IFJ Press Freedom in China Campaign Bulletin

IFJ Press Freedom in China Campaign Bulletin

To IFJ Asia-Pacific affiliates and friends,

Welcome to IFJ Asia-Pacific’s monthly Press Freedom in China Campaign e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent on November 8, 2012, and contributions are most welcome.

To contribute news or information, email ifj@ifj-asia.org. To visit the IFJ’s China Campaign page, go to www.ifj.org.

Please distribute this bulletin widely among colleagues in the media.

1) Reporting on Bo Xilai and Wang Lijun scandals restricted
2) Reporting on issues of public concern prevented
3) Hong Kong photographer assaulted by Mainland police
4) Hong Kong journalists illegally detained and interrogated in China
5) Media organisations protest as Hong Kong Photographer criminally charged
6) Macau Government to proceed with amendment to Press Law
7) Journalist dismissed in Macau allegedly for publicly criticising a Government-funded media outlet

As the Communist Party of China gears up for the 18th National Congress on November 8, the party is censoring all so-called “unstable social news” items, particularly those related to the Party and foreign affairs. The media is strictly forbidden from publishing independent news reports, and restricted to republishing official new stories. The Vice Minister of Central Propaganda Department, Wang Chen, demanded that all online media censor unfavourable discussions and ensure no “deviation of thought” be posted online. Over the past month, a number of activists were asked to leave Beijing or had their freedom of movement was restricted.

1) Reporting on Bo Xilai and Wang Lijun scandals restricted

On September 25, former Vice Mayor and Police Chief of Chongqing, Wang Lijun was sentenced to 15 years in jail by the Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court in Sichuan Province. He had been charged on September 18 with abuse of power, taking bribes, defection and “bending the law for selfish ends”. According to Chinese law, no media is allowed to enter a court room when the case involves ‘state secrets’, however the Chinese Government breached their own law by selecting two state-owned media, Xinhua and China Central Television (CCTV), to report from within the courtroom. Mainland media outlets were only permitted to republish official Xinhua articles or broadcast CCTV’s official footage.

Mainland China media was also restricted from reporting on the case of former Communist secretary of Chongqing, Bo Xilai. On September 29, the Standing Committee of Chongqing Municipal People's Congress removed Bo Xilai from his official post as deputy to the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. Bo has been charged with several criminal offences including bribery and adultery.

Wang Lijun had been reporting on the murder of British citizen Neil Haywood, and the conviction of Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai over the crime. A Xinhua report disclosed that Bo Xilai slapped Wang’s face following his reports on Gu’s case

2) Reporting on issues of public concern prevented

In early September Xi Jinping, who is widely touted as China’s next President, disappeared from public view for 10 days. There were no reports from the Mainland, despite a number of questions on Xi’s whereabouts by foreign journalists during press conferences in China. During the 10 days, rumours about Xi’s health spread. The Government of China did not release any statement addressing public concerns. Online discussions were heavily censored and no explanation was given for cancelling Hong Kong media photos of Xi and Denmark’s Prime Minister on September 10.

Media coverage of the continuing dispute over Diaoyu Islands (also known as Senkaku Islands) was stifled. The heated dispute was widely covered in both Japan and Hong Kong, while Mainland media was restricted from reporting about the dozens of protests across China between September 15 to 18.

3) Hong Kong photographer assaulted by Mainland police

The IFJ joined its affiliate, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) in condemning the violence against Felix Wong Chi-Keung, a photographer for the South China Morning Post, by authorities in Shenzhen, China on September 16. Wong was left with a severely bruised and swollen face and a possible fractured nose after police in Shenzhen pushed him to the ground and beat him with batons as he tried to take photos of anti-Japanese protesters attempting to break into a local government building in mainland China. He shouted that he was a journalist, as five to six policemen immediately beat him with batons until his nose bled.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-assault-on-hong-kong-photographer-by-police-in-mainland-china

4) Hong Kong journalists illegally detained and interrogated in China

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined its affiliate the Hong Kong Journalists Association in strongly condemning the false imprisonment and harassment of two Hong Kong-based journalists in Daxiang District, Shaoyang City, in China’s eastern Hunan province as they investigated the suspicious death of a Chinese activist Li Wangyang.
On September 12, Hong Kong-based newspaper Ming Pao reported that two of its journalists were harassed and falsely imprisoned in a hotel for 44 hours, and held under the surveillance of the local security bureau without explanation. The pair were detained once the security bureau discovered that the journalists were investigating the suspicious death of Chinese activist Li Wangyang.
During the detention, authorities deprived the journalists of sleep over a period of two days and interrogated them about their trip. Security officers confiscated and deleted all the information contained on the journalists’ phones, computers, cameras and audio recorders. One of the journalists was also threatened that his return to Hong Kong might be prevented, if he did not cooperate. The IFJ AP urged Peng Qinghua, Director of the Chinese Liaison Office of Hong Kong to file a complaint with the Hunan Security Bureau of China, demanding the local Government of Hunan make an official apology to journalists, and commit to ensuring the safety and rights of Hong Kong journalists when travelling and working in the Mainland.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-imprisonment-and-illegal-interrogation-of-journalists-in-china

5) Media organisations protest as Hong Kong Photographer criminally charged

The IFJ issued its support to its affiliate the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) as they joined other media organisations in protests in support of a photo-journalist, Sing Kai-Chung, who was charged with common assault, which they say arose from circumstances related to restrictive arrangement placed on media. Restrictive regulations have been placed against media from reporting outside the Government Headquarters in Hong Kong.

Sing, a former photographer with Apple Daily, was charged with common assault for allegedly pushing a security guard to the ground outside the Government Headquarters in Hong Kong on January 9. “I refused to admit the charge. I would like to put forward all the facts in front of the court and seek justice. Let the court to decide whether media has the right to report.” Sing told the IFJ. “I have worked in this industry for 20 years. I have experienced the shrinking press freedom in Hong Kong. In addition to that, we often receive hostility from the security guards when we are trying to exercise our duty in front of the Government Headquarter Building” he added.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalists-protest-in-hong-kong-over-photographers-assault-charge

6) Macau Government to proceed with amendment to Press Law

The Government of Macau decided to proceed with the amendment of its Press Law but did not set up a Press Council, nor put forward an official Journalists’ Code of Ethics. The decision came after a poll found that the majority of the public and media professionals would prefer an industry led and governed Press Council, as opposed to one controlled or influenced by the Government. The Government Information Bureau said a new public consultation will be held after the draft law is completed in November.

7) Journalist dismissed in Macau allegedly for publicly criticising a Government-funded media outlet

A labour dispute occurred at the Macau Government funded media outlet, TDM Teledifusao de Macau S.A .last month, where TDM was alleged to have dismissed a journalist after he publicly criticized the media outlet for a number of instances of self-censorship. At a press conference arranged by the dismissed journalist on September 14, he said TDM has been seriously involved in self-censorship. The media outlet has denied that the dismissal was related to the journalist’s public criticism.

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

© Scoop Media