China: Police Detain Foreign Media

Police Detain Foreign Media Reporting on Kim Visit to China

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned to learn that several foreign journalists reporting on a visit to China by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il were detained by police without explanation on May 3.

According to local sources, three journalists from Japan were detained for two hours in Dalian, in China’s northeast, while trying to report on Kim’s visit to the area.

Japanese newspaper Asahi reports one of its journalists, known as Nishimura, was detained. The IFJ understands two other reporters from Yomiuri Shimbun and Japan’s government broadcaster, NHK, were also held.

Asahi has reportedly filed a complaint about the incident with China’s Foreign Ministry.

“When we explained that we were allowed open coverage in China under the post-Olympic Games media regulations, the police replied that these were special circumstances, and no media was allowed to report freely,” one of the journalists was reported as saying.

The IFJ understands several other foreign journalists, including some from South Korea, experienced similar harassment when Kim visited Shangdong and Tianjin provinces on May 4.

The restrictions are in breach of China’s promise in October 2008 to allow foreign media more freedom to travel and report on events in the country, in keeping with rules in place in the period before and during the 2008 Olympic Games.

On October 17, 2008, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao announced, “China adopts a basic policy of opening up to the outside world, [and] protects the lawful rights and interests of the permanent offices of foreign media organisations and foreign journalists in accordance with the law.”

China’s Central Propaganda Department also issued an order to all media outlets on May 4, demanding that any reporting about Kim’s visit must use only reports supplied by the state-owned Xinhua News Agency.

“Promises by China’s authorities that they would retain the Beijing Olympics’ spirit of openness have been short-lived,” IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said. “Until harassment of local and foreign media ceases, it is difficult to accept China intends to fulfil its promise to allow greater media freedom.”

The IFJ urges China’s Central authorities to fully implement the plans outlined in their regulations and allow foreign journalists full freedom of reportage in China. It also urges the authorities to match this process with greater freedoms for local journalists, regardless of the issue they are covering.

ENDS

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