IFJ Press Freedom in China Campaign Bulletin: January 8 2012

Welcome to IFJ Asia-Pacific’s monthly Press Freedom in China Campaign e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent on February 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.

1. Internet Shut Down and Journalists Expelled from Wukan Village

The IFJ condemns the shutting down of internet services by Chinese authorities and the forced expulsion of journalists covering protests in Wukan village, in Lufeng County in China’s southern Guangdong Province. At the same time, a number of journalists, including the Hong Kong-based Cable Television journalist Lam Kin-Seng and his three colleagues and three journalists from the Japanese national public broadcaster NHK, were forced to leave Lufeng County by Chinese government officials on 18 December. The excuse given for the journalists’ removal was ‘personal safety’. A foreign journalist told the IFJ that local internet service providers received an order from authorities to shut down all internet services in Wukan village. Protests in Wukan were initially sparked by the discovery that 500 hectares of village land had been sold to developers without any compensation being paid, and by allegations of political interference in the election of village representatives. The situation escalated with the death of Xue Jinbo, who died in police custody after three days of detention.

2. Protests in Second Village in Guangdong Province

In addition to the high-profile protests in Wukan village against the local government, another township in Guangdong Province was also the site of protests over a number of days from December 20 2011. Local villagers in Haimen village, in Shantou city, protested against the construction of a second coal-fired power plant in the area, despite authorities having already halted its construction. Protestors complained that water pollution caused by the existing power plant was resulting in lower fish stocks in the area. Local police shot teargas to disperse the crowd. Journalists from Hong Kong rushed to Haimen but were denied entry, harassed and detained by local police. One Hong Kong journalist told the IFJ that police deleted images from journalists’ cameras while they were detained. It was reported that hundreds of protestors stood on the Shenzhen-Shantou expressway, blocking all traffic.

3. Weibo Tightens User Registration

Freedom of expression in China suffered another setback in December with the move by Weibo, China’s most popular microblog host, to demand users register using their real names. On December 16, 2011, Beijing Municipal Government issued a new rule that all Weibo users have to register their real names before being allowed to post messages. Critics argue that this move will impede freedom of expression as people will now be more hesitant to post sensitive information, for fear of retaliation from governments. The Government, however, claimed that the system aims to establish a “higher quality” of public opinion, given that there is much “false” information currently on Weibo.

4. Court Rejects Arbitrary Closure of Weibo Account

A Chinese court recently held that it was unlawful for an internet company to arbitrarily shut down accounts of Weibo users. According to a Radio Free Asia report on December 7, 2011, the Beijing People’s Court held that Weibo’s parent company Sina, one of China’s largest online media companies, illegally shut down a Weibo user’s account. The company was ordered to reinstate the account and pay compensation of around RMB 2,500 (about USD 395). However, according to the report, many legal experts and Weibo users question whether this ruling will be used as a precedent by other Chinese courts. They also question whether such a warning will change internet companies’ practices, given their strong links with government.

5) Journalists Restricted Access to DPRK Border Areas

China’s authorities were on high alert after the death of the former supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Il, on December 17, 2011, with no media allowed near the Chinese side of the border with DPRK in Dandong City, Liaoning province. A mainland journalist was asked to leave the city upon arriving at a local hotel late in the evening. “They demanded I leave the city the following morning, without giving an explanation why,” the journalist said. All other foreign media personnel were not allowed close to the border to conduct filming.

6) Hong Kong Government Considering Anti-Stalking Law

The Hong Kong Government is considering enacting an anti-stalking law, citing the need to protect victims of harassment. On December 19, 2011, a consultation paper on the proposed anti-stalking law was issued by the Hong Kong Government. A spokesperson for the Government said the law has been raised for consideration by the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong, and that although the existing civil and criminal laws cover some aspects of stalking behaviour, they are insufficient to adequately cover stalking. Under the proposed law, those charged with stalking could be liable for up to two years imprisonment. The proposal sparked concern among media professionals and human rights organizations. The Hong Kong Journalists’ Association, an IFJ affiliate, is deeply worried that such a proposal could deter media from conducting investigative news reporting. HKJA urges the Government to provide an exemption to the anti-stalking law for the media. The IFJ supports HKJA’s demands and believes that without such an exemption anti-stalking laws could be misused by those seeking to avoid legitimate media scrutiny.

Serenade Woo
IFJ Project Manager
IFJ Asia-Pacific
asiapacific.ifj.org
ifj@ifj-asia.org
ifjchina@ifj-asia.org

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