Hong Kong: HKJA head sentenced on obstruction charges
Ronson Chan, the head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), has been sentenced to five days in jail after allegedly obstructing police officers in September 2022. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its United Kingdom affiliate, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) strongly condemn the detention of the leader of its affiliate and urge the Hong Kong government to uphold its constitutional commitment to press freedom and overturn the journalist’s conviction.
Former HKJA Chair Mak Yin-ting stands surrounded by multiple police officers shortly before her detention in Causeway Bay on June 4, 2023. Credit: Twitter
On September 25, HKJA chair and Channel C multimedia director Ronson Chan was sentenced by Judge Leung Ka-kie on charges of obstructing police. In her deliberation, Judge Leung stated her belief that the union head had deliberately interfered with the actions of a police officer after allegedly reacting negatively to a request to produce identification. In her ruling, Leung claimed a fine or community service order would not sufficiently reflect the ‘severity’ of the offence, calling Chan’s alleged actions ‘reckless and unreasonable’.
Ronson was granted an HKD 30,000 bail (approx. USD 3,800), conditional on the handover of travel documents and biweekly reports to a police station. Following the verdict, Chan’s legal representatives submitted two letters of mitigation and an appeal.
Ronson was first arrested on September 7, 2022, while covering a homeowner committee meeting in Mong Kok, an action condemned by the IFJ and 20 journalists unions and associations across the region. Police testimony claims Ronson and a Channel C photographer were identified as ‘suspicious persons’, and were uncooperative in their refusal to show their identification cards to the plain-clothes police officers.
Law enforcement claim Ronson was emotional and had waved his hands while asking for police warrant cards while being separated from his colleague during his search. He was taken into custody before being released at approximately 11 PM that evening. Chan’s legal representatives disputed the prosecution’s testimony, with CCTV footage produced in court showing the interaction to have only lasted 15 seconds, too short a time for the described discussion.
The journalist was slated to leave Hong Kong for the United Kingdom in early October 2022 to attend the Reuters Institutes’ Oxford University Fellowship Program. His trial was delayed to allow his participation in the event.
Since the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020, Hong Kong’s media landscape and judiciary have been manipulated and marred as influence from the mainland increases. The IFJ’s report, The Story That Won’t Be Silenced: Hong Kong Freedom of Expression Report details the destruction of press freedom and civil liberties that have emerged in the city since.
The NUJ said: “Ronson Chan's imprisonment represents a darkening shadow falling over media freedom and free expression in Hong Kong. The law has clearly been bent to try and silence a brave and principled journalist whose devotion to honest reporting is as strong as his commitment to safeguarding his fellow journalists. His many friends in the NUJ will be watching this case with care, and hoping that his appeal to this sentence is successful.”
The IFJ said: “The arrest of a Ronson Chan, a journalist and media union leader, while on assignment represents the deep challenges facing both media workers and press freedom in Hong Kong. Chan’s arrest, charges, and sentencing are in stark contrast to the independent judiciary and thriving media landscape that once defined the city. The IFJ strongly urges the Hong Kong administration to abide by the city’s constitutional commitments to press freedom commitments and overturn the conviction.”
