Latest news with #HKJA
HKFP
23-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Wall St Journal set to plead not guilty in unlawful termination suit filed by press union chief Selina Cheng
The Wall Street Journal is set to plead not guilty in a lawsuit against Selina Cheng, Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) chairperson, who accuses the American newspaper of unlawful dismissal after she took the helm of the press union. Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung on Wednesday reserved four days in December for the trial of the case between Cheng and her former employer, after the legal representative of Dow Jones Publishing Co. (Asia) Inc, the parent company of the Journal, indicated that the company would plead not guilty. The magistrate will meet both parties on November 7 for the media company to enter a formal plea, as well as finalise the admitted facts of the case for trial. The four-day trial is scheduled to start on December 18. Shortly after Cheng was fired from the Journal in July last year, she told reporters that she had been informed her position at the press union would be 'incompatible' with her job and that she had not had permission to take on the role. A spokesperson for Dow Jones told HKFP at the time that the company would not comment on 'specific individuals.' They also said that the Journal 'has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world.' The HKJA chairperson filed a complaint with the Labour Department in November, after which it consulted the Department of Justice (DoJ) about whether to prosecute the Journal. The DoJ confirmed last month that it would not intervene in the case, as Cheng proceeded with private prosecution. Hong Kong's Employment Ordinance stipulates that it is an offence for an employer to prevent an employee from undertaking trade union membership and activities. An employer is also liable to conviction if they dismiss an employee for exercising those rights. Cheng was first elected chairperson of the HKJA at the union's annual general meeting on June 22 last year, with 100 votes in favour and two against. A new executive committee was also elected at the meeting. She was re-elected union chief last month. The HKJA, founded in 1968, has come under fire from Hong Kong authorities and state-backed media since the city was wracked by months-long protests and unrest in 2019. The press group has been accused of smearing the police force, allowing 'fake journalists' to join, and protecting protesters.
HKFP
21-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Co-organiser of independent book fair rebuts ‘soft resistance' accusation from Beijing-backed paper Wen Wei Po
A co-organiser of an independent book fair in Hong Kong has rebutted accusations made by Beijing-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po, which alleged that the event and participating bookstores carried out 'soft resistance.' In a front-page report on Monday, the paper said that 'Reading Everywhere – Hong Kong Independent Book Fair and Bookstore Festival' was full of 'an atmosphere of soft resistance.' The report also carried the tag, 'Cracking down on soft resistance.' The independent book fair was co-organised by and held at Hunter Bookstore, an indie bookshop in Sham Shui Po, from Thursday to Monday. As part of the event, a series of talks on new books also took place at different independent bookshops, such as Book Punch and Have a Nice Stay. Wen Wei Po alleged that 'Reading Everywhere' sold books with messages that 'oppose China and disturb Hong Kong.' The paper cited as examples: a biography of the jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, a memoir of former Democratic Party lawmaker Emily Lau, and a new novel written by pro-democracy political commentator Johnny Lau. According to the report, an undercover Wen Wei Po reporter went to the book fair and asked a staff member at Hunter Bookstore whether the store was selling a biography of Lai. The shop attendant said the book would be on sale after the book fair. 'This indicated the staff member was well aware of the 'soft resistance' nature of the book,' the report read. In response to HKFP's enquiry, Leticia Wong, director of Hunter Bookstore, said Lai's biography was published by a Taiwanese publisher and copies of the book had just arrived a few days ago. She said she did not display the new book at the book fair because the event focused more on local publishing. 'It's not because we're hiding the title,' Wong said in Cantonese. 'If the government said we can't sell this book, we immediately wouldn't sell it. But right now the government has said nothing.' Wen Wei Po also accused the independent book fair of placing a donation box for the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). The paper previously labelled the press union an 'anti-government political organisation.' Wong rejected the accusation, saying that the book fair did not place any donation box for the HKJA nor sell any merchandise of the organisation. 'It's ridiculous. They even got the facts wrong,' she said. Wen Wei Po also alleged that Book Punch ordered Lai's biography for readers and sold HKJA merchandise. Pong Yat-ming, owner of Book Punch, told HKFP on Monday that they sold HKJA keyrings and they had no further response to Wen Wei Po's report. 'Surprised' A journalist-turned-politician, Lau is a member of the city's largest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, and served as a lawmaker from 1991 to 2016. She published her memoir, Stay Here, in July. The pro-Beijing paper referred to her new book as an example of 'soft resistance' and called Lau a 'lawmaker of the Mutual Destruction Camp.' It also alleged that she criticised the 'enhanced' election systems as a 'regression of democracy' in the book. 'Mutual destruction' is a phrase arising from the 2019 protests and unrest, which expresses a willingness by protesters to exhaust all means, even at the cost of sacrifice, to bring about justice or damage the government. 'I am surprised. I never knew that I would be categorised as the Mutual Destruction Camp,' Emily told HKFP in Cantonese. 'In fact, this was the first time I was called this way.' Many people have criticised the current election system as a 'regression of democracy,' Lau said. 'It's just my personal opinion. Of course, there are people praising it as 'progress of democracy.' I hope there is still freedom of speech in Hong Kong.' In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure 'patriots' govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. The Hong Kong government said the overhaul would ensure the city's stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as it makes it near-impossible for pro-democracy candidates to stand. 'Soft resistance' Since 2021, Chinese and Hong Kong officials have mentioned the phrase as a threat to national security but have not been specific about what it means. In late June, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam gave an explanation of 'soft resistance' for the first time. He said there were three main elements of soft resistance: making false or misleading statements, expressing them irrationally and with emotional bias, and with the intention of creating a misunderstanding about the Chinese and Hong Kong governments and their policies. Lam said on Commercial Radio on Saturday that some forms of 'soft resistance' actually do not violate the law, and the authorities should utilise 'soft power' to handle 'soft resistance.' '[We] should make sure [the public] understand what the government is doing and what is happening in our country… and to enhance people's understanding and belonging to the country,' Lam said in Cantonese.
HKFP
02-07-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Wall St Journal may challenge Hong Kong gov't decision to not intervene in press union head's unlawful dismissal suit
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) may challenge the Hong Kong government's decision to not intervene in a lawsuit filed by its ex-reporter Selina Cheng over her alleged unlawful dismissal for taking up leadership of a press union, a court has heard. Cheng, who previously reported on the Chinese electric vehicle industry for the WSJ, accused the US newspaper of firing her unlawfully last July, weeks after she was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). She launched a private prosecution against the company last December, after the government decided not to press charges in her case. Defence lawyer Vinci Lam, representing the Asia branch of Dow Jones Publishing – the publisher of the WSJ – asked the court on Wednesday for a further three-week adjournment. It comes after the court postponed proceedings for 10 weeks in April for the Department of Justice (DoJ) to consider whether it would intervene. In Hong Kong, the DoJ can intervene in a private prosecution, either taking over the proceedings to continue the prosecution or shut the case down. The defence requested that the DoJ provide reasons for its decision not to intervene, and may consider launching a judicial review against it, Lam told Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung. A judicial review is considered by the Court of First Instance and examines the decision-making processes of administrative bodies. Issues under review must be shown to affect the wider public interest. Cheng's lawyer revealed on social media last week that the DoJ had decided not to intervene, saying that the DoJ's decision allowed 'our pursuit of justice to proceed unimpeded.' Plea expected on July 23 Lam also said on Wednesday the DoJ's reply could affect the defence's plea in the case. 'None of us here can say for certain' whether the company will plead guilty or not guilty, she told the court. Judge Cheung granted a three-week adjournment and scheduled the next hearing for July 23, but it also ordered the defence to be ready for indicating a plea by then. Senior Counsel Nigel Kat, for Cheng, told the court that his client will testify as a prosecution witness if a trial is needed. Under Hong Kong's employment law, an employer found guilty of terminating an employee's contract because of their participation in trade union could be fined up to HK$100,000. Cheng was re-elected as chair of the HKJA unopposed last month.
HKFP
14-06-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Freelance journalist Selina Cheng re-elected chair of Hong Kong's embattled Journalists Association
The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) voted in a new Executive Committee on Saturday, with freelance journalist Selina Cheng re-elected as chair unopposed. Cheng was elected at the association's Annual General Meeting in Jordan, having secured 89 votes, with no member voting against or abstaining. The new 2025-26 Executive Committee consists of four members. According to the committee's annual report to members, over the past year, the union has supported members facing tax audits, conducted a press freedom survey, held fundraisers, social events and workshops and launched an investigation into the harassment of journalists. The Court of Appeal also ruled in the union's favour in a case involving a satirical show axed by government-funded broadcaster RTHK. As of June 13, the association had 323 members in total, compared to 338 a year ago. It gained 57 new members since 2024, whilst 87 memberships expired, according to its report to members. Embattled association The city's largest press union has met with increasing pressure from authorities over recent years. During the protests and unrest in 2019, pro-Beijing figures accused it of smearing the police, allowing 'fake journalists' to join, and protecting protesters – accusations it denied. Last year, security chief Chris In February, Tang claimed the HKJA was 'unrepresentative.' Cheng has overseen another tumultuous year for the embattled 57-year-old union. Last month, it emerged that Hong Kong's independent news sector, including companies, staff and family members, were facing simultaneous tax audits and backdated demands, according to the HKJA which has also been facing an audit. The situation reflected a worsening press freedom environment, they said, whilst the government said cases were handled without bias. In February, the HKJA said its venue booking for their annual fundraising gala was cancelled by Eaton HK hotel, with no reason given. It came after the Regal Hongkong Hotel in Causeway Bay axed the union's venue booking, citing 'water leakage causing unstable power supply.' The union went on to enjoy its ' best fundraising results ' in years, with the event going ahead online. Cheng herself appeared in court in February, accusing her ex-employer, The Wall Street Journal, of breaching the city's laws protecting employees' right to join union activities by firing her after she first took on the union's leadership role in 2024. Press freedom Hong Kong has plummeted in international press freedom indices since the onset of the 2020 and 2024 security laws. Watchdogs cite the arrest and jailing of journalists, raids on newsrooms and the closure of around 10 media outlets including Apple Daily, Stand News and Citizen News. Over 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs, whilst many have emigrated. Meanwhile, the city's government-funded broadcaster RTHK has adopted new editorial guidelines, purged its archives and axed news and satirical shows. In 2022, Chief Executive John Lee said press freedom was 'in the pocket' of Hongkongers but 'nobody is above the law.' Although he has told the press to ' tell a good Hong Kong story,' government departments have been reluctant to respond to story pitches.
Epoch Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Journalist Group Criticizes Hong Kong's Tax Investigation Into Media Outlets
The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said that the association and many Hong Kong media groups, journalists, and their relatives have recently been investigated by the Hong Kong government for taxes paid many years ago. At least eight organizations and 20 individuals were affected. On May 21, the chairperson of HKJA, Selina Cheng Ka-yu, held a press conference, criticizing the Hong Kong government for accusing journalists of owing taxes without providing a reason and demanding considerable advance payments. She described it as a way to punish journalists without trial and that it hurts press freedom. A total of eight media platforms and organizations were audited by tge tax department, including the HKJA, Hong Kong Inmedia, The Witness, Hong Kong Free Press, BoomheadHK, and ReNews, affecting at least 20 people, among them the founders, journalists, and even their then-unmarried spouses. Cheng and her parents were also examined for payroll tax, profits tax, and rates. Cheng described the current assessment approach by the tax bureau as 'bizarre.' She said that all the cases involved were for the 2017–18 or 2018–19 years, for which they had already filed tax returns and paid the full amount. Among these cases, some were not operating, had no business registration, or did not have a physical company, but the tax bureau assigned a 'business registration number of convenience,' which was later found by HKJA not to belong to any organization or person. She said there were also cases where the profit tax for the year mentioned was before the company was even established, and one person was accused by the tax bureau of having income several times more than his salary that year. Cheng and HKJA Investigated Cheng said that she served as a reporter for the investigative team of Hong Kong 01 in 2018 and 2019, with an annual income of about HK$230,000 ($29,500). However, the tax bureau recently claimed that her 'real income' that year was HK$630,000 ($81,000), but did not provide any details. She said that the HKJA had been subject to tax audit since 2023 and has been required to pay HK$450,000 ($58,000) in taxes. After a partial deferral, it still needs to pay HK$300,000 ($38,500). In a face-to-face meeting with the tax bureau, she said officials pointed out the errors in those numbers. At the end of 2024, HKJA again submitted their return, but received no response from the tax bureau, and the group was audited again in March this year. Related Stories 12/25/2024 8/29/2024 She questioned why the tax bureau did not bring charges based on evidence, which amounts to actually 'punishing the journalist without trial, she said.' She stressed that if the tax bureau believes that someone is evading or owing taxes, it should provide proper evidence. She believes that the situation is putting considerable pressure and burden on journalists and small media organizations in terms of time, finances, and mental stress. The HKJA is concerned that the media is increasingly being censored and fenced in by commercial and financial laws, which have a negative impact on press freedom in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee met with reporters on May 27, stating that all taxpayers must accurately file tax returns and pay taxes on time, and 'no one has the privilege to evade taxes.' Commissioner of Inland Revenue Benjamin Chan addressed the issue on May 24, stating that any taxpayer, whether a company or an individual, may be subject to a tax review or audit by the department, 'Some taxpayers have raised questions about whether the Inland Revenue Department would audit for tax returns based on specific industries or background. I want to reiterate that we did not and would definitely not do that,' he said. 'As I've mentioned, based on our system, we ensure consistency in treatment for all taxpayers. Every taxpayer has the chance to be invited for a tax review or audit.' Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forced the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, press freedom in Hong Kong has deteriorated. Many journalists have been arrested on charges of violating the NSL and other crimes. Senior executives of Apple Daily and Stand News have been impriso ned. Reporters Without Borders recently released the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, in which Hong Kong is ranked 140th with a score of 39.86 out of 100, its lowest score on record. It was the first time that Hong Kong was listed in the worst 'very serious' category, alongside mainland China.
