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BEIJING TIGHTENS THE SCREWS

Seven years after Hong Kong's reunification with China, fears over Beijing's interference in the affairs of the Special Administrative Region are being realised, and that does not bode well for freedom of expression, according to a new report by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and ARTICLE 19.

While the principle of "one country, two systems" was supposed to leave Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy over its political affairs, China's leaders have sought to impose their will, launching a patriotism debate that pressures journalists and public figures to "toe the party line" and barring Hong Kong people from directly electing local leaders in 2007 and 2008, the organisations say.

That has created a political climate in which three of Hong Kong's most popular radio show hosts have resigned in the past year because of threats over the content of their broadcasts. The resignations of Albert Cheng, Raymond Wong and Allen Lee are the clearest indication that freedom of expression is becoming a victim of Beijing's interference (see: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/59056/).

Meanwhile, there is considerable uncertainty over a national security bill, which the Hong Kong government is reportedly planning to re-introduce, say HKJA and ARTICLE 19.

In 2003, the government was forced to to shelve the bill after 500,000 people took to the streets on 1 July in protest. The draft bill would have enacted Article 23 in the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini constitution, which contains provisions governing sedition and state secrets that pose a significant threat to freedom of expression (see: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/52163/).

HKJA and ARTICLE 19 are calling on the Hong Kong government to undertake full and extensive consultations on the national security bill and to implement the Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.

Read the full report (in PDF format) here: http://www.hkja.org.hk/ben_act/download/AR2004.pdf

Visit these links:

- Johannesburg Principles: http://www.article19.org/docimages/511.htm
- National Security and Open Government: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/campbell/opengov/
- Human Rights Watch: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/04/07/china8409.htm