Christian group defends Hong Kong press union after security chief criticism, as foreign press club condemns harassment

A conservative Christian NGO, the Society for Truth and Light, defended the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) after Hong Kong's Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, criticized the union. The NGO's general secretary, Choi Chi-sum, expressed concern about the HKJA's survival and questioned whether the issues stemmed from declining journalist quality or a deteriorating media ecosystem.

Choi suggested that mainstream journalists may be unwilling to defend the profession or that media bosses might prevent employees from taking roles that could offend those in power. Lingua Sinica, an initiative by Taiwan-based China Media Project, also published examples of a coordinated campaign in state-backed press targeting the HKJA, alleging a "black-box" operation during the union's recent election.

HKJA chair Selina Cheng explained that the decision not to disclose candidates' names was due to harassment campaigns, as the HKJA has no legal obligation to post officers' names publicly. The Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) condemned the harassment campaigns faced by the HKJA, emphasizing its support for journalists in carrying out their duties, and stated that the HKJA is a non-profit organization and a registered trade union advocating press freedom and supporting journalists and journalism in Hong Kong.