According to the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), at least 10 journalists working for local and international organizations have been rejected for “security reasons”.
“With the media unable to send journalists on the ground, the Hong Kong Journalists’ Syndicate deeply regrets the strict explanatory arrangements made by the authorities for such a major event,” the press group said on Tuesday.
Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP) and the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post were among the outlets that banned their reporters from covering the festivities, according to the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
CNN has contacted media companies for comment. A spokesman for the Hong Kong government said authorities were striking a “balance as possible between the need for media work and security requirements”.
Reuters reported that two of its journalists were prevented from covering the handover ceremony and inauguration of Hong Kong’s next chief executive, John Lee. It quoted a Reuters spokeswoman as saying that the news agency is seeking more information on the matter.
CNN’s request to attend the events was also denied.
“The government told CNN that the police had rejected the request but declined to provide further details,” a company spokesperson said. “CNN is disappointed not to attend official events but will continue to report on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit.”
The spokeswoman said the Hong Kong government told CNN it “would not comment on the outcome of accreditation of individual organizations and individuals”.
Journalists whose applications were denied will not be able to cover the national flag-raising ceremony and the swearing-in of Lee, the city’s new leader and former security chief.
The Department of Government Information Services issued invitations to news organizations on June 16, allowing only one journalist from each outlet to cover each event.
Each media representative was required to take PCR tests daily starting June 26 – before formal approval or refusal was issued on June 28 – and to go into hotel quarantine on June 29 as part of the coronavirus prevention measures.
A “serious deviation” from freedom of the press
Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club said on Wednesday it was “deeply concerned” by reports that accreditation was denied.
“In the past, similar official events have been open to the media for registration without invitation or vetting,” the FCC said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The federation views these restrictions – which were imposed without detailed explanation – as a serious deviation from the stated commitment to freedom of the press,” the statement read.
Beijing imposed a national security law on the city in the wake of anti-government protests in 2019. Since then, critics claim that some of the liberties China promised to protect on handover 25 years ago have been curtailed.
Hong Kong The government rejects suggestions that press freedom has been undermined, but The future of independent local reporting looks bleak. Although there are still major international media outlets – including CNN and Bloomberg – running large newsrooms in the city, only a few important local independent outlets remain.
Some of the city’s largest pro-democracy media outlets have been toppled after massive government pressure, a series of arrests and police raids of newsrooms.
CNN’s Beijing bureau contributed to this report.
