Radio Free Asia (RFA) has officially closed its Hong Kong bureau due to safety concerns arising from the recent enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, according to a statement by RFA’s President, Bay Fang. This decision means there will no longer be full-time personnel for RFA in Hong Kong. Concerns have been cast over the safety of the RFA and its journalists due to actions by Hong Kong authorities who have brandmarked RFA as a “foreign force”.
During the prior consultation period in February, the Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, tagged RFA as being financially bolstered by the US Congress. However, RFA clarified that it is in fact a private non-profit news outlet that receives a grant from the US Agency for Global Media. The bureau’s closure is scheduled for completion by the end of the current month. Despite this, Fang has reassured RFA’s audience that their programming and content will continue without disruption.
In response to RFA’s decision to withdraw from Hong Kong, Cédric Alviani, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Asia-Pacific Bureau Director, expressed his belief that this withdrawal is suggestive of the chilling effect the new ordinance has had on media outlets. RSF went on to report that allegations made by Hong Kong authorities against multiple foreign media outlets, including prominent names like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and The Guardian, can be categorized as “fact-twisting”.
Passed on March 19, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, often referred to as the “Article 23 legislation”, makes acts of treason, insurrection, and sabotage punishable by up to a life sentence. Despite the Hong Kong government’s affirmations of its benign intent, the international community has expressed widespread concerns about the potential impacts on human rights. For instance, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has stated that specific provisions could lead to self-censorship and a chilling of legitimate speech and conduct.
These concerns have been echoed by the Hong Kong Journalists Association, which has suggested that the new law’s criminal provisions related to sedition, disclosure of state secrets, and external interference pose a significant threat to press freedoms.
Despite these pressing concerns, the Hong Kong government has denied any validity to such fears, insisting that “normal journalists” would not unintentionally violate Article 23.