FCCC documents official interference against journalists
13/08/2008The Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC) has documented five instances of reporting interference from August 7 - 12.
The incidents occured in Xinjiang, Hebei and Beijing. Since January 2007, Chinese authorities have promised to allow free and open reporting for foreign jorunalists, though despite that, numerous reports of official interference in the work of journalists has occured.
The five incidents documented between 7 - 12 August by the FCCC were as follows.
1. XINJIANG PROVINCE: POLICE DETAIN JOURNALISTS, DELETE PHOTOS
August 8-10, 2008 -- An Associated Press writer and photographer were questioned by police, searched and detained at various locations over three days while covering the aftermath of bombings in Xinjiang province. AP journalist William Foreman and a photographer arrived in
Yining, Xinjiang, near the Kazakhstan border, Friday evening and Foreman went to watch the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on television outside with several workers from a local TV station. A manager arrived about 20 minutes into the ceremony and apparently called the police, who showed up a few minutes later and took Foreman to the police station.
Photographer Ng Han Guan was picked up shortly after by a different group of police. Over the next 45 minutes, police did not allow Foreman to use his cell phone, videotaped the journalists and deleted images from the photographer's camera, then released the pair.
On Saturday, the two journalists were preparing to board a plane to Urumqi when security officials at the check-in counter took them to a separate room and searched their bags, looked through images on their cameras and turned on Foreman's laptop - apparently to look for photos. They were allowed to board their plane with few minutes to spare.
Mid-morning on Sunday, the AP team arrived in Kuqa, site of recent bombings, and were apprehended by police shortly after they began reporting in the town. Police told the pair the area was unsafe and they would have to go to the Kuqa Hotel, which Foreman said looked like a military command center. The journalists checked into the hotel and around 3 PM were allowed to leave and go about their reporting. Foreman reported no further problems in Kuqa after Monday.
2. BEIJING: POLICE OBSTRUCT FILMING OF TIANANMEN SQUARE PROTEST
August 7, 2008 -- Plainclothes police and unidentified volunteers physically blocked foreign camera crews from filming and reporting on a demonstration and press conference by American Christians in Tiananmen Square. John Ray, China correspondent for Britain's ITV, said as soon as reporters appeared at the protest by three Americans, plainclothes police -- at least one flashing a badge -- placed their bodies directly in front of cameras and journalists trying to record the event.
Ray said the ITV cameraman was physically pushed several times by police but not hurt; Ray did see another cameraman pushed to the ground during the commotion. While the plainclothes officers used their bodies, several middle-aged people then opened umbrellas to
block camera views; officers in turn filmed the journalists at the scene."They stood right in front of us and swore at us," said Ray. It was "total, absolute obstruction; utterly blatant."
3. KUQA, XINJIANG PROVINCE: POLICE DETAIN VISITING U.K. PHOTOJOURNALIST
August 11, 2008 - A visiting British photojournalist attempting to cover the aftermath of bombings in Xinjiang was detained for 7.5 hours by police, who said his travel documents were insufficient. Jack Hill, a British photographer with The Times, renewed his J-2 visiting journalist visa last week in Beijing and was assured by Public Security Bureau officials that,
though they needed to keep his passport for processing, he could travel and work throughout China with the receipt they provided him. A three-person team from The Times arrived Sunday evening at a shopping area and bomb-blast site in central Kuqa when they were approached by local police demanding to see their identification. Richard Lloyd Parry, the writer traveling with Hill, was left alone when he produced his Olympics press accreditation.
Hill, however, was told he needed to go the police station the next morning and pay a fine because the receipt for his passport and visa was not sufficient.
The next day, Hill arrived at the police station to pay the fine, but was kept there for 7.5 hours. Police denied his requests to be allowed to wait in his hotel for the problem to be resolved, and was told he'd be formally arrested if he left the police station. Hill was
released only after Lloyd Parry asked a government official in a news conference why the photographer was being detained. The official's staff telephoned the police, who then released Hill without requiring him to pay any fine or sign any statement.
4. SANHE TOWN, HEBEI PROVINCE: PLAINCLOTHES OFFICIALS INTIMIDATE SOURCES,
BLOCK INTERVIEWS
August 12, 2008: Plainclothes officials intimidated sources while two Scandinavian journalists attempted to interview peach farmers in Hebei Province about how Olympics transport regulations are hurting their livelihood.
Beijing-based Sami Sillanpaa of Helsingin Sanomat and Philip Lote, a visiting colleague from Norwegian television NRK, were interviewing farmers when three carloads of people arrived and refused to identify themselves. Sillanpaa, who said the men were in constant telephone contact with someone to relay information about the journalists, said the officials just happened to show up and wanted to watch what was going on. "They ruined our interview," said Sillanpaa. "After they arrived (the farmers) were not so willing to talk anymore."
The pair then left the area and were followed by the unidentified officials who had disrupted their interview. The officials left off when the journalists crossed the provincial border en route to Beijing.
5. PINGFANG VILLAGE, BEIJING: POLICE DEMAND ID, FOLLOW REPORTERS
August 12, 2008 -- Two police officers in an unmarked car followed and briefly questioned two Scandinavian journalists working together on a story in an eastern suburb of Beijing. Police arrived in Pingfang village and demanded to see the identification of Beijing-based Sami
Sillanpaa of Helsingen Sanomat and Philip Lote, a visiting correspondent from Norwegian television. The reporting pair was allowed to continue their work, but sources were reluctant to talk under the gaze of nearby police, Sillanpaa reported.
If you come across any instances of reporting interference, please contact Play the Game for Open Journalism via our helpline on +32 475 76 13 92. Click here for more information.
