- An insider in the force admits that a sergeant and a constable were not sensitive enough while handling personal data and have been verbally warned
- The association accused police of "continuously breaking their promise to respect the freedom of the press and the right to media coverage"
Two Hong Kong police officers had received verbal warnings for holding reporters' identity cards in front of live-streaming cameras on two occasions during the ongoing anti-government protests, the Post was told on Tuesday.
A force insider admitted that a sergeant and a police constable were not sensitive enough while handling personal data. "We have verbally warned them and asked them to be cautious," the source said.
"As the reporters involved have filed a complaint, an internal investigation is on the way. The pair may face disciplinary actions."
The Hong Kong Journalists Association has expressed "extreme anger" over the issue as the latest incident on Sunday marked the second such case since December 26.
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The association accused police of "continuously breaking their promise to respect the freedom of the press and the right to media coverage".
On Sunday, a Stand News reporter covering a rally at Chater Garden was stopped and searched twice in Admiralty.
In a video capturing the search published on the media organisation's Facebook page, the officer can be seen holding out the reporter's identity card to his camera, which had been filming the protest live.
The head of police public relations bureau, Kenneth Kwok Ka-chuen, said on the following day that the reporter was not wearing a press vest at the time of the incident, but he said the force attached great importance to privacy.
Stand News journalist Ronson Chan claimed his colleague had displayed his press pass and it was clear the officer knew he was being filmed because he could be heard on camera telling the reporter to stop recording.
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The reporter's camera phone was later snatched and damaged, Stand News said.
Chan, who also had his identity card displayed on a live stream while covering a protest on Boxing Day last year in Tai Po accused police of treating reporters differently from others when they were stopped.
The two reporters have lodged a complaint with the Complaints Against Police Office, while Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Stephen Wong Kai-yi said he would investigate both the cases.
Wong on Tuesday said his office had received 2,480 complaints related to Chan's incident on December 26, adding that he would write to Commissioner of Police Chris Tang Ping-keung to remind him of the ordinance related to the incident.
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