Safety is paramount, says organiser of The Peak run in honour of American killed by Islamic State
DANNY LEEdanny.lee@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 18 October, 2015, 3:58am
UPDATED : Sunday, 18 October, 2015, 3:58am
Runners compete in the 5km run for the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation. Photo: Felix Wong
The Hong Kong organisers of the first commemorative run for a slain US war reporter has expressed support for prosecuted photojournalist Anthony Kwan Hok-chun, stressing safety for journalists is paramount.
Kwan faces possible jail time in Thailand over a charge of weapons possession after he was found with body armour without a licence while covering the Erawan Shrine bombings in Bangkok in August. He pleaded not guilty last week.
An organiser of the 5km run on The Peak yesterday, on what would have been American James Foley's 42nd birthday, spoke up for Kwan.
"I am hoping that it will not come to much and he won't be jailed," lawyer Lucy Headington-Horton said. "Safety and protection for journalists are paramount. It's one of the things the Foley foundation is working on."
The event was held under the auspices of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation - launched by the family of the US journalist who died at the hands of Islamic State while reporting on the Syrian civil war. The foundation supports media freedom and the rights of freelance journalists.
Horton said the danger of journalism "is at the back of everyone's mind" when following news reports.
"James' death is a stark reminder of just how dangerous conflict reporting is, and how important it is to support all journalists reporting in conflict situations," she said.
A friend of the Foleys, Chris Newsome, said the family had done a tremendous job in dealing with what had happened and turning his legacy into something the world could recognise.
"Journalists are out there telling stories that people are often not aware of, and it's good to have them protected," he said.
"I hope the foundation can shed light on the journalists who are risking their lives out there."
Among the runners was Ivan Watson, a foreign correspondent for US news network CNN who has covered the Occupy movement in Hong Kong, the Arab uprising and the Syrian civil war - a conflict in which 100,000 people have been killed, four million made refugees and many more internally displaced.
"[Foley] was a victim of this heinous crime over a year ago," Watson said.
"I don't think the people who find journalism a calling are doing it for money. There tends to be a passion and a commitment to try to get to some kind of truth and share it with people. And sadly, again and again people pursuing those goals, which I think are honourable, are killed."
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1868990/hong-kong-photographer-thai-weapons-charge-wins
