Six journalist groups, including the Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Foreign Correspondents' Club, protested at the government headquarters on Monday against the Immigration Department's decision not to renew the work visa of Victor Mallet, Asia news editor of the Financial Times. They presumed that the move is related to the luncheon talk of separatist Andy Chan Ho-tin hosted in August by the FCC, of which Mallet was the acting president, and claimed that Hong Kong's freedoms of speech and the press have been undermined.

The visa rejection may or may not be related to that talk as the Immigration Department has not revealed the reason behind it - not explaining individual visa cases is a universal practice and the British immigration authorities would have done the same. But, without knowing the actual reason, these news associations and some foreign governments have jumped to the conclusion that the incident is an attempt on the part of the special administrative region government and even the central government to suppress press freedom in the city. Such an assertion has been made with no regard to the journalistic principle of backing a claim with sufficient supporting evidence.

As we all know, under the common law, as in other legal systems, there are limits to all kinds of freedoms, including freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Local newspapers, for example, are not allowed to publish news on certain events, such as court proceedings which the presiding judge has ordered not to be covered. In Germany, there are strict laws banning Nazi symbols and what's called Volksverhetzung - incitement to hatred. The country also has a law criminalizing denial of the Holocaust, and so do a dozen other European countries. Around the world, freedoms of speech and the press have always been exercised within the framework of national security and what society can accept.

HKJA Chairman Chris Yeung Kin-hing complained of a red line that journalists are not allowed to cross, and that the red line has not been clearly announced. He is right. There is indeed a red line. President Xi Jinping made it very clear in Hong Kong last year:"Any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line, and is absolutely impermissible." The red line has been clearly drawn. It is there not only for Hong Kong residents to observe, but also for expatriates residing or working here.

Foreign correspondents enjoy all the freedoms everybody else does here, but they are also subject to the legal restraints everybody else has to be subject to. Whoever crosses that red line has to bear the consequences.

(HK Edition 10/09/2018 page8)