Press Freedom in Hong Kong Hits 11-Year Low Due to New Laws
Hong Kong, August 25: Press freedom in Hong Kong has reached its lowest level in at least 11 years, according to a survey by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). The survey highlights that the introduction of Article 23 this year, which penalizes sedition and external interference, is a major factor behind the decline.
Impact of Article 23
Selina Cheng, chair of the HKJA, stated that the new law imposes more severe restrictions on media than before. The law includes tougher penalties for sedition, which has been used against speech and media work since the National Security Law was implemented in 2020.
Survey Findings
The HKJA, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, conducted the survey. They sent surveys to 979 members and collected opinions from 1,000 randomly selected phone interviews. Journalists rated press freedom at 25 out of 100, the lowest in 11 years, while the public rated it at 42.
Journalists’ Concerns
According to the survey, 92% of journalists indicated that press freedom has been significantly impacted by Article 23. The law, enacted in March, prohibits acts of treason, secession, sedition, subversion, and theft of state secrets. It also prevents foreign political organizations from conducting activities in Hong Kong. Penalties for sedition have increased from two to seven years, or 10 years if a foreign force is involved.
Authorities claim that journalists are safe to carry out legitimate reporting activities, but critics argue that the vague wording of the law creates uncertainty. Cheng expressed concern over the law’s broad definition of state secrets, which could include information about the economy, technology, and society.
Declining Response Rate
Cheng noted that only about a quarter of HKJA members responded to the survey, possibly due to fear of retaliation. She mentioned that some reporters are scared to participate because they worry about potential consequences.
Calls for Caution
Journalists have been urged to be cautious in their reporting. Lau Chung-Yung, chief editor of the pro-Beijing Ming Pao newspaper, advised columnists to be prudent and law-abiding in their writing.
International Perspective
Johan Nylander, a Swedish journalist in Hong Kong, said that the national security law and Article 23 have created an atmosphere of uncertainty and self-censorship. He noted that the situation regarding press freedom is very depressing and unlikely to improve soon.
HKJA’s Role
Despite criticism from authorities and Chinese state media, the HKJA continues to monitor the state of press freedom in Hong Kong. The city’s ranking on the World Press Freedom Index has dropped from 73 in 2019 to 135 out of 180 in 2020.
Doubts Revealed
Press Freedom -: Press freedom means that journalists and news organizations can report news without being controlled or punished by the government.
Hong Kong -: Hong Kong is a special region in China that used to be a British colony. It has its own laws and some freedoms that are different from mainland China.
Article 23 -: Article 23 is a law in Hong Kong that punishes people for actions like sedition, which means encouraging people to rebel against the government, and external interference, which means other countries trying to influence Hong Kong.
Sedition -: Sedition means actions or words that encourage people to go against the government.
External Interference -: External interference means other countries or outside groups trying to influence or control what happens in Hong Kong.
Self-censorship -: Self-censorship means that journalists or news organizations avoid reporting certain news because they are afraid of getting into trouble.
World Press Freedom Index -: The World Press Freedom Index is a list that ranks countries based on how free their journalists are to report news without being controlled or punished.
