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In response to a statement today (Thursday) by the Foreign Correspondents' Club regarding the transfer of the Director of Broadcasting, Ms Cheung Man-yee, the Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Anson Chan said:

I share the FCC's sentiments about the importance of protecting press freedom in Hong Kong, which is guaranteed under the Basic Law.

Freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the free flow of information have long been upheld and cherished in Hong Kong. This situation has not changed with the posting of the Director of Broadcasting Cheung Man-yee to an important overseas mission, and nor will it.

The suggestion that this perfectly proper promotion opportunity for a highly respected and successful civil servant to a senior "ambassadorial" post in the capital of one of our key economic and trading partners is somehow a politically- inspired back door attack on press freedom is frankly muddled and ill founded.

I have already said but I want to re-emphasize that such a claim is an insult to her successor and the dedicated staff who work at RTHK. The editorial independence of RTHK is not shouldered by one person alone, but by a team of well motivated editors, journalists and producers committed to RTHK's charter of editorial independence.

Ms Cheung's successor and his team should expect support, particularly from others in the profession, rather than a pre-emptive dismissal that they will simply be a mouthpiece of the Government.

RTHK's editorial independence is a fundamental principle of the government's policy on public broadcasting. I am committed to ensuring RTHK's ongoing editorial independence as is the Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Mr Kwong Ki-chi.

I take strong exception to the claim Ms Cheung has been removed from her post, as she has indicated herself that she was looking for a new challenge after 13 years in her current position. She expressed an interest in an overseas posting. She is ideally suited for the Tokyo job.

I am surprised that the FCC seems to imply that Ms Cheung should not be considered for a more senior position. She is a career civil servant, with extensive knowledge of Hong Kong affairs, strong leadership skills and rich experience in the field of communications and public relations. These are the very attributes required for this post.

The FCC draws an extremely long bow in further linking Ms Cheung's promotion to the consultations on a proposed Press Council.

The question of a Press Council was raised in a consultation paper issued by the Privacy Sub-committee of the Law Reform Commission, the members of which are mainly private citizens including a former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association.

It is absurd to suggest a link between the release of the consultation paper, over which the government had no influence, and the posting of a senior civil servant.

It is our intention to consider a successor to Ms Cheung from among the ranks at RTHK. In line with normal procedures, we will convene a promotion board as soon as possible to identify a successor to Ms Cheung. We aim to make an announcement in early November.

I appeal to all concerned not to politicise this posting and to give the management of RTHK a chance to prove itself.

End/Thursday, October 21, 1999

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