Earlier this week, a Polish journalist working for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Aleksandra Bielakowska, was detained while trying to enter Hong Kong to monitor the trial of Jimmy Lai, a businessman, politician, and the owner of what was once the largest media company in Hong Kong. Bielakowska has been released after six hours in detention and expelled. TVP World invited her to share more about what happened to her in particular and what is the media freedom situation in Hong Kong in general.
Bielakowska, who was once a Polish Press Agency (PAP) correspondent in Taiwan, has for four years been working for the RSF office in Taipei, where she works as an Advocacy Officer. It is her job to actively take part in monitoring hearings and trials of press freedom defenders and journalists in the region, particularly in Hong Kong.
That was not her first working trip to Hong Kong either, but the third in a span of less than a year. She was there twice in December at the hearings of Jimmy Lai. Although Article 23 of a recently introduced National Security Law mandates that a lot of hearings be conducted behind closed doors, Lai’s trial is not.
Nothing odd happened during the first hearing. Although she and a colleague accompanying her were the only representatives of NGOs, the trial was attended by diplomats from democratic countries.
“Weird they stopped me now,” Bielakowska said, recollecting how nothing unusual happened the first time around.
“The second time in December, actually some red flags started to appear,” she said.
At least twice she and her colleague were being followed, although they did not confront the people who did it. She also said that they have proof that during one of the meetings someone was trying to record and make notes of what they were doing.
“But again, I could enter and leave Hong Kong without any issues in December,” Bielakowska stressed.
This time around she was accompanied by the Taipei office’s director. He was allowed to cross the border. She was stopped.
“And then for six hours I was questioned, moved from one room to the other, my belongings were very carefully searched, my body was searched,” she said.
She would be interrogated by one person in one room, but at one point she was put in a room with about a dozen other people, whom she suspects may have been plainclothes officers, at least some of them.
Bielakowska summarized the rule of law in Hong Kong simply as a “deteriorating situation,” and this applies to freedom of the press as well.
At least two mainstream media outlets have been closed. People she spoke to in Hong Kong told her they were being followed and put under government surveillance. Big international media outlets are not outside of the scope of the regime’s interest either. On a daily basis they are receiving letters from the government saying that what they are reporting are “lies”.
That was not her first working trip to Hong Kong either, but the third in a span of less than a year. She was there twice in December at the hearings of Jimmy Lai. Although Article 23 of a recently introduced National Security Law mandates that a lot of hearings be conducted behind closed doors, Lai’s trial is not.
Nothing odd happened during the first hearing. Although she and a colleague accompanying her were the only representatives of NGOs, the trial was attended by diplomats from democratic countries.
“Weird they stopped me now,” Bielakowska said, recollecting how nothing unusual happened the first time around.
“The second time in December, actually some red flags started to appear,” she said.
At least twice she and her colleague were being followed, although they did not confront the people who did it. She also said that they have proof that during one of the meetings someone was trying to record and make notes of what they were doing.
“But again, I could enter and leave Hong Kong without any issues in December,” Bielakowska stressed.
This time around she was accompanied by the Taipei office’s director. He was allowed to cross the border. She was stopped.
“And then for six hours I was questioned, moved from one room to the other, my belongings were very carefully searched, my body was searched,” she said.
She would be interrogated by one person in one room, but at one point she was put in a room with about a dozen other people, whom she suspects may have been plainclothes officers, at least some of them.
Bielakowska summarized the rule of law in Hong Kong simply as a “deteriorating situation,” and this applies to freedom of the press as well.
At least two mainstream media outlets have been closed. People she spoke to in Hong Kong told her they were being followed and put under government surveillance. Big international media outlets are not outside of the scope of the regime’s interest either. On a daily basis they are receiving letters from the government saying that what they are reporting are “lies”.
The work of journalists has become very hard, as everybody is simply afraid to talk to them.
Two national security laws have been passed, one three years ago and a more recent one several weeks ago. Bielakowska said it is hard to be certain how the government will use it, “but of course it might be even more draconian, taking into consideration what type of articles we can find there.” As one example she cited an article that stipulates a person can be detained for two weeks without being charged, basically without reason.
This was the case with Bielakowska.
“The only reason that was given to me was ‘immigration,’ which is no reason whatsoever,” she said. She still does not know whether it is because of her work, because she was going to Jimmy Lai’s trial, because of her social media appearances, or her association with RSF.
But she says it will not change her approach to reporting on “politically sensitive” topics.
“Of course, it’s not changing our [RSF] stance on things. We’ll be still monitoring what is happening in Hong Kong, will be still advocating, watching what is going on with Jimmy Lai hearing, with other cases of journalists being harassed and detained in Hong Kong,” she said. “We just need to be even more vocal [...] what is very important is for the world to really see what is happening right now.”
As she said, RSF currently estimates the number of press freedom defenders and journalists detained in Hong Kong at 10. RSF’s World Press Freedom Index ranks Hong Kong 140th out of 180 countries and territories. China itself is ranked 179th, ahead only of North Korea.
Two national security laws have been passed, one three years ago and a more recent one several weeks ago. Bielakowska said it is hard to be certain how the government will use it, “but of course it might be even more draconian, taking into consideration what type of articles we can find there.” As one example she cited an article that stipulates a person can be detained for two weeks without being charged, basically without reason.
This was the case with Bielakowska.
“The only reason that was given to me was ‘immigration,’ which is no reason whatsoever,” she said. She still does not know whether it is because of her work, because she was going to Jimmy Lai’s trial, because of her social media appearances, or her association with RSF.
But she says it will not change her approach to reporting on “politically sensitive” topics.
“Of course, it’s not changing our [RSF] stance on things. We’ll be still monitoring what is happening in Hong Kong, will be still advocating, watching what is going on with Jimmy Lai hearing, with other cases of journalists being harassed and detained in Hong Kong,” she said. “We just need to be even more vocal [...] what is very important is for the world to really see what is happening right now.”
As she said, RSF currently estimates the number of press freedom defenders and journalists detained in Hong Kong at 10. RSF’s World Press Freedom Index ranks Hong Kong 140th out of 180 countries and territories. China itself is ranked 179th, ahead only of North Korea.
Source: TVP World
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