(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a WAN press release: Chinese Official Denies Internet Jailings The World Association of Newspapers expressed its serious concern about press freedom restrictions in China, particularly the persecution of Internet reporters, at a meeting in Beijing today with senior communist party officials. The WAN delegation protested to Mr Liu Yunshan, China’s […]
(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a WAN press release:
Chinese Official Denies Internet Jailings
The World Association of Newspapers expressed its serious concern about press freedom restrictions in China, particularly the persecution of Internet reporters, at a meeting in Beijing today with senior communist party officials.
The WAN delegation protested to Mr Liu Yunshan, China’s Chief of Propaganda in the ruling Politburo, that at least 30 journalists and freedom of expression advocates had been arrested and were being held in prison for their writing, in most cases on the Internet.
But Mr Liu Yunshan denied the truth of the WAN claims: “This is the first time I have heard such a thing. This is either a rumour or false information,” he told the WAN representatives, the organisation’s President, Seok Hyun Hong, publisher of the “Joong Ang Ilbo” in Korea, and Timothy Balding, WAN Director General.
WAN had told Mr Liu Yunshan that the global newspaper community, represented by the organisation, was seriously concerned about limitations on freedom of information and freedom of the press in China and that little or no improvement had been observed by WAN since it last sent a mission to China, in 1997. That visit led to an apparent blacklisting of WAN, whose Director General was refused a visa to re-enter China until this month.
“We observe that journalists and other advocates of free expression continue to be harassed, arrested and jailed and that more than 30 are currently in prison,” Mr Balding told the propaganda chief and his colleagues.
Dr Hong said that WAN was willing to examine the facts of each case together with the appropriate Chinese authorities but up to now they had been unwilling to do this. “Because of the lack of responsiveness about these claims, the image of China is being tarnished internationally,” he said.
Mr Liu Yunshan responded that Chinese media had an obligation to “convey true information which gives correct guidance to the people” and that “false information which misguided society could lead to disaster.” He admitted that China had been until recently an “isolated country” and that “understanding of the outside world needs to be developed and deepened.” He proposed that WAN should send more missions to China to continue discussions on these issues. “We need to have more contact and communication,” he added. At the same time, more representatives of Chinese media should attend WAN events to meet their colleagues.
The WAN group has been in China for 5 days, meeting party and government officials and leading newspaper groups. Later today the group was going to Shanghai.
The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 71 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 100 countries, 13 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.
