Reporters Forced To Speak Out: Association Official

An executive member of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) on Tuesday defended the protest at a police briefing and said violence often used by officers against frontline reporters have made it essential for them to stand up and speak.

Responding to some criticisms that journalists should focus on their duties instead of staging protests, Ronson Chan said he agrees the job of the media is to report but said the situation in Hong Kong now is making it difficult.

"Most of the frontline journalists are facing police violence and we are very concerned and very worried about this situation," he said.

"We agree that we should not be the news story. But today the situation in Hong Kong is not satisfactory. We always face the block or interference of the police action. For example they putting us away long, long way away from the protest scenes or disrupt media coverage," said Chan.

"So if we have to protect the freedom of press, we have to speak out and talk to the police for this situation to change. This is why frontline journalists took such action yesterday," the union official said.