The Sling Shot at the Hong Kong WTO

Sing Tao rises to speak up on behalf of the police.  There is a website (no URL) prepared by a private citizen that included comments from citizens as well as police officers.  Among the comments were by a police officer about the demonstrators: they "used long poles and stripped down iron bars to stab us, they also used slings to fire iron bolts and it was super-painful when we get hit."  The statement about the sling shots was supported by the Hong Kong Police Supervisors Association Vice-President Lau Tat-keung.  Lau said that the demonstrators had three years of military service, they wore life vests that can ward off the blows from police truncheons and they used slings to shoot iron bolts.  This showed that they came prepared.  (Note:  You can read more at The Police Stories at WTO).

In the middle of this half-page feature on page A4 of Sing Tao, there is a photo of a man wearing a gas mask and firing off a sling shot.  The words at the top left corner of this photo are (in translation): "The anti-WTO demonstrators used powerful slings to shoot iron bolts at the anti-riot police."

Does anyone recall seeing a person or person(s) dressed like that? 

Well, I have.  I know exactly when and where this photograph was taken.  Go and look for it here!  I had previously referred people to that page in December 2005 Comment #68.  The date was March 1, 2004 and the place was Caracas, Venezuela, on the opposite side of the world of Hong Kong, and the event had nothing to do with the WTO.

Do you share my outrage at media manipulation!?  It is alright to use that photograph, but there has to be an explanation about where and when it was actually taken.  It is illustrative only, but it is being presented as Hong Kong fact.

Mainstream media and the Hong Kong Journalists Association like to harp on InMediaHK and its civilian journalists for the lack of professional and ethical codes of conduct.  If this is the type of professional and ethical conduct that they practice, then the world is better off without them.

Related Link:  要求星島立即辭退A4版編輯!  阿藹,InMediaHK

The following item appeared in a small box on the editorial page (A18) on Thursday, January 5, 2006.  I thank a journalist in another newspaper of the Sing Tao group for pointing that out to me.

(In translation) Notice of Clarification: On January 3, our newspaper had a report on page A4 titled "Sling used to fire screw bolts, Police hurt painfully" with which there was a file photo of a Venezuelan demonstrators using a sling.  The source of that photo was not noted.  A reader has written a letter to point out that this can easily cause misunderstanding.  Our newpaper thanks the reader for pointing that out, and we apologize for having caused any midunderstanding.

02年，我用蘋果(大報)的專欄批評 {星島}一次違德的報導，結果蕭細和及黎庭堯打電話給我給並蘋果寫了篇解釋性的回應。今天，相信他們不會回應信報(小報)或 In-media。民間監察媒體的責任，比從前更重了，因為傳媒互相監察的責任感，比從前是更差的。

P07 信報財經新聞 王岸然
2006-01-06

人民獨立媒體的時代來臨

　　世貿會議已成過去，但世貿的議題永遠未完。以筆者的觀察，這次世貿會議帶來對香港的最大衝擊，不是那些大多數香港人不明就裏的自由貿易協議，是一眾民間獨立媒體的興起，以及這些媒體所發揮的作用。其中的問題，恐怕連主流媒體也未察覺！

　　世貿的八天會議，筆者去了三天旁觀示威；包括兩次星期日及爆發第一天衝突的十三日星期二，也拍了些示威衝突及韓農跳海的片斷，放到網上電台的網站，發覺當晚就有大量的下載。而網台的節目大量討論有關世貿及示威的議題，收聽人數竟然比平常收聽時多三至四成人。

專業記者不專業

　　香港的獨立媒體全為業餘運作，靠的亦只是互聯網傳播訊息。由初期幾個人玩網的規模，到現在有數百人參與，只是短短一兩年間的事，其間的轉變之快速，主流媒體不知不覺，加以輕視。主流媒體中人的視野落後於民間社會，自高自大的結果，是深受教訓，被他們看不起的業餘媒體所教訓。

　　第一個例子是在十三日晚上，無線的女新聞記者做直播時，故意戴上防暴用的面具，以增加出鏡時的視覺效果。客觀上，這不是客觀傳達現場訊息的做法，而是將新聞戲劇化以利收視的廉價手段，這種新聞娛樂化的手段更具抹黑當時只在和平靜坐、全無危險舉動的示威者。這事情由一隊來自第一大電視台最高薪資深的新聞工作者為之，馬上激怒了在場一眾業餘記者。

　　於是為數約二十人的民間記者，包圍無線的記者，不停地哮罵口號，高呼「抹黑、可恥」歷時四五分鐘不肯停下來，結果無線的記者要除下頭盔，才能直播。自然，有人批評民間記者是在做妨礙新聞自由的事，但若然新聞本身有抹黑的不正義成分，妨礙之就理應視為正義的行為！

　　整個過程，歷時十分鐘沒有刪剪，網上可以下載觀看，一如置身現場。事實上，整個世貿會議過程中的八天，民間的獨立媒體各自拍攝了大量的數碼錄影，放於各自不同的網站，公眾可免費下載，由於錄影不少由示威者自拍，觀之如置身現場，非常有真實感，亦自然感覺到主流媒體隱去了非常多的情景，間接是在誤導了港人。

　　這裏筆者不列出這些民間媒體的網址，有心自己找尋真相，不甘被主流媒介所洗腦的讀者，有責任自己主動利用互聯網的方便，找尋獨立的資訊。只要到雅虎或是Google.com的網上搜尋欄，打上「人民台」，「獨立媒體」，「網政21」，「錄影力量」，就可以找到大量獨立的影音及文字紀錄。

　　第二個例子的事件尚在進行之中，更值得大家主動關注。在二○○六年一月三日《星島日報》A4版，有一幅很大的照片，旁邊的文字是「反世貿示威者以殺傷力極大的彈叉發射鐵絲母攻擊警察」，報道的內文及一同出現於該版的其餘照片，皆攝於世貿間的示威。該版的大標題，「彈叉射螺絲母，警員痛入心」。

弄虛作假張冠李戴

　　事實是，就是警方所檢控的十四件案中，並無提及任何彈叉射螺絲母事件。而《星島日報》這張暴徒用彈叉射螺絲母照片，來自二○○四年二月於委內瑞拉首府舉行G15高峰會議示威，《星島日報》完全是張冠李戴。

　　《星島日報》的編輯，大概不認識互聯網的威力，亦不知民間的監察者神通廣大的一面。網站「獨立媒體」已經將事件報道，網上正在廣泛流傳討論，進一步只是有何抗議行動。民間媒體負上監察主流媒體的責任，不容弄虛作假的敗類作惡，這是漂亮的一仗！

最真情的報道

　　世貿期間的示威，筆者發覺有大量的人民記者出現，而且走到最前線拍照及錄影，包括筆者在內。其中有一些以「民間記者」的稱呼出現，有記者證、黃色背心及頭盔以為識別，他們的器材也已經專業化。但他們在示威中的角色，卻非旁觀而是擺明同情示威一方。有民間記者與示威者一同跳海，甚至帶頭包圍無線記者，要她除頭盔，引來角色衝突的批評與反駁。

　　筆者認，人民報道的原意，應更為廣泛，在人人皆受過一定教育，又隨身帶有照相機的時代，「報道」不再是記者的專利，人人都可以是記者，毋須身份識別，而示威者正正是以示威者的身份報道，看的人知便可以了。

　　筆者想說的「人民記者」是指全民皆記者，人人都隨時隨地，將所見所聞，記錄下來，上網報道給全世界知道。這樣的人民記者報道，不是最原創、最真情可靠的報道嗎！

馬傑偉：明屈

2006-01-06 明報

《星島日報》於1月3日港聞版，刊登一幅反世貿示威者的圖片。圖中示威者用強力彈叉，把橡筋拉到盡，正在發射「彈珠」。文字說明「反世貿示威者曾以殺傷力極大的彈叉發射鐵絲母攻擊防暴警察」。

圖中這個帶防毒面具的「暴民」，被發現是一張委內瑞拉暴動的照片，《星島》編輯「借用」他國暴動，套在香港世貿衝突的新聞之上，又沒註明是設計圖片，是明屈韓農，有心靠害。

新聞標題「彈叉射螺絲母，警員痛入心」。內文是警員事後感言，謂「身心俱疲」、「聽到『DownDownWTO』，也不期然『打冷震』」……文字描述問題不大，但一幅大照片套上去，一個「心狠手辣」的暴民形象就活現出來。圖片感染力極強，照片內的彈叉手，把橡筋拉長三數呎，彈珠飛射前的一刻，令讀者心驚肉跳。

這個安排，明顯是編輯的「心思」。抹黑韓農，假「證據」插贓嫁禍，韓農欲辯無言。造假之外，也是強橫陰濕，用心不良。

近年報紙親政府、親中、親民主派、親反對派，頭條就是政見，圖片就是立場。在今天的媒體政治生態，報紙如「意識機器」，啟動論戰，互相攻守。這種改變是好是壞，各有評論。

但無論你對「傳媒歸邊」的評價為何，也不能淪落到將新聞弄虛作假、明砌對方生豬肉的不堪地步。要替官方說話，也不必生安白造、污衊他人。

請別誤會，我不是譴責警方武力鎮壓示威的那幾個學者。上周在電台聽到學者論盡警方使用過分武力，我心就覺得有問題。警方守住本分，平息混亂，難道你要他們「放軟」手腳，容許示威者走入會場？

反過來，某些傳媒就算要從政府角度做新聞，也不應明屈示威者，不由辯說地將一個強力彈叉強加韓農手上。

Dear Sir/Madam

I write as a private citizen concerned about recent developments in the media arena in Hong Kong, specifically related to the anti-WTO protests in Hong Kong.

The hype, fear-mongering, and distortions that abounded media reporting leading up to the WTO ministerial in Hong Kong this past December reflected many of the problems generally present in mainstream journalism.

However, the reporting of one newspaper, the Sing Tao Daily on 03-01-2006, on the issue that ‘slingshots’ were used by anti-WTO protestors in Hong Kong, goes far beyond these usual stretches of a story and into the realm of pure and utter lies. The Sing Tao’s actions constitute a barely-disguised manipulation of its readership, thus exhibiting a dangerous relationship between corporate media and state institutions in our society.

As I am sure has been pointed out to you already, Sing Tao printed a story based on quotes from Hong Kong police officers, describing how they were ‘attacked’ by anti-WTO demonstrators. One of these quotes, supposedly corroborated by the Vice-president of the Hong Kong Police Supervisors Association, observed that protestors “…also used slings to fire iron bolts and it was super-painful when we get hit.”

You can check the records: this was indeed the first time that any mention of anti-WTO protestors using slingshots and iron-bolts in Hong Kong in December 2005 has been made in the media. The scores of protestors, bystanders, journalists, photographers, and human rights observers that were present at anti-WTO actions in our city throughout the week of December 11-18 made no mention of any such device used in any of their reports.

Simply printing this claim from police without evidence would in itself be an unethical deference to power, an act of unquestioningly taking state institutions at their word- though this is an unfortunately common practice in mainstream journalism.

Yet from there, the Sing Tao Daily went even lower into the depths of manipulation and deceit by printing a photograph to seemingly provide ‘evidence’ to the slingshot claim. The large picture was of a man in a gas mask holding a slingshot ready to fire, and the translated caption to this picture read: "The anti-WTO demonstrators used powerful slings to shoot iron bolts at the anti-riot police."

As part of this particular story, this photograph is clearly meant to back-up the claims of the police and highlight the use of slingshots and unacceptable violence by anti-WTO protestors. Incriminating evidence indeed, one would think.

The problem is that this photograph was not taken in 2005. Nor was it taken in Hong Kong. Nor, in fact, was it even taken at any anti-WTO action anywhere. The photograph in fact hails back to anti-government demonstrations in Caracas, Venezuela in 2004, and was part of a series of photographs taken by the Venezuelan group Medios de Comunicacion Independientes y Comunitarios in an effort to document these protests.

You can see the Sing Tao version of the picture here:
http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20060103_2.htm

And the original form of the photograph here:
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1205

Since this astonishing attempt at deception came to light, I have taken it upon myself to contact the person placed in charge of distributing this photograph on the internet, Mr. Ernesto Navarro, a Venezuelan writer and employee at the Ministry of Communication in Caracas. He is quite clear about the facts surrounding the incident and his feelings about them.

“I want to express that this photograph that is referenced was taken in CARACAS,” he wrote to me. “In one of the protests that aims to destabilize the democratically-elected government of Venezuela, and intends to create a situation of insecurity in the country.

“Said photograph is part of a series of photographs belonging to [the group] Medios de Comunicacion Independientes y Comunitarios.”

How did Sing Tao thus get hold of this photograph?

Certainly not by contacting either Mr. Navarro nor the Medios de Comunicacion Independientes y Comunitarios and soliciting them for the photograph’s use.

“At no point did they [Sing Tao] communicate with me, nor the photograph’s author, to solicit the use of the photograph,” he wrote. “Repeat, taken in Caracas, Venezuela in the year 2004.

“I express my profound rejection of the manipulation of information for whatever end. I defend the freedom of expression and the right of citizens to be informed in an opportune and truthful manner. I reject the use of any press material for the public that is distorted, and in this way accuses citizens.”

Relating the Sing Tao Daily’s manipulation back to the present context in which 14 anti-WTO prisoners continue to face hearings in court and potentially face several years in jail, Mr. Navarro explicitly opposes the distortion of information for political ends.

“I express my support for the 14 young people detained, in the sense that the truth of their actions should be found, and they should not be accused nor slandered by the manipulation of images that are circulating on the internet.”

The legal cases of the 14 people who continue to be charged by the Hong Kong government indeed bring an urgency to this issue, and put a much darker political light on Sing Tao’s attempts to demonize the anti-WTO protests at this time.

I note that Sing Tao has since printed a small box in a subsequent issue addressing the photograph and its use. But in light of the corroborations made by Mr. Navarro, the ‘apology’ that Sing Tao printed seems not only woefully inadequate, it is also inaccurate. The heart of the issue is not that the photograph’s use could cause “some misunderstanding” among readers, the point is that the Sing Tao Daily knowingly, willingly, and consciously used a photograph which it knew was not taken by its own photographers, nor at the anti-WTO protests in Hong Kong, and attributed this photograph to the actions of people at these protests.

There is no other word for this than deception, and when mixed with the quotes from police it is a clear example of ‘yellow journalism’, and the worst, crudest form of propaganda.

I demand that Sing Tao print a front-page apology, acknowledging its manipulation of information for political ends, and printing in full Mr. Navarro’s objections to this manipulation.

I also demand that the various watchdogs, associations, monitors, and whatever else is out there do something to hold Sing Tao to account for this deception. If no effective action can be taken by these groups on so obvious a case, one would be left to wonder why they exist at all.

And finally, I also hope that we can come up with an effective way that private citizens like myself can hold media institutions accountable for their actions, and defend our right to receive information, as Mr. Navarro says, “in an opportune and truthful manner.”

Yours sincerely,

Pranjal Tiwari

North Point

PS: Ernesto Navarro’s reply to me, in its original Spanish text, is reproduced below, for your information:

Estimado Sr. Pranjal Maria Tiwari

Reciba Usted un cordial saludo de mi parte. Le envío un saludo solidario y revolucionario desde la República Bolivariana de Venezuela.

He recibido con mucho asombro la información que me suministra sobre la utilización de una fotografía, adjudicada a mi autoría, por varias razones:

1.- Quiero expresar que esa fotografía a la que hace referencia fue tomada en CARACAS, en una de las protestas que, manifestantes desestabilizadores del gobierno democrático de Venezuela, intentaron crear una situación de intranquilidad en el país-.

2.- Dicha fotografía forma parte de una secuencia de fotos que pertenecen a Medios de Comunicación Independientes y Comunitarios. La fotografía no es mía, yo fui el encargado de distribuirla por internet y lamento que me la adjudicaran y no a sus verdadero autor.

3.- En ningún momento se comunicaron conmigo para solicitar la utilización de la fotografía, repito, hecha en Caracas, Venezuela en el año 2004. Tampoco para contactar a su autor.

4.- Soy periodista venezolano, colaborador de los sitios: www.aporrea.org, www.postalesdelsur.net, www.porlalibre.org, www.nuestraamerica.info, www.adital.net.br, www.aliados.net, www.redvoltairnet.org, y otros sitios. Mi posición ideológica y profesional está expresada en mis artículos periodísticos.

5.- Expreso mi profundo rechazo a la manipulación de la información para cualquier fin. Defiendo la libertad de expresión y el derecho de los ciudadanos a estar informados de forma oportuna y veraz.

6.- Rechazo la utilización de cualquier material de prensa, por público que sea, para tergiversarlo y de esta forma acusar a ciudadanos.

7.- Expreso mi apoyo a los 14 jóvenes detenidos en el sentido de que se busque la verdad de los hechos, pero que no sean acusados, ni calumniados manipulando imágenes que circulan por internet.

Atentamente,

Lic. Ernesto J. Navarro
Periodista Venezolano
Caracas, 07 de enero de 2006

El diario de Hong Kong "Sing Tao" utilizó una foto de sobre los disturbios ocurridos en Caracas en 2004 para ilustrar su información sobre las protestas ocurridas durante la reciente cumbre de la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC), según denunció hoy el autor del blog informativo "ESWN".

Roland Soong, autor de "ESWN" y quien afirma que fue testigo de las protestas durante la cumbre de la OMC en Hong Kong, el pasado mes de diciembre, denunció en su página web que la foto aparecida en el mencionado diario, de tendencia conservadora, fue tomada en Caracas durante las manifestaciones de la oposición venezolana en febrero y marzo de 2004.

ESWN es uno de los blogs informativos más populares de China y Hong Kong.

La imagen publicada por "Sing Tao" muestra a un hombre cuya cara está tapada con una máscara de gas, usando un tirachinas para arrojar clavos y en el título se explica los manifestantes de Hong Kong usaron ese tipo de armas y "causaron heridos entre la policía".

Con esa foto, "Sing Tao" mostraba su apoyo a las teorías de la policía honkonguense, que aseguraba que muchos de los manifestantes estaban organizados de forma similar a grupos paramilitares y eran muy violentos.

Según sostiene Soong, la foto fue en realidad tomada durante las violentas protestas en 2004 de la oposición venezolana para exigir un referéndum revocatorio del mandato del presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez.  Durante la cumbre ministerial de la OMC en Hong Kong, celebrada el pasado mes de diciembre, más de 1.000 activistas antiglobalización fueron detenidos por la policía local, entre ellos dos españoles, aunque la mayoría eran campesinos surcoreanos.

El blog "ESWN", que en 2005 se convirtió en una nueva referencia para la prensa extranjera en China, destacó que la utilización de esta foto demuestra que hubo "manipulación" sobre las manifestaciones. EFE abc/pdp

O jornal de Hong Kong Sing Tao usou uma foto dos distúrbios de 2004 em Caracas para ilustrar sua informação sobre os protestos que aconteceram durante a recente cúpula da Organização Mundial do Comércio (OMC), segundo denunciou hoje o autor do blog ESWN.

Roland Soong, autor do ESWN e que afirma que foi testemunha dos protestos durante a cúpula da OMC em Hong Kong, no último mês de dezembro, denunciou em seu site que a foto divulgada no jornal, de tendência conservadora, foi feita em Caracas durante as manifestações da oposição venezuelana, em fevereiro e março de 2004.

O ESWN é um dos blogs informativos mais populares da China e de Hong Kong.

A imagem publicada pelo Sing Tao mostra um homem usando uma máscara de gás e atiradeiras e, no título, a explicação de que os manifestantes de Hong Kong usaram esse tipo de arma e "deixaram policiais feridos".  Com essa foto, o Sing Tao mostrava seu apoio às teorias da Polícia de Hong Kong, que garantia que muitos dos manifestantes estavam organizados de forma semelhante a grupos paramilitares e eram muito violentos.

Segundo Soong, a foto foi feita durante os violentos protestos em 2004 da oposição venezuelana para exigir um plebiscito revogatório do mandato do presidente da Venezuela, Hugo Chávez.  Durante a cúpula ministerial da OMC em Hong Kong, realizada em dezembro, mais de mil ativistas antiglobalização foram detidos pela Polícia local, a maioria camponeses sul-coreanos. 

O blog ESWN, que em 2005 se transformou em uma nova referência para a imprensa estrangeira na China, destacou que a utilização da foto demonstra que houve "manipulação" sobre as manifestações.