Hong Kong position media reported that 150 journalists in Portugal recently sent an open letter on Facebook, asking Portugal to set up a special committee to monitor the implementation of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and ensure that the Macau system remains unchanged for 50 years. The open letter was delivered to the Portuguese Parliament and other institutions on March 29.
This action was in response to a new guidance document sent to the Ministry of Information by the Macau Radio and Television Corporation in early March. According to the English-language website of The Macau Times, this document requires that news coverage 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 the central government of China must not be reported. Journalists who violate these rules may be dismissed from their jobs.
The document was quickly opposed by journalists after it was issued. Twenty journalists sent a petition to the management of the Macau Broadcasting and Cable Company, asking it to explain these vague regulations. The Macau Portuguese and English Media Association even publicly challenged the guidelines on March 15, pointing out that the document was not in line with the Macau press law’s provisions on press freedom.
In a response to media inquiries on March 29, AoTV said that six journalists had already resigned. In this case, Macau’s directly elected legislators So Ka Ho and Ng Kwok Cheong raised written questions respectively. So pointed out that banning the dissemination of opinions that contradict the government is a blatant crackdown on 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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