Unprecedented Harassment of Hong Kong Journalists

The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) reports extensive harassment of journalists and their families since June, attributed to a mass national security crackdown. This involves online and in-person threats linked to pro-democracy protests in 2019, harming press freedom despite assurances from officials on rule of law governance.

Dozens of Hong Kong journalists and their families have faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation both online and in person over the last three months starting from June, according to the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). HKJA chairperson Selina Cheng stressed that these threats and defamatory content jeopardize press freedom in Hong Kong and should be condemned.

Cheng identified this period as the largest-scale harassment against reporters in Hong Kong to date. She called for immediate action against such behavior. Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk emphasized that Hong Kong is governed by the rule of law, urging victims to report any such incidents to law enforcement agencies.

The harassment campaign targets journalists, media companies, HKJA's executive committee, various media outlets, and two journalism education institutions. The intensity of these threats, rooted in a broader national security crackdown following the 2019 pro-democracy protests, has drawn criticism for undermining Hong Kong's autonomy as per the 1997 handover agreement with Britain. At least 15 journalists, their families, and associates have been targeted, receiving anonymous complaints and facing direct threats, including through Facebook and Wikipedia. Both local authorities and social media companies have been urged to take action against these intimidations.

(With inputs from agencies.)