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HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong has banned the editor of the newspaper "Financial Times" for Asia to enter the city, the newspaper reported, after authorities refused to renew his visa in October, raising questions about the city's commitment to freedom of expression.
FILE PHOTO: Victor Mallet, Financial Times reporter and Senior Vice President of the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC), speaks at a luncheon hosted at the FCC in Hong Kong, China on August 14, 2018. Paul Yeung / Pool via REUTERS
Victor Mallet "attempted to enter Hong Kong on Thursday as a visitor but was turned back at the border after several hours of questioning by immigration agents," the Financial Times said.
Mallet did not comment further when contacted by Reuters.
The Hong Kong government said the case had nothing to do with freedom of expression or the press.
"When considering any application for entry, we will act in accordance with the law and the immigration policy in effect to make a decision," said Friday an email. Analysts have cited the case of the chief editor of the FT among other examples of Hong Kong officials who strongly oppose criticism and dissent perceived in the former British colony.
On Thursday, a prominent Chinese dissident writer, Ma Jian, said on Twitter that a Hong Kong art center had told him that he would no longer hold two of his talks as part of the International Literary Festival. from Hong Kong.
In the case of Mallet, the government refused to renew its work visa last month after a speech he delivered to the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) by a pro-independence activist was strongly condemned by the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.
The authorities did not justify the visa decision, which shocked many members of the international community and reopened the debate on the promised freedoms in the financial center.
The FCC said Friday on its website that it was "shocked and disconcerted" by Mallet's refusal to enter Hong Kong.
Joshua Rosenzweig, East Asia Research Director for the Amnesty International advocacy group, tweeted that Hong Kong's action was "totally unacceptable and evoked ongoing retaliation".
RIGHTS UNDER SCRUTINY
Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong said that independence violates the "one country, two systems" principle that governs the territory since its handover to China in 1997.
The principle promises Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed elsewhere in China, rights enshrined in a mini-constitution known as the Basic Law.
The human rights situation in Hong Kong was discussed in Geneva this week by several foreign governments at a United Nations hearing on rights in China.
On Thursday, exiled Chinese author Ma Jian tweeted that the Tai Kwun Arts Center, created with the support of the government, had canceled two events during which he was to speak.
Tai Kwun director Timothy Calnin said in an email statement that the center "did not want to become a platform to promote anyone's political interests."
Ma said that he had not been able to find a Hong Kong publisher for his satirical novel China Dream, nicknamed by the organizers of the Hong Kong Literary Festival as "Ma's response to the news". President Xi Jinping's goal of restoring national greatness. "
"I am a novelist, not an activist, and I participate in the Festival to discuss my new novel, China Dream. My "policies" are simple: I believe in freedom of thought and freedom of speech. Without them, life does not make sense, "Ma wrote on Twitter.
My must arrive in Hong Kong on Friday afternoon.
Report by Farah Master; Edited by James Pomfret and Darren Schuettler
