電訊管理局及警方最近兩次掃蕩民間電台，事件再次暴露出，由於香港政府一直拒絕發牌予民間經營無線電台，迫使民間只能冒著觸犯法例的風險，使用大氣電波向公眾廣播，政府此等做法與剝奪言論自由無異，我們強烈要求香港政府盡快開放大氣電波，還人民廣播權利。

Hong Kong government's Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) and police officers had raided Citizen Radio again recently (October 13). As Hong Kong government refuse to grant radio broadcasting license to civic organizations, in order to participate in public broadcasting, the organizers of Citizen Radio have to take the risk of violating the unreasonable laws. The police has confisticated all their equipment and arrested the organizers. It is a repressive action against freedom of speech. We strongly urge Hong Kong government to open radio bandwidth to the public and return the right of broadcasting to the people.

電訊管理局及警方最近兩次掃蕩民間電台，事件再次暴露出，由於香港政府一直拒絕發牌予民間經營無線電台，迫使民間只能冒著觸犯法例的風險，使用大氣電波向公眾廣播，政府此等做法與剝奪言論自由無異，我們強烈要求香港政府盡快開放大氣電波，還人民廣播權利。

香港七百萬人口，現時只有兩家商營電台，相對世界絕大部份城市，香港無線廣播電台數目少得令人難以置信；香港不少民間團體一直要求政府多發無線廣播牌照，政府卻一如既往，民間電台自二零零五年底開始申請，亦一直得不到當局答覆。

廣 播自由，是聯合國文科教委員會所提倡的，媒體市場的開放，亦是全球公民追求的目標，不少國家盡量開放廣播頻道，予社區及各群體營辦電台，實踐多元文化；但 香港政府一直維持由殖民地時代遺留下來的條例及制度，嚴重違反國際認同的原則，開歷史倒車，令我們這個國際大都會蒙羞。

我們在此呼籲，香港政府盡快修改不合時宜的廣播條例，開放大氣電波，還人民廣播自由！

獨立媒體（香港）

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歡迎各位市民及團體聯署，並把聲明電郵往工商及科技局，電郵為： ctbenq@citb.gov.hk。

如有任何查詢，請電2147-0788。

English:

Hong Kong government's Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) and police officers had raided Citizen Radio again recently (October 13). As Hong Kong government refuse to grant radio broadcasting license to civic organizations, in order to participate in public broadcasting, the organizers of Citizen Radio have to take the risk of violating the unreasonable laws. The police has confisticated all their equipment and arrested the organizers. It is a repressive action against freedom of speech. We strongly urge Hong Kong government to open radio bandwidth to the public and return the right of broadcasting to the people.

With a population of seven million, Hong Kong only has two privately owned radio stations. Compared to most cities all over the world, the number of Hong Kong radio broadcasters is incredibly low. The local society have been demanding more licenses of radio broadcast for years. But the government refuses to change its policy and practice. Citizen Radio submitted an application for license at the end of 2005 but has not gotten any reply from the authority.

Citizen media has been promoted and encouraged by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Global citizens has been in pursuit of more open media markets. Following the policy of cultural diversity, governments of many countries issued licenses to community groups and ethnic associatons to run independent radio stations. But Hong Kong government have been maintaining the laws and institutions inherited from the colonial authority. It seriously violates international principles and goes against historical progress. It is a shame on this international city.

We call for Hong Kong government to revise the outdated regulations of broadcasting as soon as possible, to open radio bandwidth to the public and to return freedom to the people.

Hong Kong In-media

You are welcome to sign this statement by sending an email to us and send it to Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau (Hong Kong SAR Government). For enquiry, please contact us at 852-2147-0788.

 Hong Kong Police Raid Citizen Radio
A report on the raid in August.