#English #China #FreedomofSpeech

#Statement

It’s time to change the channel…RTHK awaits you

RTHK was struck, twice, on 4 March.

1. The Communications Authority announced it will cancel the requirement for free local TV licence holders to broadcast RTHK programming. This means that channels such as TVB and ViuTV can now stop broadcasting RTHK programmes if they so wish. (Prior to this announcement, broadcast licence holders TVB and HKTVE were obliged to broadcast 3.5 hours and 2.5 hours of RTHK programmes per week respectively on their integrated Chinese channels.)

2. Police Commissioner Chris P.K. Tang wrote to the Director of Broadcasting (of RTHK) and the Communications Authority again, criticising the content in a clip on "Headline News" which he claimed has caused viewers to have the wrong impression of the HKPF and has led to a misunderstanding about the police.

However, most do not know about the RTHK Board of Advisors, who are gearing up for the establishment of a “task force“. Their intentions are clear: they are attempting to go beyond their role as advisors to the Director of Broadcasting and intervene in the daily affairs of RTHK. Eugene Kin-Keung Chan, the chairperson of the committee, has asked the RTHK to provide internal information with respect to the police's complaint against "Headline News" - an obvious example of the committee's intervention.

The facts are before us: the government is using various means to target the factual reporting of RTHK, an entity within its own system. The RTHK Programme Staff Union declares the following:

• First, TVB has only been paying the administrative fee to the Communications Authority and the Spectrum Utilization Fee was waived, which is an advantage over other telecommunications providers. In return for waiving this fee, TVB was required to uphold the social responsibility of broadcasting RTHK programmes. Without this obligation to pay the Spectrum Utilization Fee and without the requirement to broadcast RTHK programming, TVB stands to benefit from scheduling programmes that can bring in more revenue. With public interest in mind, the Spectrum Utilization Fee should be now be payable by TVB.

• Secondly, the program "Headline News" did not accuse the police of hoarding anti-epidemic supplies. The first episode of 「驚方訊息」 "Scary Information" disclosed the fact that the police force was provided with a higher grade of protective equipment than the healthcare workers. The emphasis was on the quality, not the quantity.

• Finally, clips in the episode are real news clips, viewers can judge for themselves. Commissioner Tang seems to be making a mountain out of a mole hill when he complained about what he perceived to be a negative portrayal of the police force. Besides, we have the “Police Report" program which has been in production for 40 years now is well-known to public. We are afraid that Commissioner Tang is overly concerned about whether our viewers are developing a misunderstanding of police officers.

RTHK has always been a part of Hong Kong. In this time of unrest, our staff members will continue to uphold justice, protect editorial freedom along with the freedom of speech. We openly invite friends of RTHK to continue enjoying our programs.

RTHK Programme Staff Union
3 March 2020

Source : RTHK Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/rthkunion/posts/2948473551841109

#RTHK #PoliceState #WhiteTerror #Censorship #FreedomOfSpeech

Following complaints made by the police about RTHK’s satirical show Headliner, the requirement for free TV licensees to air this show is lifted. This is a solid example of police interfering with freedom of the press
#RTHK #FreedomOfPress #FreedomOfSpeech

Further reading:
It’s time to change the channel…RTHK awaits you
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/18192

#FreedomOfSpeech #Censorship
Script: Yes I have used inappropriate words, I now announce to withdraw the column, I apologize.

Words on the newspaper:
Pandemic Because of Wuhan US, Lesson Learnt 17 years ago Forgotten Entirely

Source: hellowong

Further reading:
Adviser to Hong Kong on Coronavirus Pulls Controversial Column, Apologizes
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/18855

#WhiteTerror #VirusOrigin

#Censorship
WeChat permenantly closed American Journalist's account after password was changed to "F*ckCCP89"

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, a journalist known for reporting affairs in China, posted a tweet today (Jun 5) that her account was permanently removed in less than a minute after she attemped to change her account password to "FuckCCP89". There was no appeal process available, and her account was not suspended, but closed permenantly.

Source: Stand News #Jun5
#FreedomOfSpeech #CCP #WhiteTerror

#NationalSecurityLaw
Agnes Chow Released on Bail: Hope HKgers Can Persist

2315 | Tai Po Police Station
Agnes Chow stated that she was released on bail of HKD$180,000 as surety and HKD$20,000 in cash. She needs to report to Police station on September 1 and her passport has been confiscated.

She reckoned that the police arrested her on speech crimes, which is absurd and an act of political suppression. She said that police searched every corner of her house without specifically pointing out the reasons of her arrest. The police also failed to indicate which post Chow made on the social media was connected to the allegations.

Despite being arrested 4 times, she said she felt the most scared this time. Thanks to the support she received from many Hongkongers, she hopes that everyone will persist.

Source: Stand News
#Aug11 #AgnesChow #FreeAgnes #SpeechCrime #FreedomOfSpeech