Chan gets five days over ID standoff

Hong Kong Journalists Association chairman Ronson Chan Ron-sing was yesterday sentenced to five days in prison after being convicted of obstructing a police officer while reporting on an event in Mong Kok.

The 42-year-old Chan was granted bail yesterday pending an appeal.

Chan, now working for online news outlet Channel C, was arrested last September after refusing to show a plainclothes officer his identity card.

West Kowloon magistrate Leung Ka-kie said yesterday Chan had deliberately obstructed the officer from carrying out her duty and failed to take out his ID card in a timely manner. He kept asking the officer questions "recklessly," she said, adding that the witness was honest.

Chan was on his way to cover an owners' meeting at Long Ping Estate public housing, where over 100 participants had gathered, when he was stopped.

Chan did not present his identification card and was said to have kept waving a silver card holder while repeatedly asking questions loudly. He was arrested after multiple warnings were issued.

Leung said if Chan had no intention of obstructing the officer, he could have directly handed over his ID card.

Taking into consideration Chan's behavior, attitude and lack of remorse, Leung ruled that Chan had deliberately obstructed the officer.

Granted cash bail of HK$30,000, Chan is not allowed to leave Hong Kong, has to surrender his travel documents, and report to Tin Sum police station on a weekly basis.

Outside court, Chan said he was not surprised by the prison sentence being handed down and believed that justice would prevail.

He said the case served as a warning to media-industry colleagues that they have to promptly present press credentials and ID cards when approached by the police.

He also said that his attendance at an overseas industry conference in the middle of next month might be disrupted but believed his work with the association would remain unaffected.