Hong Kong's Press Freedom Sinks Further

Andy Chan's talk at the FCC called into question press freedom in Hong Kong

We're not surprised by the report today that press freedom in Hong Kong is at its lowest in six years, as perceived by the public, who for the first time cite concerns of Beijing's influence.

Several incidents made the headlines last year: the Hong Kong government expelling former vice president of the Foreign Correspondents' Club Victor Mallet, the government's banning separatist Andy Ho-tin's Hong Kong National Party, mainland Chinese officials attacking Hong Kong journalists in Beijing and Sichuan, and cancellation of talks by Chinese dissident Ma Jian by Tai Kwun.

Shirley Yam (left) says the low score is concerning

A survey was jointly released by the Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Public Opinion Programme of the University of Hong Kong on Tuesday, and it revealed almost one in four journalists said their superiors had pressured them to cut coverage on the city's independence controversy.

This was when separatist Chan was invited to speak at the FCC in August and it later resulted in Mallet's visa not being renewed and he was forced to leave Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association chairman Chris Yeung Kin-hing said: "The public and journalist community are increasingly worried. Some responses are even alarming."

The annual survey was conducted between January 21-24 to 1,003 people, who gave the city an overall score of 45 out of 100, a record low since the survey started in 2013. More than one-third of the respondents (368), said Beijing's influence was their main concern, followed by self-censorship, decline in confidence in legal protection for journalists, diversity in voices, and supervision by mass media.

Ma Jian's talk in HK that was off then on was also an issue

The survey also interviewed 533 journalists between January and February, and most were worried about self-censorship, followed by Beijing's influence. The journalists gave a score of 40.9 out of 100, similar to last year.

In a question for journalists only, 112 of 516 respondents, or 22 percent, said their superiors had applied pressure for less or zero reporting about the controversy surrounding those calling for the city's separation from China.

Shirley Yam, the association's vice-president, said the number was significant.

"Our survey covered 35 news organizations. It means on average, three to four reporters in each has had that experience," she said.

Yam cited the worst scores under the press freedom index went to the prevalence of self-censorship, pressure from bosses or management, and scruples on criticizing Beijing.

"Can't you see the big picture here? Journalists find self-censorship more widespread and reports ruffling the authorities' features are more often pushed down by senior media figures."

What was Andy Hui doing in the back of a car?

It's a chilling effect but it's sadly going to continue in newsrooms across the city.

Perhaps even more depressing is that this story was dwarfed by the report of Cantopop star Sammi Cheng Sau-man's husband Andy Hui Chi-on was caught on camera kissing another woman in the back of a car...

A Case of Mistaken Identity

Ma Jian, the former spymaster was jailed for life today for corruption

Chinese President Xi Jinping's crackdown on corruption continues with a vengeance. Today a former top spy chief was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of accepting 109 million yuan (US$15.8 million) in bribes, and crimes related to insider trading and forced share transfers.

Ma Jian was appointed deputy head of China's Ministry of State Security in 2006, in charge of counter-espionage operations. However, the crimes he was convicted of spanned a 15-year period, between 1999 and 2004.

Ma accepted bribes from Guo Wengui

After four years of detention was tried at Dalian Intermediate Court in northeast China, where he was also fined 50.5 million yuan.
The court ordered all of Ma's personal property confiscated and demanded the return of his ill-gotten gains.

During the trial, Ma confessed to the charges and said he would not appeal.

He received bribes totaling 109 million yuan to benefit several associates, including the brash tycoon Miles Guo Wengui, who is in self-imposed exile in New York City.

Ma is the highest ranking security official to be jailed since Zhou Yongkang, a former Politburo member who once oversaw the government's security operations but was jailed for life in 2015.

The ex-spy has the same name as novelist, Ma Jian (above)

One would think this story is straight forward, except that some media outlets have used the wrong picture of Ma and used the one of novelist Ma Jian -- who had trouble presenting his novel China Dream in Hong Kong in early November.

Both the former spy chief and the novelist have the same Chinese characters in their names (马建) which makes it all the more amusing and the latter has joked about it on Twitter:

"My children are puzzled to learn that I am not the author of China Dream, who has just made them seaweed dumplings for supper, but am instead a former spymaster who has just been jailed for life for accepting 'extremely large bribes'," he wrote.

Ma tweeted his amusement at being "jailed for life"

"This is a strange China Dream. Am I a banned novelist dreaming that I'm a corrupt spy chief, or am I a corrupt spy chief dreaming that I'm a banned novelist?"

Perhaps this is potential fodder for Ma -- the novelist's -- next story.