16 May 2025明報#6794
申訴署網站移除2023前報告 涉逾230項調查 署方：方便找最新 議員：透明度退步
The Office of The Ombudsman, which monitors government departments to promote greater transparency and handles complaints under the Code on Access to Information, recently updated its website and removed a large amount of information and reports on investigations into government departments. The website now retains only investigation reports, press releases and mediation and collaboration examples from after April 2023, as well as two annual reports from 2022/23 onwards. The removed material covered at least 230 investigation reports. The website’s section listing individual public complaints under the “Code on Access to Information cases” heading has also disappeared (see separate report). In response to enquiries, the Office said the update was made to ensure the website’s content was accurate and to facilitate effective management, and that members of the public could submit written requests for information not on the website. A lawmaker described the move as “a setback for transparency”, while a scholar said it was unreasonable to remove the archives.
負責督促各政府部門增透明度、處理《公開資料守則》投訴的申訴專員公署早前更新網站，移除大量調查政府部門的報告及資料，網站只保留2023年4月之後的調查報告、新聞稿、調解協作實例，以及2022/23年度起兩份年報，此前的內容移除，涉及至少230項調查報告內容；網站原詳列市民投訴個案的「《公開資料守則》個案」欄目亦不復見（見另稿）。公署回覆本報查詢稱，為確保網站內容準確和有效管理而更新，市民可書面要求索取網站以外資料。有議員形容事件「透明度退步」，有學者則認為收起檔案做法不合理。
13 May 2025獨媒#6784
陳朗昇受訪紀錄片入圍海外短片節 惟導演因「受訪者受壓」退出放映
After Hong Kong film distributor Ying E Chi announced its dissolution last year, artistic director Vincent Chui re-established a platform under the same name overseas and organised an “Independent Short Film Festival”. Twelve shortlisted short films will be screened in the United States, Canada, Taiwan and the United Kingdom in June. However, Ying E Chi announced today that the director of one of the shortlisted films, *A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire*, had decided to withdraw the film from all festival screenings because “the interviewee was put under pressure”.
The documentary features former Hong Kong Journalists Association chairperson Chan Long-sing. Responding to media enquiries, Chan said: “I believe everyone understands the difficulties involved. After all, we are still in Hong Kong. If anything happened at any time, our families could be destroyed and spouses separated from their children. No one dares take the risk anymore.”
Vincent Chui wrote on personal social media that they felt frustrated and regretful about the incident, but said the other 11 works were equally excellent, adding: “I hope Hong Kong people everywhere will continue to cherish this opportunity to appreciate these independent films.” They also believed that *A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire* would see the light of day again one day.
香港電影發行商「影意志」去年宣布解散後，藝術總監崔允信在海外重組同名平台並舉辦「獨立短片節」，將於6月在美國、加拿大、台灣和英國放映12 部入圍短片。不過「影意志」今日公佈，入圍短片之一《星星之火・不可燎原》的導演決定退出作品展所有放映，原因是「受訪者受到壓力」。
該片是以前記協主席陳朗昇為主角的紀錄片，陳回覆傳媒查詢時稱：「相信大家都明白當中的困難，始終我哋人仲喺香港，隨時遇上咩事嘅話可能家破人亡、妻離子散，無人敢搏喇。」
崔允信則在個人社交媒體撰文，坦言對事件感到沮喪和可惜，但指其餘11部作品同樣精彩，「希望各地的香港人繼續珍惜這個機會去欣賞這些獨立電影」，又相信《星星之火，不可燎原》總有一天能重見天日。
13 May 2025集誌社#6787
長和賣港口｜集團深夜發聲明：交易絕不可能不合法、不合規進行
The sale of CK Hutchison Holdings’ ports has caused widespread controversy. At the beginning of the month, Ta Kung Pao published commentaries on two consecutive days attacking the group, warning that if CK Hutchison remained “obstinate” it would “end up battered and bruised” and that if it did not turn back, it would “certainly regret it too late”. The commentaries twice mentioned that, in addition to the Anti-Monopoly Law, national security laws could be used if necessary. Yesterday (12th), Ta Kung Pao published an interview with Hong Kong University Faculty of Law deputy dean Yun (EC Legal) Zhao, who was quoted as saying that the SAR Government could invoke the National Security Law to examine whether the transaction “cooperates with foreign forces to endanger national security”.
The group issued a statement late last night, saying that “the transaction absolutely cannot be conducted under any circumstances that are illegal or non-compliant”.
長和集團出售旗下港口引起軒然大波，《大公報》月初一連兩日發表時評炮轟，警告長和「執迷不悟將碰得頭破血流」、「再不回頭，一定後悔莫及」，兩度提及除了《反壟斷法》，必要時可用國安法律。《大公報》昨（12日）再刊登香港大學法律學院副長院趙雲訪問，引述其指特區政府可援引《國安法》，以審查交易是否「配合外國勢力危害國家安全」。
集團昨深夜發聲明，指「交易絕不可能在任何不合法或不合規的情況下進行」。
12 May 2025獨媒#6779
至少3書商被拒參加香港書展 出版商嘆失「最包容華文書展」特色
The Hong Kong Book Fair, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, will be held in July. However, at least three booksellers have been refused permission to participate, including Lam Lam Dik Tin and Boundary Bookstore, which were asked to remove books from sale last year. The books included works by veteran media worker Au Ka-lun and former Legislative Council member Shiu Ka-chun, as well as the social-movement-themed short-story collection “Everyday Movement”. Another bookseller is also understood to have received a letter rejecting its application, bringing the number of rejected applicants to at least three.\n\nWu Tsz-ching, editor-in-chief of Lam Lam Dik Tin, told InMedia that he was not surprised by the rejection, as HKTDC staff had warned last year that the bookstore’s failure to remove veteran media worker Au Ka-lun’s book “Turbulence” from sale as requested could affect its participation in future fairs. He lamented that the Hong Kong Book Fair had lost its reputation as “the most inclusive and diverse Chinese-language book fair”, and said it was also very difficult to organise retail events selling books outside official venues.
貿發局主辦的香港書展將於7月舉行，不過至少三間書商申請參展被拒絕，包括去年被要求下架書籍的「藍藍的天」及「界限書店」。兩間書商去年均有書籍被要求下架，包括資深傳媒人區家麟和前立法會議員邵家臻的著作，以及涉社運題材的小說集《日常運動》。另外，據悉尚一間書商同樣接獲拒批信函，即至少3個單位被拒參展。
藍藍的天總編輯伍自禎向《獨媒》表示，對被拒參展不感意外，因去年曾收到貿發局人員警告，指他們未按要求「下架」停售資深傳媒人區家麟《亂流》一書或影響日後參展。他嘆，香港書展已失去「華文界最包容、最多樣化書展」的美譽，又指在官方場地以外辦「零售活動」賣書亦很困難。
9 May 2025明報#6778
藍藍的天、界限書店等被拒參加書展 去年曾涉書籍下架事件 貿發局不評論個別個案
The Hong Kong Book Fair will open in July this year. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) recently wrote to at least three independent publishers or bookstores informing them that their applications to participate had “not been accepted”, without explaining the reasons for the rejections. Blue Sky and Boundary Bookstore confirmed to this publication that they had received rejection letters, and both believed the decisions were related to being asked to remove “sensitive” books during last year’s fair. In response to inquiries, the HKTDC said that during preparations for any event, “generally, some applications to participate will not be accepted”, and declined to comment on individual cases.
Ng Tsz-ching, the person in charge of Blue Sky, said that when fair staff asked the bookstore to remove books from its shelves last year, they had said that refusing to do so would result in it being barred from participating in future fairs. He said he was therefore not surprised that this year’s application had been rejected. He said the book fair had originally been an occasion for presenting Hong Kong’s literary scene in its entirety, but believed that, as the space for independent publishers to participate had narrowed and other exhibitors had become “increasingly cautious” under a chilling effect, the fair could no longer represent Hong Kong literature.
香港書展將於今年7月開鑼，貿發局日前致函至少3間獨立出版社或書店，告知其參展申請「不獲接納」，但沒告知拒批原因。其中藍藍的天及界限書店向本報確認收到拒批申請信函，他們皆估計，與去年參展時遭要求下架「敏感」書籍相關。貿發局回覆查詢稱，任何活動籌備期間，「一般都會有一些參展申請不被接納」，不回應個別個案。
藍藍的天負責人伍自禎表示，去年書展職員要求其下架書架時，曾言不下架將禁止他們日後參展，因此對今年申請遭拒並不意外。他說，每年書展原是全面展現本港文壇的場合，但認為隨獨立出版社參展的空間收窄，加上其餘參展商在寒蟬效應下「越來越謹慎」，認為書展不能再代表香港文學。
7 May 2025獨媒#6766
香港新聞自由被列「狀況惡劣」 葛珮帆轟無國界記者雙重標準抹黑法治
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) recently released its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, in which Hong Kong fell to a record-low 140th place and was classified for the first time in the worst red zone, meaning a “dire situation”. DAB Legislative Council member Elizabeth Quat accused certain organisations of using double standards to smear Hong Kong’s rule of law and attempting to interfere in China’s internal affairs in the name of press freedom, saying their conduct deserved condemnation.
In a column published on on.cc yesterday, Quat first alleged that Reporters Without Borders had received funding from the US National Endowment for Democracy, the US Agency for International Development and prominent anti-China figure George Soros, and that the CIA had continuously provided it with financial support. The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong (FCC) earlier released a press freedom survey in which 62% of respondents said press freedom in Hong Kong had deteriorated over the past year. Quat also criticised the FCC, saying that although it was nominally a “bastion of freedom of speech”, it had repeatedly abused press freedom to put a favourable gloss on people seeking to disrupt Hong Kong, thereby fully exposing its despicable conduct of smearing Hong Kong in the name of press freedom.
「無國界記者組織」（RSF）日前發布2025年世界新聞自由指數，香港排名創新低跌至140，更首次被評為最差的紅區，即「狀況惡劣」。民建聯立法會議員葛珮帆炮轟有個別組織，以雙重標準抹黑香港法治，企圖以「新聞自由」之名干涉中國內政，形容其心可誅。
葛珮帆昨日在《東網》專欄撰文，先指無國界記者曾接受美國國家民主基金會、美國國際開發署及著名反中人士索羅斯的資助，中情局亦一直向其提供資金支援。香港外國記者會（FCC）早前公布新聞自由調查，結果指有62%受訪者表示，本港新聞自由在過去一年間變差。葛珮帆同時炮轟，香港外國記者會名義上是「言論自由的堡壘」，實質多次濫用新聞自由為亂港分子貼金，「充分暴露其以新聞自由為名，行抹黑香港之實的卑劣行徑」。
7 May 2025獨媒#6768
Channel C稱銀行帳戶被凍結 短期內沒法運作、建議會員自行判斷是否繼續付費
The director of the parent company of online media outlet Channel C was arrested last month on suspicion of defrauding the government under the “100% Guarantee Special Loan” scheme, and the website and social media platforms have remained without updates. On Tuesday night (6th), Channel C issued a “Members’ Announcement” saying the company’s bank accounts had been frozen and that it was working to communicate with the police in the hope of having the freeze lifted. As the process would take time, the platform would be unable to maintain its daily operations in the short term. It advised members to consider their own circumstances and decide whether to continue paying before making or renewing payments.
網媒《Channel C》母公司董事上月涉嫌詐騙政府「百分百擔保特惠貸款」被捕，網站及社交平台一直停止更新。至周二晚（6日），Channel C發布「會員公告」，稱公司的銀行帳戶被凍結，正努力與警方溝通，希望可以解除凍結；由於過程需時，短期內沒法讓平台維持日常運作，建議會員在付費或續費前，根據自身情況判斷是否繼續付費。
6 May 2025Yahoo#6762
FCC、無國界記者遭建制追擊 媒體、議員連日發文 斥抹黑香港新聞自由
The pro-establishment Hong Kong Commercial Daily yesterday published a commentary by Johnny Wah Yung Yu, a member of the Standing Committee of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, criticising the RSF rankings and an FCC survey as “smearing Hong Kong’s press freedom, completely turning right and wrong upside down and distorting facts to make them fit.” Wen Wei Po today also published a commentary bylined “Lai Tsz-yan”, saying the two organisations “disregard facts and fail to distinguish right from wrong, using every opportunity to attack the SAR Government and Hong Kong society, fully exposing their despicable conduct of politically manipulating Hong Kong’s rule of law and national security in the name of press freedom, as well as their sinister intentions to disrupt and harm Hong Kong.”
Separately, pro-establishment Legislative Council member Elizabeth Quat wrote in a commentary on the Oriental Daily News website that “certain organisations” were smearing Hong Kong’s rule of law with double standards and “attempting to interfere in China’s internal affairs in the name of ‘press freedom’; their intentions deserve condemnation.” She also said, “Only by upholding the spirit of the rule of law and safeguarding national security can the various rights, including press freedom, be protected and Hong Kong’s lasting peace and stability ensured; this is the true guarantee of the fundamental well-being of Hong Kong people.”
A spokesperson for the SAR Government told media in response to inquiries that the government strongly condemned the inaccurate and biased remarks made by the organisations concerned when publishing the relevant index and statement.
建制派媒體《香港商報》昨日發布中華全國工商業聯合會常委楊華勇的評論，批評RSF排名、FCC調查是「抹黑香港新聞自由，完全是顛倒陰陽、顛倒黑白、扭曲作直。」《文匯報》今亦發表署名「黎子珍」的評論，稱兩組織「罔顧事實、不分是非，利用一切機會攻擊特區政府和香港社會，充分暴露其以新聞自由為名，對香港法治和國家安全進行政治操弄的卑劣行徑以及其亂港禍港的險惡用心。」
另外，建制派立法會議員葛珮帆在《東網》發表評論，批「個別組織」以雙重標準抹黑香港法治，「企圖以『新聞自由』之名干涉中國內政，其心可誅」，又指「惟有堅守法治精神、維護國家安全，才能保障包括新聞自由在內的各項權利，確保香港長治久安，這才是對港人根本福祉的真正保障。」
特區政府發言人回覆傳媒查詢表示，強烈譴責相關組織發表有關指數及聲明時所作出的不實和偏頗言論。
5 May 2025RFA#6758
記協製作新聞大事資料庫 統計六年以來49新聞工作者被捕
Jimmy Lai was arrested, Apple Daily ceased publication, Stand News ceased publication, and former RTHK director Choy Yuk Ling, Bao was arrested for checking vehicle licence plates. In addition, more journalists have been arrested or imprisoned over the past six years. On World Press Freedom Day last Saturday (the 3rd), the Hong Kong Journalists Association launched a database called “Media 360”, recording major events in the media sector from 2021 to the present, as well as a list of journalists arrested or imprisoned since 2019.
The HKJA said that Hong Kong press freedom had undergone major changes since 2021. As the Hong Kong National Security Law and Article 23 of the Basic Law came into force in succession, the legal risks facing the media changed dramatically. The new database is divided into three sections. The first records the “Press Freedom Events” of the past four-plus years. The latest entries include the US government stopping funding for this station, and Secretary for Security Chris Tang reprimanding a Ming Pao reporter in March over questions about Tang’s departure from Hong Kong without an announcement or gazette notice. It also includes several hearings in the Apple Daily and Stand News cases. The earliest entry is the Court of Final Appeal’s ruling on 9 February 2021 in favour of the Department of Justice, under which Jimmy Lai, who was charged with conspiracy to collude with a foreign country or external forces, was required to remain in custody.
黎智英被捕、《蘋果日報》結束、《立場新聞》結束、港台前編導蔡玉玲因查車牌被捕……除了這些以外，還有更多新聞工作者在過去六年多先後被捕甚至被囚。香港記者協會在上周六（3日）的世界新聞自由日，發佈了名為「傳媒360」的資料庫，記錄了自2021年至今，傳媒界發生的大事，以及自2019年以來被捕被囚的新聞工作者名單。
記協表示，自 2021年香港新聞自由出現重大變化。隨著《香港國安法》及《基本法》第 23 條先後生效，傳媒面對的法律風險劇變。新設的資料庫分為三個部份，首先記錄了四年多以來的「新聞自由事件簿」。最新的包括本台被美國政府停止資助，以至三月份保安局局長鄧炳強責備《明報》記者，就有關鄧離港未有公佈及刊憲的提問等，還有多宗有關《蘋果日報》及《立場新聞》案的審訊等。而最早的一宗，是2021年2月9日終院裁定律政司勝訴，被控串謀勾結外國或境外勢罪的黎智英需繼續還柙。
2 May 2025獨媒#6751
《大公》稱國家可動用維護國安法律 威嚇長和「再不回頭後悔莫及」
CK Hutchison had earlier planned to sell ports around the world, including two in Panama, to a consortium including US-based BlackRock, directly angering China’s top leadership. CK Hutchison changed tack by splitting the deal: the Panama ports would remain led by the BlackRock consortium, while the remaining ports would be sold to Italy’s Aponte family. In editorials published over two consecutive days, Ta Kung Pao adopted a threatening tone, saying that besides the Anti-Monopoly Law, China could deploy many “legal and policy tools”, including laws related to safeguarding national security. One headline used the tone of an ultimatum: “If CK Hutchison does not turn back, it will certainly regret it deeply.”
長和早前計劃出售全球多個港口，包括巴拿馬兩個港口，予包括美資貝萊德集團的財團，直接觸怒國家最高層。長和「變招」將交易分拆，巴拿馬港口續由貝萊德集團財團主導，其餘港口售予意大利Aponte家族。《大公報》社評一連兩日語帶威嚇，指除了《反壟斷法》，中國還可以動用很多「法律和政策工具」，包括維護國家安全的相關法律，標題更用上通牒語氣：「長和再不回頭，一定後悔莫及」。
Translations are supplied by the source workbook. Consult the original reporting for context.
