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Human Rights Issues -- October 2001
Press watchdog strives for legal protection (October 20, 2001) (Article 19)
RTHK's programme was criticized as "bad taste" (October 13, 2001) (Article 19)
Press watchdog strives for legal protection (October 20, 2001) (Article 19)
The Hong Kong Press Council has launched a one-month public consultation in seeking to become a statutory body exempted from litigation when criticizing newspapers of excessive behaviour, unethical reporting or intrusion of privacy. The Press Council was setup with 11 members since 2000 to regulate and monitor median abuse. However, the three best-selling newspapers, including Apple Daily, Oriental Daily News and the Sun are not members of the Council.
The chairman of the Council, Mr. Edward Chen Kwan-yiu said that a new law can the Council free from the threat of prosecution after criticizing any newspaper and would not infringe the press freedom. Moreover, he believed that it will raise the responsibility of the media by announcing the Council's rulings and publish by the other press bodies.
On the contrary, the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and some newspapers have opposed the proposal as such privilege would infringe press freedom and shake the foundation of freedom of speech.
Moreover, legislator Cyd HO Sau-lan warned that such move would infringe press freedom and she commended that the Council to setup a litigation fund to fight defamation lawsuits with a charge of extra money levied on each newspaper sold.
RTHK's programme was criticized as "bad taste" (October 13, 2001) (Article 19)
The Headliner, the TV programme of the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), has segment, called "Superman's Special Report", in which the presenter, Mr. LAM Chui-wing, used the Taleban regime in Afghanistan to satirise the Policy Address of the Chief Executive Mr. TUNG Chee-hwa. The programme was commented by the Chief Executive as "bad taste". Also, the pro-Beijing Ta Kung Pao newspaper labeled the programme vicious and dedicated considerable news space to question the motives of the station. Moreover, Mr. MA Lik, the Hong Kong representative of the National People's Congress Standing Committee commented that the RTHK had better to finish up by itself. After the wide spreading criticism, Mr. LAM commented that he now enjoyed less press freedom and it was worrying that the press freedom would be seriously infringed.
After that, Mr. CHU Pui-hing, the Director of Broadcasting, also the chief
editor of RTHK, said that an independent consultant would be invited to conduct
a public opinion survey in assessing their views on the program. On the other
hand, the Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, said that there was no room
for compromise on press freedom and shared that he was confidence in the RTHK
chief's handling of the case.