'Some Officers Showing Hatred Towards Media'

The chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Chris Yeung, said on Monday that reporters are being targeted by police and some officers seem to be displaying hatred towards frontline media workers.

"We are afraid that it is not just unfriendly. It seems that there is a feeling of hostility and even hate to it in some quarters of the police towards frontline journalists," he said.

Yeung said during the police's operation in Mong Kok on Sunday night, in one instance officers advanced their cordon line despite the fact that only journalists were in the area and no protesters.

"Why did they still proceed in ... such a manner, creating unnecessary chaos? This can only cause concern that police officers were targeting journalists," he said.

The HKJA chief said Police Commissioner Stephen Lo appears friendly during press briefings, but that alone is not helping.

"But that really doesn't [have any] meaning to the frontline journalists trying to do their job. On occasions with marches and demonstrations, people doing the [police] operations, whether it is a clean up or law and order in public places, they have done just the opposite," he said.

Yeung told RTHK's Timmy Sung that he hopes officials, from the commissioner to the those in charge of the force's operations, will get a better understanding of the needs of the media.