Ombudsman sets a new year zero by removing reports from website
The need to better protect official archives and ensure public access to them has long been recognised in Hong Kong.
Unlike other parts of the world, the city lacks a law providing clear rules for the safeguarding of records. But despite a public consultation in 2018, progress has not been made.
The calls for an archives law have, in the past, been supported by the Office of the Ombudsman, the watchdog tasked with supervising the government and guarding against maladministration.
Last year, the body celebrated its 35th anniversary with an international conference. Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi spoke of the body's mission to 'propel administrative fairness, accountability and transparency'.
One of the watchdog's values is 'making ourselves accessible and accountable to the public'. It is, therefore, a concern that it has removed content dating back years, including investigation reports, from its website.
New arrangements introduced last month make public access to these valuable resources much more difficult. Only records published since April 2023 remain on the website. A new year zero has been set.
The watchdog said the removed records were no longer up to date and might even be misleading, adding that they 'no longer reflect the current situation'. This is not a convincing explanation. Historical records, naturally, reflect the position at the time.
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