Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said yesterday he believes that Macau’s Public Security Forces have always carried out their immigration duties in accordance with the law, adding he will find out the reasons why a number of media workers from Hong Kong were denied entry last week.
Chui made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions about news reports that more than 10 Hong Kong media workers were barred from entering Macau during the past week. He spoke to reporters after casting his vote for the direct legislative election at the Instituto Salesiano polling station.
According to Hong Kong media reports, 12 reporters and photographers from Apple Daily and a reporter from online media outlet TMHK were denied entry during the past week. According to the reports, Macau immigration officers told the Hong Kong media workers, who reportedly did not travel together, that their entry would pose a threat to Macau’s public security.
According to the media reports, the media workers planned to cover the legislative elections.
When asked by the media yesterday if the incident would damage Macau’s image as having a transparent and clean election process, Chui said, “I would need to ask [the law enforcement agencies] for me to understand the reasons that these people were denied entry.”
Chui also said that the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Committee (CAEAL) had ensured that the legislative elections were carried out in a fair and clean way in strict adherence with the Legislative Assembly Election Law.
Chui also said that “the relevant law enforcement agency has repeatedly explained that [its officers] have carried out their [immigration] duties in accordance with the law.”
When asked if the immigration officers might have abused the Internal Security Framework Law when they barred non-locals from entering Macau, Chui said that “now is not the right time for me to determine if they [immigration officers] have abused [the law] when they carried out their duties.
“I have just heard about the matter you have mentioned. I promise you that I will go and find out [the nature] of the matter,” Chui said.
Also asked by the media yesterday about the matter, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said that every country or region has its own immigration policies, adding that Macau immigration officers would bar, in accordance with the Internal Security Framework Law, anyone considered to have an adverse impact on Macau’s public security from entering the city.
Wong spoke to reporters after casting his vote for the direct election at the Macau Stadium polling station in Taipa.
Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On (left) speaks to reporters yesterday at the Instituto Salesiano polling station, while Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Committee (CAEAL) President Tong Hio Fong looks on. Photo: Iong Tat Choi
