HKJA condemns the Government for carrying out a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Mainland Port Area at Hong Kong’s high-speed rail terminus at late night without giving prior notification to the public nor inviting the media to cover the event. This ceremony marks the formal implementation of the co-location arrangement. The Government only chose to issue a press release at five minutes after midnight. We condemn such arrangement, which is inappropriate.

The ceremony was jointly hosted by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Chan Fan, and the Deputy Secretary General of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, Lin Ji. According to media reports, about 800 mainland law enforcement staff will be deployed to work in the mainland port area at the rail link terminus.

The public is highly concerned about the co-location arrangement at Hong Kong’s high-speed rail terminus. The commissioning of the Mainland Port Area and the stationing of mainland officers at the terminus will bring about profound impacts in Hong Kong.  It is a must for the media to be there to report the event and to interview the officials involved. We question the Government on whether they have deliberately held the ceremony in a low-key manner. By doing so, the Government has seriously undermined the people’s right to know.

Hong Kong Journalists Association
4 September 2018