It’s safe to assert that no sane person in Hong Kong would take issue with a regulatory initiative to stamp out fake doctors, accountants, lawyers or engineers. So, it must have taken upright people aback when certain quarters in the community raised a hue and cry over the Hong Kong Police Force’s move to rid the city of fake reporters.

With the anti-extradition law amendment bill campaign having considerably subsided following the promulgation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong on June 30, those who’ve still taken to the streets in recent months for whatever rhyme or reason have been frequently outnumbered by people wearing yellow “press” vests. Many of those clad in those vests — some as young as 12 — are sham journalists.  

During the “black revolution” that plagued the SAR for months last year, these fake reporters managed to penetrate the sea of protesters and rioters during violent clashes with the police.  They deliberately blocked the police in enforcing the law, covered and helped the offenders to flee and even assaulted officers. Anyone who hasn’t seen such rascality in TV footage can easily dispel his or her doubts by simply doing some Googling on the internet.

Critics of Wednesday’s police decision that they would no longer recognize certain types of media accreditation claimed the move would hamper independent monitoring of police activities. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Independent monitoring of police law enforcement will in no way be compromised as the force still recognizes journalists from internationally accepted and renowned foreign media outlets, as well as those from media organizations registered with Hong Kong’s Government News and Media Information System. Their number currently stands at 205. That Hong Kong, a medium-sized city, has more than 200 registered media outlets speaks volumes about its press freedom. It proves that genuine media outlets have no problem registering with the system to operate in the SAR.

Conceivably, the Hong Kong Journalists Association is among the most vocal critics of the police decision. Controlled by people affiliated with the opposition camp, the association has been at the service of the opposition’s partisan interests. It’s also a member of the Civil Human Rights Front, which has been behind most of the major anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong over the years, particularly during the “black revolution”.

HKJA Chairman Chris Yeung Kin-hing said the association was “surprised” at the policy change, adding he failed to understand why the HKJA press cards are now no longer recognized.

But he should have anticipated that when the HKJA decided to issue a press card to anyone who can afford a token HK$20 ($2.6).