Mr. Gao Siren
Director of Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR
Connaught Road West
Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong
4th July 2008
Dear Sir,
We are writing to express our regret over the denial of entry into Beijing for Norman Choy, reporter of Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong, on 1 July 2008 to cover the Olympic Games in spite of his having applied the proper press accreditation for the Games.
The action against him is totally against the Service Guide for Foreign Media Coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Preparatory Period, issued in 2007. We urge the Beijing authorities to clarify this matter and allay the growing fears among Media people of further restrictions of press freedom.
We demand the Chinese Government to treat all reporters with proper accreditation for the Olympic Games fairly, uphold press freedom for the 2008 Olympic Games and hence its international image as the Olympic Games organizer.
Yours sincerely,
Hong Kong Journalists Association
cc: Mr. Liao Hui, Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council
Mr. Tian Congming, Chairman of All-China Journalists Association
Mr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee