Officials in Ningxia demanded that two correspondents – one French, one Danish – register with authorities before interviewing an imam, after the journalists were told by foreign affairs offices in Shanghai and Ningxia that due to new Olympics reporting rules, the offices could not issue reporting permits.
Plainclothes officers met the journalists at their pre-appointed interview at a mosque, first claiming to be relatives of the Imam whom the media had contacted. The officers obstructed the interview, only later revealing their true identities. After 30 minutes, one of the journalists asked an officer to call the Ningxia foreign affairs office to clarify if the reporters had the right to be in the area. The journalists were asked to register with police.
When the media arrived at the police station, they found officers reading the Olympics reporting rules. The journalists were required to register; the police refused to provide their identification. After the media returned to meet the imam, police called him five times during the hour-long interview, demanding to know what questions the reporters were asking.
“We have been told we can go freely anywhere, but it’s not true,” said Caroline Dijkhuis of the French newspaper 20 minutes.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China welcomes the release of Hong Kong-based Straits Times correspondent Ching Cheong, who was arrested in Guangzhou in April 2005 and charged with allegedly spying for Taiwan. In August 2006, Ching was sentenced to five years in prison; he had served almost two years of his sentence before being released on parole Feb. 5, 2008.
Seen as a goodwill gesture as Beijing prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, Ching’s release on medical grounds allows him to spend the traditional Lunar New Year holiday with relatives and friends in Hong Kong, where the journalistic community had organized an online petition and other activities denouncing the accusations against him. On several occasions, the FCCC publicly called on Chinese authorities to free Ching and make public the details of his case.
While Ching’s release is welcome, serious questions remain regarding the opaque nature of his arrest, trial and incarceration. The FCCC is concerned about Chinese authorities’ lack of transparency, and the use of national security-related charges, in cases involving media personnel. We urge the Chinese government to make public the legal proceedings related to not only Ching Cheong but all other imprisoned journalists.
