The Hong Kong Journalists Association has cancelled its annual fundraising dinner after the Regal Hongkong Hotel axed its booking, citing “water leakage causing unstable power supply.”
Hong Kong Journalists Association. Photo: Selina Cheng/HKFP.
The journalists’ group said in an email to event attendees on Friday afternoon that the booking was cancelled on Thursday, two days before the dinner.
“We offered some alternatives to the hotel, including a change of date, a change of venue within Regal, or a change of menu, all of which were rejected,” the email read. “We have demanded the hotel give us a full explanation.”
The HKJA said the hotel told them that there was a water leakage problem, causing the power supply to cut out intermittently.
The group apologised to members for the inconvenience and added that it would postpone the dinner, to be held at another hotel venue.
The HKJA’s fundraising dinner was scheduled to take place at Regal Hongkong Hotel in Causeway Bay on Saturday night. In a January social media post, the group said it would hold an auction during the dinner to raise funds for its operations.
Regal Hongkong Hotel in Causeway Bay. Photo: Wikicommons.
“All proceeds from the sale of dinner tickets and auction items will contribute toward supporting the Association’s mission, with the objective of furthering the rights of journalists and safeguarding press freedom in Hong Kong,” the post read.
HKFP has reached out to the HKJA and Regal Hongkong Hotel for comment.
The city’s largest press union, the HKJA has met with increasing pressure from authorities over recent years. During the protests and unrest in 2019, pro-Beijing voices accused the group of smearing the police force, allowing “fake journalists” to join, and protecting protesters.
Earlier this month, the group was forced to seek alternative plans for its annual football tournament after the Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced a nearly two-month closure of a football pitch in Happy Valley where the matches were scheduled to take place.
The city has plummeted in press freedom rankings since Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong in 2020. The city ranked ranked 135th place last year, compared to 70th place in 2018. Hong Kong has also seen the closure of news outlets including Apple Daily and Stand News, which shut after police raids and the arrest of top editors.
Authorities, however, have maintained that press freedom is “respected and protected” in Hong Kong.
