Hong Kong's free media fears censorship with China’s national security law

China’s controversial national security law has started showing its impact on the freedom and rights of Hong Kongers after publicly funded broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) reportedly decided to axe one of its most popular shows. RTHK’s satirical show Headliner was known for its humorous takes on the police and administration for almost three decades but the broadcast was suspended hours after the Communications Authority (CA) issued a warning for allegedly insulting the police force.

In February, Headliner carried a segment “Police Farce Report” in which a police officer was shown standing in a large garbage container with his hands covered in plastic. The segment was created to highlight the plight of frontline medical workers as they were struggling to get proper PPE while fighting coronavirus and the police were provided with protective biohazard suits and gas masks.

The show attracted formal complaints and the CA ruled that the complaints in respect of the accuracy of factual contents and insult to the police were substantiated. Increasing interference of Beijing in Hong Kong’s affairs has severely impacted media freedom as the semi-autonomous region fell to 80th place in 2020 in its Global Press Freedom Index, down from 18th in 2002.

Read: Hong Kong Students Remember Tiananmen Crackdown

Lam unmoved

However, chief executive Carrie Lam has claimed that Hong Kong has always been able to uphold and preserve freedom of speech and expression and freedom to protest in the last 23 years. During a press conference, she asserted that it is the best thing to see the legislation and understand why Hong Kong needs it at this point in time.

The residents have been protesting against a national security law that was presented by the National People’s Congress (NPC) and later approved by China’s rubber-stamp parliament. Several countries including the United States, Britain, Australia, and Canada have raised concern over the new legislation.

Read: North Korea Says US In No Position To Criticise China Over Hong Kong Or Human Rights

Read: Hong Kong Legislature Votes For Law Criminalising Insult To China's National Anthem

(Imag: AP)