Mr. Gao Siren

Director of Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in HKSAR

10^th July 2008

Dear Mr. Gao,

                The Beijing Olympic Games Organising Committee’s non-comment on the seizure of Apple Daily reporter Norman Choy’s home return permit while saying that his press pass to cover the Games was not in effect “at that time” has not allayed fears that Beijing is not living up to its promise to Hong Kong and to the international community that it will allow full freedom of the press during the Olympic Games.

                What is there to prevent the authorities from confiscating other reporters’ home return permits in order to force the Hong Kong media to send only Beijing-friendly journalists to cover the Olympic Games?

                These fears have in fact been substantiated by unofficial approaches to Apple Daily to replace Norman Choy who had previously been up to Beijing on various occasions to cover pre-Olympics preparations without any hindrance. Hong Kong journalists are now even more concerned that once in Beijing they will be subjected to other pressures.

                We urge the Chinese Government to act firmly to remove these fears by returning Mr Choy’s home return permit and to categorically re-affirm its commitment the world community to allow full press freedom to report on China and the Olympic Games during this period.

                We would also urge the authorities to allow Hong Kong and international media organisations to station representatives at the Olympic Games Centre to act as liaison between the 10,000 foreign reporters covering the Games and the authorities.

        Yours sincerely,

Hong Kong Journalists Association
International Federation of Journalists