Hong Kong’s security chief has slammed the city’s biggest press group, saying it lacks credibility while claiming its upcoming executive committee elections are a “black-box operation.”

Secretary for Security Chris Tang said on Friday that the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) had not publicised its list of candidates who are running in the election at Saturday’s AGM.

He said it had been reported that all of the candidates were from foreign media outlets, “so-called free media,” or online outlets.

See also: Explainer: What is the HKJA and what does it actually do?

“There’s not a single person from a mainstream Hong Kong outlet,” Tang said in Cantonese. “How can it be called the [Hong Kong] Journalists Association?”

“Not only is the HKJA hiding its candidate list, it also will not publicise its list of candidates after they are elected. With black-box operations like this, how can there be any credibility at all?” he added.

In a similar arrangement to last year, the HKJA has not shared the candidates who are running in the elections amid years of harassment.

Whilst unions must report the details of their officers to the government’s Registrar of Trade Unions, they are not obligated to make the list public.

Years of harassment

In response to Tang, HKJA chair Selina Cheng told reporters via WhatsApp that the election was proceeding in accordance with the law and the union’s constitution: “All election information has been made available to all our members, but not to the public due to intense harassment campaigns against our board in recent years, including during this election. Hong Kong union law forbids any union from rejecting participation of freelance, temporary or seasonal workers.”

Cheng said that, as the city seeks to be a superconnector between China and the world, the HKJA welcomes journalists in Hong Kong and even those abroad to join – which the city’s recently amended union law allows for.

She said that the HKJA always submits its list of officers to the authorities, adding that she was speaking in a personal capacity, as the union was operating under an interim board and unable to respond officially.

‘Systemic and organised’ attacks

In 2024, members who were elected saw their personal details published online. Some also received threatening letters and emails to their homes and workplaces, the HKJA said at a press conference.

During a press briefing that week, Chief Executive John Lee sidestepped a question about condemning what the group had called a “systematic and organised attack,” saying only that those who need assistance can file a police report.

This is the second year the HKJA has not publicised the list of election candidates. Last year, it also did not share the list of candidates who were elected.

The group was meant to hold elections in June this year, but they were postponed as there were not enough candidates.

The group had appealed to members to run.

Founded in 1968 by two Australian journalists, the HKJA has been in the government’s crosshairs following the protests and unrest in 2019. Authorities claimed the group sided with protesters and gave press passes to “fake journalists” – charges the press union denied.