Hong Kong’s largest journalist group insists it operates in accordance with law after being asked by authorities to justify activities

Hong Kong’s biggest journalist group has insisted it has been operating in accordance with the law after it was asked by labour authorities to justify its activities for the second time in six months.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) revealed on Sunday it had received a letter from the Registry of Trade Unions of the government’s Labour Department earlier this month, demanding an explanation of its operations.

Association chairman Ronson Chan Ron-sing said he would not comment on whether authorities had investigated the group’s inspection activities on Taiwan’s presidential election two years ago, as reported in other media. He also refused to reveal further details of the letter.

“It wasn’t our first time holding such activities and there’s not much controversy,” Chan argued.

“[Our] activities are reasonable and legal. They are in compliance with the Trade Unions Ordinance and the association’s constitution.”

He added that the queries in the letter had not “confused” the association and were not “unanswerable”. The group has been seeking legal advice and will reply to authorities in July, according to Chan.

A Labour Department spokeswoman told the Post on Sunday it was inappropriate for the registry to comment on individual cases. If a trade union was found to be in breach of the ordinance or its constitution, the registry would take stringent follow-up action, she said.