Selina Cheng, the newly elected chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), was terminated from her role as a reporter at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday.
Cheng was fired by WSJ just 17 days after being elected as the HKJA's chairperson. According to Cheng's statement, her supervisor in the UK asked her to withdraw from the HKJA chairperson election around three weeks ago. "I declined her requests, and was immediately told it would be incompatible with my job," Cheng said.
Cheng's supervisor noted that it would create a conflict as WSJ continues reporting on press freedom incidents in Hong Kong and having its employees advocating for that.
"I am deeply shocked that senior editors at the paper would actively violate their employees' human rights, by preventing them from advocating for freedoms the Journal's reporters rely on to work, in a place where journalists and their rights are under threat," Cheng said.
Cheng was told on Wednesday by the chief editor of the Wall Street Journal's foreign desk that her job has been eliminated "due to restructuring."
Cheng stated that she is now seeking legal advice and considering filing a complaint against WSJ for possible violations of Hong Kong's Basic Law and Employment Ordinance, which protect employees' rights to participate in trade unions without facing retaliation or dismissal.
In response, WSJ confirmed Wednesday it made some personnel changes but refused to comment on specific individuals. "The Wall Street Journal has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world," it added.
《南華早報》HKJA主席鄭詩韻遭WSJ解僱
本地新聞 | 2024年7月17日 晚上8時02分
新當選香港記者協會(HKJA)主席的鄭詩韻,於周三遭《華爾街日報》(WSJ)解僱其記者職位。
鄭詩韻在當選HKJA主席17日後即遭解僱。根據鄭的聲明,約3星期前她的英國主管要求她退出HKJA主席選舉。「我拒絕了她的要求,隨即被告知這與我的工作不符。」鄭表示,主管指這會與WSJ繼續報道香港新聞自由事件,以及讓員工為此倡議存在衝突。
鄭說:「我深感震驚,報社高層竟然公然侵犯員工的人權,阻止他們在新聞自由受威脅的地方為記者賴以生存的自由發聲。」
鄭表示,她在周三被WSJ外國新聞部主編告知,由於「機構重組」而失去工作。
鄭指正尋求法律意見,並考慮就WSJ可能違反香港基本法和僱傭條例(保障員工參與工會而不受報復或遣散)的行為提出投訴。
WSJ回應稱,已作出若干人事變動,但拒絕評論具體個案。「WSJ一直以來,並將繼續在香港和世界各地高調維護新聞自由。」
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