Some 150 Portuguese journalists signed an open letter on Monday (March 29) issuing various warnings after public condemnation of press freedom in Macau came under pressure.
The document, sent to the Portuguese parliament, is a show of support for Macau media professionals who have been banned from disseminating information that violates the policies of the Chinese Communist government.
According to reports, 150 Portuguese journalists recently sent an open letter on Facebook asking Portugal to set up a special commission to monitor the implementation of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and ensure that the Macau system remains unchanged for 50 years.
The 150 Portuguese journalists stand in solidarity with the staff of Radio Television Macau Ltd. who face the threat of being fired if they provide disturbing information to the Beijing government.
The action was in response to a new guidelines document issued by the Macau Radio and Television Corporation (RTV) to the Ministry of Information in early March. According to the English-language website of The Macau Times, the document requires that news reports must “follow patriotism and promote respect and love for the motherland and Macau”; it also requires that news and opinions that contradict the policies of China’s central government must not be reported. Journalists who violate these rules may be dismissed from their jobs.
According to the report, the document was quickly opposed by journalists after it was issued. Twenty journalists sent a petition to the management of Radio Television Macau Ltd. asking it to explain these vague rules.
The Association of Portuguese and English Media in Macau publicly challenged the guidelines on March 15, pointing out that the document did not comply with Macau’s press law on freedom of the press.
According to the report, on March 29, the Macau Radio and Television Company Limited responded to media inquiries, saying that six journalists had resigned.
In response to the incident, Macau’s directly elected legislators So Ka Ho and Ng Kuok Cheong raised written questions respectively. So Ka Ho pointed out that banning the dissemination of opinions that contradict the government is a blatant suppression of press freedom. Ng Kwok-cheong asked the Macau government to ask the Macau Broadcasting Corporation to review the above-mentioned controversial regulations and safeguard the freedom of the press.
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