokeperson: "There is no absolute press freedom that is above the law"

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong (#FCCHK) issued a statement on Sept 23, 2020, opposing to the police's restrictive new accreditation policy for journalists in Hong Kong.

The FCCHK described the police's move as "another step in the erosion of Hong Kong’s once cherished press freedom as it would give the police — rather than reporters and editors — the power to determine who covers the police".

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club challenged if The Hong Kong police is, as they claimed in their letter, "always respect press freedom and their rights of journalists."

The FCCHK said, "If that is the case, they should welcome free and unfettered access to their operations, and should encourage open reporting instead of trying to restrict the number of journalists covering its operations. A force that is proud of its discipline and confident its officers follow established protocols and guidelines should have nothing to fear from the spotlight journalists shine on it."

On the same day, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Hong Kong condemned the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong for "meddling with Hong Kong affairs". In their statement, China claimed that there is "no absolute press freedom in the world that is above the law"; "Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong"; and "to engage in journalism in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, one must strictly abide by the laws of China and HKSAR and consciously accept legal supervision."

Source: FCCHK; RTHK #Sept23

https://www.fcchk.org/fcc-opposes-hong-kong-police-accreditation-process-for-journalists/

#ForeignMinistry #China

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Joint Statement by Over 48 Online News Outlets, Sept 22, 2020: "We Will Keep Reporting: A Petition Against Police-determined Media Whitelists"

https://www.facebook.com/2406628919558580/posts/2793962724158529/

Journalism Schools and Student Reporters Groups Denounce Police’s attempt to Re-define “Media Representatives”

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/25470

8 Press Associations and Unions in Hong Kong Call On HK Police to Withdraw Unilateral Revision of "Media Representative"

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/25450

#IFJ #Statement #PressFreedom
International Federation of Journalists Condemn Hong Kong Authorities For Imposing State Control Over Journalists

"This is another level of state control clearly at odds with press freedom. It also shows the excessive overreach by authorities against journalists and media workers in Hong Kong in a bid to control critical media coverage.

The IFJ strongly objects to any move to limit access to journalists and the narrowing of the definition of a journalist as dictated by police which have no capacity to make such a determination without the consultation of journalists.”

Source: International Federation of Journalists #Sept23

https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/hong-kong-police-amend-definition-of-journalist-to-restrict-access.html

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Joint Statement by Over 48 Online News Outlets, Sept 22, 2020: "We Will Keep Reporting"

https://www.facebook.com/2406628919558580/posts/2793962724158529/