April
2024
On April 10, just weeks after HKSAR authorities announced the enactment of Article 23 to target crimes including foreign interference, a representative from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was detained and deported from the city. Aleksandra Bielakowska, a Taipei-based RSF advocacy officer, was on a task to monitor a hearing of the trial of media tycoon and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, who currently faces possible life imprisonment for foreign collusion and endangering national security.
According to a statement released by RSF, immigration officers at the Hong Kong International Airport detained Bielakowska for six hours and her belongings were thoroughly searched three times. No specific reason was given for Bielakowska’s expulsion from the city, with only a “very vague notice of detention” issued. RSF regularly monitors controversial trials around the world, including the ongoing US extradition case against Julian Assange, as part of the organization’s mission to defend freedom of information. According to their 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Hong Kong is ranked 140th out of 180 countries and territories in terms of the level of freedom enjoyed by journalists and media outlets, plummeting from 18th place in two decades.
Summary
According to a report by Freedom House, media freedom has been deteriorating around the world over the past several decades, with concerning effects on the state of democracy. The case of Hong Kong is no exception. Under the protections of international law and Hong Kong Basic Law, Hong Kongers are entitled to freedoms of the press and expression. However, the detainment and expulsion of Bielakowska sheds light on Hong Kong authorities’ ongoing efforts to curtail most of these rights and erode the rule of law in the city. This incident has implications for global press freedom, which safeguards honest and open exchange of information. The continuous decline in the city’s freedom of expression will likely result in further stifling of dissent, shrinking public confidence in authorities, and ultimately destroying the principles of democracy locally.
Analysis
