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PRC denies police behind beatings
Reuters, BEIJING
Chinese police had nothing to do with the beating of foreign reporters covering
a possible protest last month, the foreign minister said yesterday, as security
forces intensified their monitoring of journalists.
Some foreign reporters were harassed or beaten up in a central area of Beijing
late last month after an online message from abroad urged a pro-democracy
gathering inspired by the ¡§Jasmine Revolution¡¨ in the Arab world. Police
smothered the designated area and no protest took place.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (·¨¼äãW), speaking on the sidelines of the
annual meeting of parliament, denied police involvement.
¡§There is no such issue as Chinese police officers beating foreign journalists,¡¨
he said.
It was not clear if his denial also applied to state security personnel or
plainclothes staff.
Over the weekend, foreign journalists in Beijing received telephone calls or
home visits from the police to check their paperwork and remind them about the
need to follow reporting rules.
One journalist was told that the neighborhood committee was responsible for
ensuring she obeyed Chinese law, according to the Foreign Correspondents Club of
China.
In Shanghai, a group of European and Japanese journalists covering a putative
protest site were held by police for two hours in an underground ¡§bunker-like¡¨
room, where officers examined their documents, said the Foreign Correspondents
Club.
Police frequently detain foreign reporters in China for brief periods when
covering sensitive events and ask them to produce their government-issued
reporter cards.
¡§We will continue to provide convenience for foreign reporters for their legal
and reasonable reporting, and we also hope they respect China¡¦s laws and
regulations,¡¨ Yang said.
His comments are unlikely to mollify critics, who have said recent restrictions
amount to a reversal of past vows of unimpeded reporting in much of the country.
Police have been warning foreign reporters that they risk having their visas
revoked if they continue to try and report from certain parts of Beijing without
first obtaining official permission.
Regulations issued just before the Beijing Olympics allow foreign reporters to
interview individuals or organizations as long as they agree.
However, the government often interprets the rules to suit its needs. Tibet
remains off limits apart from government-organized visits, and other sensitive
areas have been ¡§temporarily¡¨ closed.
Yang said it was important people did not exaggerate the security situation in
China.
¡§I have not noticed any signs of tension domestically. What I have seen is that
the Chinese people had a joyful Lunar New Year and happy Lantern Festival,¡¨ he
said. ¡§This is the reality I have seen. I don¡¦t want to see people making
something out of nothing.¡¨
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