DATELINE: HONG KONG

Maybe we are replacing one set of [colonial] masters with another: Emily Lau, Hong Kong's first democratically elected female legislator.
Introduction: Emily Lau is a Legislative Council representative for Hong Kong's New Territories. A former correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review, she is a past chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association. Ms. Lau is a leader of the Hong Kong based, pro-democracy group, The Frontier.This interview was conducted at the Legco Building in Hong Kong on 20.3.97.
Lau: There is a threat of Chinese reprisals against journalists and their employers, to the proprietors and their advertising revenue. These are very real pressures on the profession. So whether we are talking about reporters, editors or news proprietors, I think they are all operating under that sort of anxiety. People are always trying to second guess the wishes of Peking and try to stay away from stories they think they will not like.

Knight: Was Jimmy Lai [The proprietor of the anti-Beijing Apple newspaper was forced to divest himself of his control of the Giordano clothing group, after it was subjected to pressure from pro-mainland businesses.] made an example of in that way?

Lau: I think so. I think the Chinese are eager to show the people what they must not do. I have no inside information but I think that because of the criticisms he made of Li Peng, the company got into trouble. Now look at his Next Media Holdings. They are having trouble. I think the signs are very clear.

Knight: What sort of role does the Hong Kong Journalists' Association have post 1997?

Lau: What they do right now. Continue to voice the concerns of the profession and urge the government to change laws in the interests of the profession, in the interests of lifting the standards of journalism?

Knight: The Association has consistently argued for freedom of speech, hasn't it?

Lau: Yes.

Knight: Why then in your view was the Federation of Journalists formed in your view?

Lau: The pro-communists? Well to express their views.

Knight: Not to supplant the Association?

Lau: That may be the effect, I don't know whether that would actually happen.But obviously they feel that the Association does not express their views. it depends what happens.

Knight: Are you optimistic about freedom of speech in Hong Kong?

Lau: No I am not. I have been consistently concerned about the Chinese government's determination to assert control and its intolerance of dissenting views. So I think after the takeover, it is very likely they will not allow dissenting views to be expressed. They will do their best to suppress such views.

Knight: When I spoke to Alan Castro he argued that the British suppressed dissenting views, now Hong Kong will just have to deal with Beijing.

Lau: It is very sad. We thought it was the end of colonial rule and there would be a high degree of autonomy. But maybe we are replacing one set of masters with another. In the past the colonial governments were accountable to a democracy, seven thousand miles away but this time the government is going to be responsible to a communist regime.

Knight: A survey of Hong Kong Journalists showed they were much more apprehensive about crticising Beijing than Britain.

Lau: The British don't settle accounts like that. You can criticise Governor Patten or Prime Minister Major and they won't come to settle accounts with you, the way the communists do.

Alan Knight

1