Last week, a female reporter for “Hong Kong Free Press” was followed by two men wearing earphones for over an hour while traveling from her home to her workplace. The Journalists Association released a statement condemning the incident after receiving multiple reports from various reporters and news organizations that they had been followed or monitored by unknown men. The reporters involved were responsible for reporting court hearings. The association is investigating whether the individuals involved were law enforcement officers and if these actions were carried out by the authorities. If not, the police must investigate and take action to ensure the safety and protection of Hong Kong journalists exercising their right to report without fear of harassment or intimidation. HKFP reported on the incident and shared footage of the relevant man who refused to respond to the reporter’s questions and quickly left. The police are currently assisting with the investigation.
The English online media “Hong Kong Free Press” reported last Friday, a female reporter of the agency was followed by two men wearing earphones for more than an hour when she went from her residence to her workplace last Wednesday. The Journalists Association issued a statement today (27th) referring to the incident, and said that it received reports from different news organizations and reporters last week that several reporters were followed or monitored by unknown men. According to the Journalists Association’s understanding, the reporters involved were responsible for reporting the court hearings . The Association of Journalists strongly condemns any attempt to harass or intimidate journalists.
The statement of the Association of Journalists mentioned that HKFP reported last Friday that a female reporter of the newspaper was followed by two men from outside her residence last Wednesday, and one of them followed her near her work place. According to the footage shot by HKFP, the man was wearing casual clothes 1. Wearing a Bluetooth headset, when the reporter came forward to question his identity and purpose, he did not respond or evade, and then left quickly.
The Journalists Association also pointed out that it has received reports from many media reporters that after the trial of the “Stand News” case ended last Tuesday (21st) afternoon, two men had wandered outside the reporter’s room of the District Court. One of them waited in front of the press room for more than an hour. A reporter said that the man tried to follow the reporter out of the court.
The Association of Journalists said it was inquiring with the police and the judiciary whether the person involved was a law enforcement officer, and whether there had been any law enforcement actions against journalists in recent days.
According to the Association of Journalists, it is understood that the journalists involved in the incident were responsible for reporting the court hearing. The Association of Journalists is very worried about the situation of journalists being followed. The Association believes that the situation will make people worry that some people will try to use coercion to impair the exercise of journalists’ right to report, which will do nothing but harm to the freedom of the press in Hong Kong. The Journalists Association emphasizes that it will never tolerate any intimidation and coercion against the media and journalists, and any civilized society will not accept tracking or monitoring methods to intimidate or harass media workers.
The Journalists Association also pointed out that if the person involved is not a law enforcement officer, it urges the police to seriously investigate and follow up to ensure that Hong Kong journalists can exercise their speech, news, and publishing activities protected by Article 27 of the Basic Law without worrying about their personal safety. freedom of.
According to HKFP reportsAnd the clip shows that the reporter suspected of being followed tried to transfer to a different train, but was still followed by the relevant man. The man was asked by the reporter, “Why do you want to follow me? “, the man did not respond, and hurried away. HKFP said it had called the police last Thursday, citing the police as saying that after preliminary investigations, the case was temporarily listed as a request for police assistance.
The recent incidents of journalists being followed and monitored in Hong Kong are deeply concerning and go against the fundamental principles of freedom of the press. The Journalists Association has condemned these actions and emphasized that it will not tolerate any intimidation or coercion against media workers. It is imperative that the police thoroughly investigate these incidents and ensure that journalists are able to exercise their rights to report without fearing for their personal safety. Protecting freedom of the press and the ability of journalists to carry out their work without interference or intimidation is essential for a democratic society.