Macau and Hong Kong Journalists Snubbed

Amnesty International reported earlier this month tighter restrictions on journalists from Macau and Hong Kong. The new rules announced on February 6 introduce a structural obstacle requiring that Hong Kong and Macao journalists to obtain prior approval from the authorities before each and every trip to the mainland. Journalists will now have to notify the authorities before traveling and obtain a press card from the All-China Journalists Association (the official union) before working on the mainland. Further, it is required that they show the card before interviewing Chinese citizens.
The current media regulation for Hong Kong and Macao journalists is the tighter than that of foreign and Taiwanese journalists. Prior to the Olympic Games, more lenient press arrangements were introduced which are still in effect for foreign and Taiwanese Journalists.
According to the government news agency Xinhua, the new regulations state that: “Journalists from Hong Kong and Macau must abide by national laws and journalism ethics and should carry out coverage objectively and fairly.
Macau (pop. 526,000) and Hong Kong (pop. 7 million) are both Special Administration Regions (SAR) of China. Both countries are to enjoy a high degree of autonomy, except in defense and foreign affairs, under the SAR's constitution and the Basic Law.
It is absurd that Honk Kong and Macau journalists are more restricted than foreign journalists. This regulation comes at a time of many notable anniversaries in China which will undoubetedly draw much media attention. Two-thousand nine marks the 50th anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Tibet, the 30th anniversary of the "Democracy Wall" movement, and the 20th anniversary of the crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen protests.
A Hong Kong journalist who often visits the mainland told Reporters Without Borders: “The impact on our work depends on the way the local authorities apply it. I fear that, as regards sensitive stories, this will prevent us from doing our reporting properly. There could be a restrictive attitude during this coming year, which is a sensitive one.”
-Rachel Clement, CHINA