亞洲華爾街日報
HongKong'stoughantigraftwatchdogusedtobeseenasanexamplefortherestoftheregiontofollow.FrommainlandChinatoMauritius,expertscameflockingtotheterritorytostudythesuccessofitsIndependentCommissionAgainstCorruptioninwipingoutmostofthegraftthatwassoendemicinHongKongafewdecadesago.Butwehopetheywon'tbelearninganylessonsfromtheICAC'sbehaviorattheweekend,whenitstruckafurtherblowagainstalreadyfragilepressfreedomintheterritorybyraidingtheofficesofatleastsixlocalnewspapers.
WhethertheraidswereapprovedbyHongKongChiefExecutiveTungCheeHwa,towhomtheanti--graftbodyisdirectlyanswerable,orsolelytheworkofoverzealousinvestigators,theendresultisthesame.Alreadyshakenbytherecentresignationofthreepopulartalk--showhosts,apparentlyasaresultofpressurefromBeijing,andaChina--inspiredadvertisingboycottofHongKong'sonlyavowedlypro--democracypublishinggroup,theterritory'smediahasnowbeengivenfurthercausetofearthatofficialsanctionsmightbeusedagainstthem.
That'snottosuggestthatthepresscan,orshould,beabovethelaw.TheICACsaidtheoperation,whichinvolvedthearrestofsixnonjournalists,includingaprominentbarrister,waspartofaninvestigationintotheleakingoftheidentityofawomanbeingheldunderthebody'switnessprotectionprogram.That'sacrimeinHongKong,asinmostplaces,andunderstandablyso.Indeedit'swidelyrecognizedthatit'ssometimesjustifiabletoallowlaw--enforcementagenciestoprotecttheidentityofwitnesseswhoputtheirlivesonthelinetohelpbringallegedcriminalstojustice.
Butthat'safarcryfromsayingthatsuchdisclosuresareneverinthepublicinterest.Inthiscase,thewitness'snameleakedoutatacourthearingintoawritofhabeascorpusallegingshewasbeingheldbytheICACagainstherwill.Orthattherightwaytodealwithsuchleaksisbybargingintolocalnewsrooms--theSouthChinaMorningPost,AppleDaily,OrientalDailyNews.TheSun,SingTao,andeventhepro--ChinaTaKungPao,wereamongthenewspapersraidedSaturday.Insomecases,theinvestigatorsremainedforupto10hours,searchedjournalists'homesand"invited"reporterstoaccompanythemforfurtherquestioning.
DavidArmstrong,thePost'seditorinchief,toldusyesterdaythatthe"intentwastointimidate."Hearrivedinthenewsroomtobeconfrontedbyseveninvestigators,fourofwhomleftbeforecompanylawyersarrived."YouwonderwhethertheICACpeoplereadthenewspapers,"hesaid."Theyseemedoblivioustotheconcernaboutpressfreedom."
Thatis,ofcourse,nottheofficialline.InastatementSunday,theantigraftbodyinsistedithadbeentryingtostrikeabalancebetweentheadministrationofjusticeandtheneedtoprotectpressfreedom.ButjudgingbythewaytheraidswereconductedandtheoverwhelminglyhostilepublicreactioninHongKong,theICACgotthebalancebadlywrong.Indoingso,itfurtherjarrednervesinanalreadynervouslocalmedia.
Thebest--casescenarioisthatthishostileresponsewillforcearethink.JimmyLai,thefounderofAppleDaily,wasupbeatyesterday."It'sjustablunder,"hetoldus."Butit'sbadnewsiftheydon'tlearnfromtheirmistakes."
Butevenunderthatoptimisticscenario,abodythatwasonceabletogivelessonsinhowtotacklecorruptionisnowdesperatelyinneedofsomelessonsinthesensitivitiesinvolvedinprotectingpressfreedom.
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本文摘自七月二十七日社論
ReprintedfromTheAsianWallStreetJournal?2004DowJones&Company,Inc.Allrightsreserved.