聲明：回應《金融時報》編輯被拒續工作簽證

【聲明：回應《金融時報》編輯被拒續工作簽證】
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身兼香港外國記者會副主席的《金融時報》亞洲新聞編輯 Victor Mallet，被香港政府拒絕工作簽證續期申請，此舉顯然是港府受到北京外交部施壓，對外國記者會邀請民族黨陳浩天演說的秋後算賬。

香港眾志認為，因政治審查拒批護照予外國記者，實屬「鎖港」政策，港府此舉不單嚴重打擊新聞自由與國際聲譽，更可能在中美角力越演越烈之際，促使國際社會審慎評估《中英聯合聲明》和《美港政策法》的實施狀況，影響香港免受貿易戰直接波及的獨特定位。

隨著是次先例一開，港府開始「株連」敢於聆聽異見聲音新聞工作者，香港眾志只憂慮有更多外國駐港人士的工作簽證，會否因不合北京主旋律而再被註銷，而所謂的香港國際大都會，如今已倒退至與大陸無異的普通省市。

有鑑於事態嚴重，以及聯合國即將開展普遍定期審議（Universal Periodic Review），我們將於下週派員於前往日內瓦進行遊說工作，與聯合國人權理事會以及各國駐聯合國代表會面，講述《金融時報》編輯被拒續工作簽證一事，務求北京當局在聯合國審議中港人權狀況的時候，必須回應香港新聞自由遭受打壓的真實狀況。

香港眾志
2018年10月5日

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【Statement on Hong Kong refuses working visa renewal for editor of Financial Times】 

The Hong Kong government refused to renew the working visa application of Victor Mallet, the Financial Times’ Asia News Editor who has also served as the vice-president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club(FCC) – a decision which was evidently the result of the Hong Kong government being pressured by Beijing after the forum of Andy Ho-Tin Chan which the FCC hosted. 

Demosisto believes that denying a working visa to a foreign journalist for political censorship is an isolationist policy, This action is not only a serious infringement of freedom of press, it can also create a worrying precedent for those who need a working visa to stay in Hong Kong, as they may now have to adhere to the Beijing line of politics in order to obtain one. 

As the tension between China and the USA intensified, such decisions to censor journalistic work will only diminish Hong Kong’s position in the midst of the trade war. Should the British decide to review the Sino-British Joint Declaration, or the Americans plan to modify the US-Hong Kong Policy Act, leading to Hong Kong suffering economically, the blame would be and should be put on Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hong Kong government. 

This dangerous precedent may deter journalists from reporting oppositional opinions to that of the government. Demosisto worries that Hong Kong, a city which celebrates diversity and international exchange, is now degrading to just another town under Mainland China. 

In view of this serious situation, we will be sending members to Geneva to lobby next week during the upcoming UN Universal Periodic Review pre-session, and discuss the incident with representatives from other Member States. The Beijing authorities need to respond now more than ever to its decision to suppress press freedom in Hong Kong, as its state of human rights is being evaluated on by other Member States in the upcoming session, as is its duty as a member of the United Nations. 

Demosisto 
5/10/2018