HKJA chairman Selina Cheng fired by WSJ

Selina Cheng, the newly elected chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), was terminated from her role as a reporter at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday.

Cheng was fired by WSJ after leading HKJA for 17 days. According to Cheng's statement, her supervisor in the UK asked her to withdraw from the HKJA's chairman election around three weeks ago.

"I declined her requests, and was immediately told it would be incompatible with my job."

Cheng said her supervisor noted it would create a conflict as WSJ continues reporting on press freedom incidents in Hong Kong and having its employees advocating for that.

"I am deeply shocked that senior editors at the paper would actively violate their employees' human rights, by preventing them from advocating for freedoms the Journal's reporters rely on to work, in a place where journalists and their rights are under threat," Cheng said.

Cheng was told Wednesday by the chief editor of the Wall Street Journal's foreign desk that her job has been eliminated "due to restructuring."

Cheng noted that she is now seeking legal advice and considering filing a complaint against WSJ for possible violations of Hong Kong's Basic Law and Employment Ordinance, which protects employees' rights to participate in trade unions without facing retaliation or dismissal.

In response, WSJ confirmed Wednesday it made some personnel changes but refused to comment on specific individuals.

"The Wall Street Journal has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world," it added.