Hong Kong journalists face harassment amid national security law crackdown

Numerous journalists in Hong Kong and their families are facing increased harassment and intimidation in the last three months amid national security law crackdown.

The Voice of America report stated that the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), on Friday said that they had monitored "systematic" and "organised" assaults on journalists between June and August of this year.

Around 15 journalists, their family members, neighbours, and employers were harassed online and offline, the press club said. Selina Chenga, the chairperson of the HKJA, said at a press conference on Friday that this is the biggest case of intimidation the journalist association has ever seen.

"I don't believe this is right, and that's why we are making a loud call today to say we do not accept such behaviour. This type of intimidation and harassment, which includes sharing false and defamatory content and death threats, damages press freedom," VOA quoted Selina as saying.

The HKJA stated in a statement that journalists from various media outlets in Hong Kong have been targeted, receiving anonymous threats and harassment through social media, email, or regular mail.

"HKJA has gathered detailed information on many affected journalists and organizations," the statement read. Those affected include two journalism education institutions and 13 media outlets, including the executive committee of the HKJA, Hong Kong Free Press, InMediaHK, and HK Feature, VOA reported.

The report further stated that numerous letters and emails cautioned that affiliations with the specified organizations or individuals might breach Hong Kong's national security laws. These communications were sent anonymously, with some originating from Microsoft Outlook accounts.

On social media, there were posts featuring images of journalists and HKJA executive committee members alongside graphics of knives, blood, shooting targets, and "memorial" signs.

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders, working for independent journalists, also condemned this attack and urged international bodies to take decisive action.

Cedric Alviani, Asia-Pacific Bureau Director of Reporters Without Borders, said, "We strongly condemn this harassment campaign led against the independent media outlets that managed to survive the previous waves of government repression. We urge the international community to intensify its pressure on the Chinese regime so press freedom is fully restored in the territory."

Reporters Without Borders further stated that since the adoption of the National Security Law by the Chinese regime in June 2020, the Hong Kong government has been leading an unprecedented campaign against the right to information, resulting in the prosecution of at least 28 journalists and press freedom defenders, 10 of whom are currently detained.

Chinese authorities also forcibly shut down two major independent media outlets, Apple Daily and Stand News, while the climate of fear led at least a dozen smaller media outlets to cease operations.