The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit hosted by Indonesia denied the allegations that the organizers have suppress the press freedom of some Hong Kong journalists who were accused of shouting questions against the Philippine President.
According to host Indonesia who insisted that Hong Kong journalist had posed security threat in one of Asia’s major events, the APEC Summit. Meanwhile according to Philippine spokesperson, the Hong Kong journalist have already “crossed the line,” by aggressively questioning Pres. Aquino about the hostage siege in Manila during the year 2010.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for the “21 Paficic Rim countries” that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The Hong Kong Media that disturbed the President were kicked out by the organizers of this year’s APEC Summit. According to Gatot Dewa Broto, the Indonesian communication ministry official, he was quoted as saying that, “We deemed it improper for media to act that way, as they didn’t talk normally but they were very demonstrative, like they were protesting,” he stated in an AFP interview.
For the above-mentioned reasons, the Hong Kong Media involved were already deactivated as journalists in the APEC Summit. They were free to remain in Bali, Indonesia, but could no longer access the media centre or venues being used for by the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.