Concern at Illegal Threats to Journalists in Southern China

October 12, 2011

IFJ Concerned by Illegal Threats to Journalists in Southern China

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned by reports an officer of the Chinese Government threatened to illegally detain a journalist on October 9.

The unnamed journalist was investigating irregularities in tendering for government services managed by the Municipal Government Procurement Centre of Haikou City, the capital of Hainan Province in Southern China.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, the Haikou Procurement Centre had selected an underqualified software corporation for a government project in Hainan Province, despite quoting a price three times higher than any of the rival bidders and lacking experience in providing the service. The successful corporation, Xinghai Lida Software Corporation Ltd, also failed to produce a software corporation certificate or proper records of social insurance payments, which were formal requirements of the bidding process.

When asked for an interview Haikou Government Procurement Centre Director Cai Donghai, refused the journalist’s request, threatening to “lock the reporter in a meeting room”.

According to Section 6 of the Code of Access to Government Information, the Chinese Government has a duty to disclose procurements for service, contract standards and progress of government funded projects.

“Access to information regarding government use of public funds is a basic right of all citizens,” the IFJ Asia-Pacific said.

“Governments must learn that harassment of journalists holding governments accountable for the protection of such rights is never acceptable.”

This is the second reported case of the harassment of a journalist by Chinese government officials in recent weeks.

On September 22, Ji Xuguang, an investigative journalist for China’s Southern Metropolis Daily, published a report about civil servant Li Hao being charged with the kidnap and imprisonment of six women in an underground bunker for the purposes of sexual slavery.

Immediately after publishing his report, Ji was approached by two unidentified men representing local police. He claims he was threatened and interrogated for details of the source of his information, and for revealing state secrets.

The IFJ urges Hainan Governor Luo Baoming to investigate the report and take appropriate action to punish any official found to be intimidating or threatening journalists.

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific

Find the IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific

ENDS

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