China

November 25, 2008

Tom Van de Weghe, VRT
ATTACKED

Eight assailants pulled Belgian journalist Van de Weghe, an Australian cameraman, and a Belgian assistant, from their vehicle before beating them and stealing money and equipment during a reporting job in Henan province, central China, according to the Foreign Correspondents Club of China and international news reports. The crew was recording interviews with AIDS patients in advance of World AIDS Day for the Flemish Radio and Television network VRT. The other crew members were not named in published reports, and VRT did not respond to an e-mail inquiry.

A Henan official confirmed that “a conflict” between the journalists and local villagers and officials had taken place, according to Agence France-Presse. The Foreign Ministry told foreign journalists that authorities would investigate the incident.

China permanently extended regulations protecting international reporters from official interference in their work--introduced in advance of the Beijing Olympics--in October. But the Beijing-based Foreign Correspondents Club frequently reports cases of local government representatives obstructing the investigation of issues which reflect badly on Chinese authorities.

A badly regulated scheme encouraging blood donation for cash incentives made Henan a focal point for the spread of the AIDS virus in the 1990s, according to published reports. The news reflected poorly on local officials involved in the project when it broke, and the issue remains sensitive. The VRT crew had been tailed all day and questioned once by police, according to the Foreign Correspondents Club.

China has blocked access to BBC and VOA Chinese Web sites, according to reports released yesterday. The Associated Press is covering the story with two releases today that both quote CPJ's Bob Dietz, who said in a statement: "It's clear that China has no intention of fulfilling the hopes it raised when it was awarded the 2008 Olympic Games that the Chinese media universe would enter a period of expansion."  

New York, December 16, 2008--Police should observe Chinese law and proceed transparently in the investigation of two journalists arrested on bribery charges in northern Shanxi province, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. 

In response to reports today that the BBC's Chinese language news site and Voice of America in Chinese have been banned in China, we issued this statement.

Time.com's "China Blog" has a post today titled "A Dark Time for Reporters in China" that outlines some recent cases of harassment and violence against journalists working in the country and quotes our statistics of journalists imprisoned for their work.

New York, December 11, 2008--The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern for the welfare of prominent activist and writer Liu Xiaobo, who has not been heard from since authorities detained him in Beijing on Monday, according to his wife and lawyer. 

The release of Iraqi journalist Adel Hussein, who had been jailed in Iraqi Kurdistan, is making news today. The Associated Press has coverage of his pardon from President Masoud Barzani, as does Canada's CBC News. Both articles cite our coverage of the case and quote CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney, who called on the authorities "to ensure that the new legislation is enforced and that Adel Hussein is the last journalist to be sent to prison in Iraqi Kurdistan because of his work."

We released this statement after learning that formerly jailed journalist Liu Xiaobo was detained after signing a letter to the government today calling for greater freedoms ahead of the 60th anniversary Wednesday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The letter was signed by 300 lawyers, writers, scholars, and artists...

Also: See capsule reports on journalists in jail as of December 1, 2008

New York, December 4, 2008--Reflecting the rising influence of online reporting and commentary, more Internet journalists are jailed worldwide today than journalists working in any other medium. In its annual census of imprisoned journalists, released today, the Committee to Protect Journalists found that 45 percent of all media workers jailed worldwide are bloggers, Web-based reporters, or online editors. Online journalists represent the largest professional category for the first time in CPJ's prison census.

Journalists in prison as of December 1, 2008

Read the accompanying report: "Online and in jail"