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▼ Japanese Journalist Denied Entry Into Hong Kong
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A Japanese journalist known for his Hong Kong coverage was denied entry into the city on Thursday, in what is believed to be a first for a reporter from Japan. He was sent back to Tokyo on Friday.
Freelance journalist Yoshiaki Ogawa, 54, attempted to enter Hong Kong after arriving by plane on Thursday evening, but he was taken to a separate room by officials right after he showed his passport. He said he was made to wait for awhile before being interviewed for around an hour.
Ogawa said that he was made to sign a document acknowledging that he could not enter the city before being sent back to Japan. He said that the officials did not give him a clear reason for denying him entry, only telling him that he could not be granted permission to stay.Ogawa arrived at Narita Airport near Tokyo on Friday afternoon.
“I’ve worked to convey things about Hong Kong to Japan, but it was not like I was going to do any (suspicious) activities in the city,” Ogawa said shortly after arriving at the airport. “(This incident) has truly made me feel how Hong Kong has changed … this would have been unthinkable before.”
He added that he wasn’t planning to write anything about Hong Kong during his visit and that denying him entry may have been a misstep by officials, since it led to media reports highlighting the situation in the city.
Ogawa has been actively following Hong Kong issues since 2014. That included covering the 2019 democracy movement, and he is the author of the book “Chronicles of Hong Kong’s Protests.”
According to a statement by the Japan-Hong Kong Democracy Alliance, Ogawa planned to investigate the situation in the city, as Friday marked three years since a Beijing-imposed national security law took effect.
“He wasn’t even part of a big news organization, he was just a freelance journalist. … I personally think this is a sign that the situation in Hong Kong is becoming more severe,” said Sam Yip, a former Hong Kong district councilor and spokesperson for the Japan-Hong Kong Democracy Alliance.
Yip, who is now based in Tokyo, also noted that in the past a Japanese photographer and a Japanese street performer had been denied entry, but never a journalist.
In December, Michiko Kiseki, a photographer, was reportedly denied entry to Hong Kong and deported to Japan. Earlier this month, a Japanese street performer who calls himself Mr. Wally was also denied entry into the city.
Freelance journalist Yoshiaki Ogawa, 54, attempted to enter Hong Kong after arriving by plane on Thursday evening, but he was taken to a separate room by officials right after he showed his passport. He said he was made to wait for awhile before being interviewed for around an hour.
Ogawa said that he was made to sign a document acknowledging that he could not enter the city before being sent back to Japan. He said that the officials did not give him a clear reason for denying him entry, only telling him that he could not be granted permission to stay.Ogawa arrived at Narita Airport near Tokyo on Friday afternoon.
“I’ve worked to convey things about Hong Kong to Japan, but it was not like I was going to do any (suspicious) activities in the city,” Ogawa said shortly after arriving at the airport. “(This incident) has truly made me feel how Hong Kong has changed … this would have been unthinkable before.”
He added that he wasn’t planning to write anything about Hong Kong during his visit and that denying him entry may have been a misstep by officials, since it led to media reports highlighting the situation in the city.
Ogawa has been actively following Hong Kong issues since 2014. That included covering the 2019 democracy movement, and he is the author of the book “Chronicles of Hong Kong’s Protests.”
According to a statement by the Japan-Hong Kong Democracy Alliance, Ogawa planned to investigate the situation in the city, as Friday marked three years since a Beijing-imposed national security law took effect.
“He wasn’t even part of a big news organization, he was just a freelance journalist. … I personally think this is a sign that the situation in Hong Kong is becoming more severe,” said Sam Yip, a former Hong Kong district councilor and spokesperson for the Japan-Hong Kong Democracy Alliance.
Yip, who is now based in Tokyo, also noted that in the past a Japanese photographer and a Japanese street performer had been denied entry, but never a journalist.
In December, Michiko Kiseki, a photographer, was reportedly denied entry to Hong Kong and deported to Japan. Earlier this month, a Japanese street performer who calls himself Mr. Wally was also denied entry into the city.
- June 30, 2023
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