Press Statement
Society of European Journalists & Communication Professionals in Asia (JOCPA)
22 April 2025
The Society of European Journalists & Communication Professionals in Asia (JOCPA) strongly condemns the detention of two journalists from the independent media outlet All About Macau, including Ian Sio Tou, president of the Macau Journalists Association, during their attempt to cover a parliamentary session on 17 April 2025.
These journalists were fulfilling their professional duties by seeking access to a session of the Legislative Assembly in which the Government’s 2025 policy programme was to be presented -an event of clear public interest. Their removal by police officers, the subsequent interrogation, and the potential legal charges against them represent a serious threat to press freedom and the right to information in Macao.
The official justification, citing “disruption of the functioning of Macao’s institutions” and “unauthorized video recording,” is deeply troubling. It reflects an increasingly repressive environment in which independent media face arbitrary restrictions, exclusion from public events, and now, criminalization of their reporting.
JOCPA expresses its solidarity with the journalists affected and with the Macao Journalists Association, which has courageously denounced this alarming incident. We also call on the authorities of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the central government of the People’s Republic of China to respect the basic rights enshrined in the Basic Law of Macao, including freedom of the press.
“The arbitrary detention of two journalists in Macao is a serious attack on press freedom and a warning sign of increasing authoritarianism in the region. It is deeply disturbing that such actions can take place inside a legislative chamber -a space that should embody transparency and accountability,” said Josep Solano, President of JOCPA.
“Equally troubling is the deafening silence from European institutions and, in particular, from Portugal -a country with historic ties and moral responsibilities towards Macao. At a time when fundamental freedoms are at stake, looking the other way is not neutrality- it is complicity” Solano stressed. “JOCPA stands firmly with the journalists of Macao and urges democratic nations to speak up before the space for independent journalism disappears entirely.”
JOCPA calls on the authorities in Macao to drop all charges against the journalists, guarantee their safety, and immediately restore full access to public institutions for all accredited media outlets -regardless of format or publication frequency.
Also we urge international press freedom organizations, democratic governments, and journalists worldwide to monitor the situation closely and raise their voices in defense of the fundamental values that underpin open societies.
Freedom of the press is not a privilege — it is a right.
For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
secretariat@jocpa.eu
www.jocpa.eu