Chairperson Report, June 2007

Firstly I would like to congratulate the newly elected executive committee. I hope our new Excom will be able to fight for the rights and safeguard the press freedom for our colleagues in the coming year.

I am still uneasy with the Hong Kong Press Freedom survey results released in February this year. Press freedom is an important mainstay of every journalist. If we lose it, we may be burdened with frustration when we take-up our pens. Also, further deterioration of our public space will undoubtedly result.

I strongly believe that many of our friends still treasure and will fight for press freedom, but I understand the battle against self-censorship is sometimes anonymous, lonely, and unseen. Nevertheless, please don’t give up. You are not fighting alone. There are still many people striving for the same goal. When we believe unity is power, the walls holding up press freedom will never collapse.

On behalf of JA’s Executive Committee, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of our members’ support in the past year. I was touched as you probably were too busy at work but you nonetheless contributed your time and energy to support every activity we organized. I hoped that you all will continue to support HKJA in the coming year.

First, I would like to thank Mr. Lee Cheuk Yan for assisting Sing Pao staffs to fight for their rights. I would like to thank Mr. Albert Ho for raising the Ching Cheong Case in Legco. I especially thank our members Ms. Mak Yin Ting and Mr. Cliff Bale for their advice on handling our constitution.

Also, I must say thank you to our office staffs and our Ex-com for their great efforts in spite of heavy workload.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association needs your support and supervision which to enable us to achieve higher standards of professionalism, to promote the welfare of the journalists and their profession and to safeguard freedom of the press, of expression and publication which are part of the core values of Hong Kong.

Chairperson Report, July 2007
Chairperson Report, May 2007