【新唐人2015年02月05日讯】香港《明报》总编辑钟天祥撤换“六四密件”头条事件持续发酵，3号傍晚，近百名员工举行“搁笔1小时行动”以示抗议。3号深夜，钟天祥发表声明，强调总编辑有权力及责任调动版面。不过，有分析指出，钟天祥的背后恐怕有黑手在操纵，香港的新闻自由危在旦夕。
《明报》职工协会2号发出声明，指《明报》2号头条原定为“加国密件记录学生目击六四开枪”，但总编辑钟天祥1号深夜近11点，突然推翻编辑部高层的集体决定，并不顾多名编辑部同事的力争，坚持把头条改为“ 阿里巴巴10亿助港青创业”，令人愤怒。
3号傍晚，80多名《明报》员工在报社外面举行“搁笔1小时行动”，员工将有关六四解密文件报导的《明报》版面，张贴在报社大楼的外墙，随后手持抗议钟天祥字眼的纸牌，并举起手上的笔1分钟，再逐一将笔放在地上。
《明报》职工协会发言人冼韵姬宣读声明时表示，事件发展至今，《明报》员工不能再沉默，一个人的力量可能很小，但只要大家团结一致，相信有能力阻止类似的事情再次发生。她希望钟天祥尽快出来面对员工，解释更改头条报导的原因。
3号深夜，钟天祥在明报即时新闻网发表声明，指总编辑有权力及责任调动版面，他还说，将“六四密件”撤换成“阿里巴巴”作头条，是按新闻逻辑，决定行使权力。
香港《开放》杂志执行编辑蔡咏梅：“他是有这个权力，但是如果你是扭曲这个新闻性，一个很重大的新闻把它压下去，换一个，这个就是有偏向的。你看现在的凤凰卫视，香港这边重大的新闻事件都不报导或者轻描淡写，这个就完全是有偏向性，这个就是背后有人打压新闻自由。”
《明报》职工协会理事覃纯健向《自由亚洲电台》表示，职工协会对钟天祥改变编辑部的集体决定极度不满，认为事件破坏双方互信，以及报社一直以来的编采制度，对日后的编采自主感到忧虑。
蔡咏梅：“香港的新闻自由被大陆那边渗透的很厉害，但另一方面，香港的新闻工作者也抵抗的很厉害。这种情况，我觉得会一直持续下去，两边都是不会退让的。当然，对于不能接受共产党控制的那些媒体老板，中共就采取一种间接的打压方式，就像苹果日报老板因为支持占中可能被检控。”
对于钟天祥撤换头条报导，香港记者协会、香港支联会都给予强烈谴责。支联会认为钟天祥的做法，不但破坏新闻和编采自由，更令人怀疑他想藉更改头条淡化“六四”真相，背后可能有“黑手”在操纵。
支联会副主席蔡耀昌：“这个头条出来前一天下午，明报编辑高层开会的时候，集体决定把六四事件作为头条，那个时候总编辑钟天祥也在，也没有意见，所以可以有理由的估计，他在编辑部开会之后出了什么问题，是不是有外来的人给他一些意见，让他最后不顾编辑部的集体决定，自己就去改变这个头条。”
蔡咏梅：“我觉得他是背后有人给他撑腰的，他背后是有人主使他这样做。当然这个跟老板也有关系，因为现在老板是跟大陆有生意关系的，我肯定相信是有获得中联办这边发功，在后面操纵之类的，因为明报的占中立场偏向香港的主流民意。”
有媒体披露，钟天祥历任新加坡官方《联合早报》国际新闻主管与马来西亚《南洋商报》总编辑，与《明报》东主、马来西亚企业家丹斯里张晓卿关系密切。
曾担任记者的公民党立法会议员毛孟静透过声明指出，这次钟天祥突然撤换头条，与《明报》原总编辑刘进图被换职，甚至被砍事件，显示香港新闻机构已被“大陆化”，传媒自我审查情况日渐严重，新闻自由危在旦夕。
采访陈汉 编辑/陈洁 后制/周天
Ming Pao Employees Strike Against New Editor-in-Chief’s
Removing Report of Tiananmen Massacre From Headline.
Chong Tien-siong, Hong Kong Ming Pao’s new editor in chief,
issued an order to remove an article uncovering inside stories
of the Tiananmen Square Massacre from it’s front page.
The incident continues as nearly a hundred Ming Pao staff
went on a one-hour strike against Chong’s decision on Feb.3.
Chong announced late that night, that as editor-in-chief he
has both authority and responsibility to make article changes.
However, analysts said there are likely backstage bosses
behind Chong’s move.
They are putting Hong Kong’s freedom of the press in danger.
Ming Pao’s staff association announced on Feb.2 that, the
newspaper should have published a front page article titled
“Canada’s Secret Documents Record Student Witnesses of
Firing during June Fourth Crackdown” for that days’ edition.
However, the new chief-in-editor Chong Tien-siong abruptly
decided to replace the front page story with another one
titled “Alibaba Donates 1 Billion HKD to Support Hong Kong
Young People Setting up Their Own Businesses".
In making the decision, Chong ignored opposing views from
the entire editorial staff, who were consequently upset.
On the evening of Feb. 3, over 80 Ming Pao employees held
a one-hour strike in front of the newspaper office.
Employees put up newspaper pages with the June Fourth
article on the wall of the Ming Pao building.
They held slogans protesting about Chong Tien-siong, and
lifted and laid pens on the ground symbolising “stop writing".
Ming Pao staff association spokesperson Xian Yunji loudly
read out a statement.
The statement said that Ming Pao staff can no longer keep
silent as this happens;
Although one person has very limited strength, if everyone
unites they can stop things like this from happening again.
Ms. Xian hoped Chong would respond to Ming Pao staff
quickly about why he made the title change.
Late on Feb. 3, Chong Tien-siong made an announcement on
Ming Pao’s express news website.
Chong stated that he had authority and responsibility to
make article changes. Chong further commented that,
replacing the June Fourth article with the Alibaba report
is to execute his power following the logic of reportage.
Tsai Yung-mei, executive editor of Hong Kong Open
Magazine, “It is true that he has that authority.
However, if what you did is to replace a headline report with
a less important one, then there is bias behind the move.
For example, Phoenix Television ignored or played down
many big incidents in Hong Kong.
So this is complete bias, as someone is hiding behind the
scenes to suppress freedom of the press."
Board member of the Ming Pao staff association Qin
Chunjian told Radio Free Asia that, the association is
extremely disappointed at Chong’s ignorance of the
entire editorial staff decision.
Qin said, the incident destroys mutual trust as well as
the newspaper’s long-term editorial system.
It causes concern from staff over their future work style.
Tsai Yung-mei, “Hong Kong is seriously infiltrated by the
mainland’s Communist Regime in its freedom of the press.
On the other hand, Hong Kong media workers never stop
their resistance.
I think the situation will not change as both sides have no
intention to compromise.
Of course, for those bosses out of the party’s control, the
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will use indirect ways to
suppress them. For example, the owner of Apply Daily was
sued for publicly supporting the Occupy Central movement."
The Hong Kong Journalists Association and Hong Kong
Alliance both condemned Chong’s headline change decision.
The Alliance questioned if Chong intended to dodge talking
about the truth of the June Fourth Incident by the move;
Were there backstage bosses involved in the incident?
Tsoi Yiu-Cheong, vice chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance,
“The previous afternoon, Ming Pao’s editorial meeting made
the collective decision to put the June fourth article onto the
headline. Chong attended the meeting but said nothing.
So it is reasonable to speculate that something
happened after the meeting.
Maybe some outsiders gave Chong some orders forcing him
to make the title change despite all other editors’ opinions."
Tsoi Yiu-Cheong, “I have a feeling that someone is supporting
Chong behind the scenes. There should be backstage bosses.
The owner of newspaper is also relevant, as Ming Pao’s
current owner has business connections with mainland China.
I definitely believe the Liaison Office has played a role in the
incident because Ming Pao’s standpoint on Occupy Central
was closer to the Hong Kong public than the CCP."
Media reports revealed that Chong Tien-siong used to be
the foreign editor of Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao and editor
in chief of Malaysia’s Nanyang Business Daily.
Chong reportedly has close ties with Ming Pao’s board
chairman Tiong Hiew King, a Malaysian Chinese entrepreneur.
Claudia Mo, once a journalist and Hong Kong Legislative
Council member from the Civil Party, commented on this.
Mo said, Chong’s abrupt headline change is a key signal that
Hong Kong news media is controlled by the CCP.
It follows the dismissal and assault of former Ming Pao
editor in chief Kevin Lau.
Self-censorship of Hong Kong media is more often seen and
Hong Kong’s press freedom is in great danger now, said Mo.
Interview/ChenHan Edit/ChenJie Post-Production/ZhouTian
