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You have the right to remain silent; Journalistic freedom in China
posted Friday, 4 February 2005
China watchers will not be surprised at the news that China has topped the 2004 list of countries imprisoning reporters, maintaining the top ranking for the sixth consecutive year, despite claims that it has opened up the press.
China
The Chinese government has long sought to be the only source of information in China, and maintains an ingrained desire to control the way that information is received by the public. Often using the state run media to hide or ‘amend’ stories that are deemed to be unfavorable to the government or that contradict party lines, so that they do not reach the public arena or reach it in a ‘more favorable’ form.
Despite claims of tolerance and increased freedom of speech, China remains infamous for detaining citizens from all professions, but most notably journalists, for the crimes of “revealing state secrets”, “Inciting Unrest”, and “Subversion”, loosely worded catch alls that are widely viewed as existing to silence those who speak out against the government.
In the past, the scope of these charges have been used to imprison or detain pro democracy reformers, farmers’ and workers’ rights activists, those who reveal corruption within the government, social reformers, freedom of speech activists, and those calling on the government to reappraise government lines so that they fall in line with historic events.
Most recently, information about Zhao Yihang, China’s former party head, was suppressed during his funeral, known activists were put under observation or house arrest and reporters who were not authorized by Xinhua, China’s state media agency, were refused access to the funeral.
The World
World wide, the majority of journalists imprisoned have been accused insulting or defaming government officials, inciting public unrest, and spreading ‘false’ news, most of which are cover terms used against journalists who publish unfavorable stories about politicians or government dealings, or who speak out against state corruption and poverty.
The Public Eye
The imprisoning of journalists in China has long been of concern to groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders, but until recently it has largely been the preserve of human rights groups like Amnesty Intonations who covered the issue as part of a broader freedom of speech agenda, and coming into the public eye only recently as the flow of information between China and the outside world increased.
The issue of journalistic freedom was touched on during and after the handover of Hong Kong to the mainland, when it was feared that self censorship and controversial ‘anti subversion laws’ would put reporters in a difficult position when publishing unfavorable stories about mainland China, and dramatically brought into the world spotlight in 2004 with the detention of Zhao Yan, a New York times journalist and farmers rights activist, who was taken into custody on suspicion of “illegally providing state secrets to foreigners”. His detention is believed to be in connection to news article predicting the resignation of a senior Chinese official.
The official later resigned.
The Numbers
Despite the wide spread public perception that the imprisoning of journalists is common in China, only 42 journalists are currently imprisoned, however this is notably higher than in 2002, when only 36 journalists were imprisoned.
Below is a summary of those journalists who were in detention during 2004. The list provides only does not include journalists whose release was been verified during the year or were imprisoned/held for short periods during 2004
Note
Revealing state secrets includes; providing state secrets to foreigners, leaking state secrets, selling state secrets, and all other crimes regarding state secrets. Other descriptions are ‘generic’.
This list may not be complete or wholly accurate, and inclusion on it does not imply actual guilt or innocence. Some individuals on this list were scheduled to have been released, but sources are unable to verify if this has occurred.
Other Offenders
Despite China forming an important part of the report, it also singled out the United States, internally purported as a champion of the free press, for criticism because of recent actions against three reporters who refused to break journalistic anonymity codes by revealing their sources.
New York Times journalist Judith Miller and Time Magazine journalist Mathew Cooper are currently under threat of imprisonment for refusing to reveal their sources
Jim Taricani a reporters with WJAR, an NBC affiliate network in Providence, who was sentenced to 6 months house arrest for refusing to reveal the source of a video showing former Providence Mayor Vincent Cianci receiving a bribe.
A similar incident took place in Britain, when reporters refused to identify soldiers interviewed for a documentary about over a controversial incident in which several demonstrators were shot dead when a crowd attempted to overrun a British army post in the disputed territory of Northern Ireland.
In that incident, reporters feared that the soldiers or their families would be left open to reprisal attacks if their identities were made public.
Some of the demonstrators were purportedly armed and are now known to have included individuals later accused or convicted of terrorism.
China
The Chinese government has long sought to be the only source of information in China, and maintains an ingrained desire to control the way that information is received by the public. Often using the state run media to hide or ‘amend’ stories that are deemed to be unfavorable to the government or that contradict party lines, so that they do not reach the public arena or reach it in a ‘more favorable’ form.
Despite claims of tolerance and increased freedom of speech, China remains infamous for detaining citizens from all professions, but most notably journalists, for the crimes of “revealing state secrets”, “Inciting Unrest”, and “Subversion”, loosely worded catch alls that are widely viewed as existing to silence those who speak out against the government.
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|
“Most imprisoned Chinese journalists are held on subversion or state secrets charges.” Committee to Protect Journalists |
In the past, the scope of these charges have been used to imprison or detain pro democracy reformers, farmers’ and workers’ rights activists, those who reveal corruption within the government, social reformers, freedom of speech activists, and those calling on the government to reappraise government lines so that they fall in line with historic events.
Most recently, information about Zhao Yihang, China’s former party head, was suppressed during his funeral, known activists were put under observation or house arrest and reporters who were not authorized by Xinhua, China’s state media agency, were refused access to the funeral.
The World
World wide, the majority of journalists imprisoned have been accused insulting or defaming government officials, inciting public unrest, and spreading ‘false’ news, most of which are cover terms used against journalists who publish unfavorable stories about politicians or government dealings, or who speak out against state corruption and poverty.
|
|
"The
widespread jailing of journalists is pursued only by those few nations
that distrust their own citizens and care little about the opinion of
the rest of the world." Committee to Protect Journalists |
The Public Eye
The imprisoning of journalists in China has long been of concern to groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders, but until recently it has largely been the preserve of human rights groups like Amnesty Intonations who covered the issue as part of a broader freedom of speech agenda, and coming into the public eye only recently as the flow of information between China and the outside world increased.
The issue of journalistic freedom was touched on during and after the handover of Hong Kong to the mainland, when it was feared that self censorship and controversial ‘anti subversion laws’ would put reporters in a difficult position when publishing unfavorable stories about mainland China, and dramatically brought into the world spotlight in 2004 with the detention of Zhao Yan, a New York times journalist and farmers rights activist, who was taken into custody on suspicion of “illegally providing state secrets to foreigners”. His detention is believed to be in connection to news article predicting the resignation of a senior Chinese official.
The official later resigned.
The Numbers
Despite the wide spread public perception that the imprisoning of journalists is common in China, only 42 journalists are currently imprisoned, however this is notably higher than in 2002, when only 36 journalists were imprisoned.
Below is a summary of those journalists who were in detention during 2004. The list provides only does not include journalists whose release was been verified during the year or were imprisoned/held for short periods during 2004
|
Chen Renjie |
Distribution of Propaganda Inciting unrest |
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Liping |
Revealing state secrets Inciting unrest |
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|
Chen Yanbin |
Inciting unrest |
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|
Wu Shishen |
Revealing state secrets |
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|
Ma Tao |
Revealing state secrets |
Current status unknown |
| Fan Yingshang | Speculation and profiteering |
|
|
Hua Di |
Revealing state secrets |
|
|
Liu Xianli |
Subversion |
Current status unknown |
|
Gao Qinrong |
Bribery Embezzlement Profiting from Prostitution |
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Yue Tianxiang |
Subversion |
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|
Wu Yilong |
|
|
|
Mao Qingxiang |
|
|
|
Zhu Yufu |
Subversion |
|
| Zhang Ji |
Inciting Unrest Subversion |
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Huang Qi |
Subversion |
|
| Xu Zerong |
Revealing state secrets Economic Crimes |
|
|
Liu Weifang |
Subversion |
Current status unknown |
|
Jiang Weiping |
Revealing state secrets |
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Lu Xinhua |
Inciting unrest |
|
|
Yang Zili |
Subversion |
|
|
Xu Wei |
|
|
|
Jin Haike |
|
|
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Zhang Honghai |
Inciting unrest Subversion |
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Wang Jinbo |
Inciting unrest Subversion |
|
| Tao Haidong |
Inciting unrest Subversion |
|
|
Zhang Wei |
Inciting unrest Rumor mongering |
|
|
Abdulghani Memetemin |
Revealing state secrets |
|
|
Chen Shaowen |
Subversion |
|
|
Cai Lujun |
Subversion |
|
|
Luo Changfu |
Subversion |
|
|
Yan Jun |
Subversion |
|
| Luo Yongzhon |
Inciting unrest Subversion |
|
|
Huang Jinqiu |
Subversion |
|
| Kong Youping |
Inciting unrest Subversion |
|
|
Yu Huafeng |
Corruption |
|
|
Li Minying |
Bribery |
|
|
Liu Shui |
Soliciting |
|
|
Zhao Yan |
Revealing state secrets |
|
| Zhang Qianfu |
Inciting unrest Subversion |
|
|
Shi Tao |
Revealing state secrets |
|
| Yang Tianshui |
Inciting unrest Subversion |
|
Note
Revealing state secrets includes; providing state secrets to foreigners, leaking state secrets, selling state secrets, and all other crimes regarding state secrets. Other descriptions are ‘generic’.
This list may not be complete or wholly accurate, and inclusion on it does not imply actual guilt or innocence. Some individuals on this list were scheduled to have been released, but sources are unable to verify if this has occurred.
Other Offenders
Despite China forming an important part of the report, it also singled out the United States, internally purported as a champion of the free press, for criticism because of recent actions against three reporters who refused to break journalistic anonymity codes by revealing their sources.
New York Times journalist Judith Miller and Time Magazine journalist Mathew Cooper are currently under threat of imprisonment for refusing to reveal their sources
|
|
"CPJ
has condemned the U.S. government's stance and noted that it has sent a
terrible message worldwide," it said in a statement. Committee to Protect Journalists |
Jim Taricani a reporters with WJAR, an NBC affiliate network in Providence, who was sentenced to 6 months house arrest for refusing to reveal the source of a video showing former Providence Mayor Vincent Cianci receiving a bribe.
|
|
"The
government has used its resources and power and the threat of jail to
try to coerce me to identify a confidential source. This assault on
journalistic freedom exacts a high price by stifling the flow of
newsworthy information to reporters and to the public," Jim Taricani, Reporter |
A similar incident took place in Britain, when reporters refused to identify soldiers interviewed for a documentary about over a controversial incident in which several demonstrators were shot dead when a crowd attempted to overrun a British army post in the disputed territory of Northern Ireland.
In that incident, reporters feared that the soldiers or their families would be left open to reprisal attacks if their identities were made public.
Some of the demonstrators were purportedly armed and are now known to have included individuals later accused or convicted of terrorism.
View Comments/Add a Comment (3)
1. a reader left...
Saturday, 5 February 2005 11:31 am
Of course, mentioning any of this, but especially providing lists of names
and 'crimes' is itself revealing state secrets.
Tamquam Leo Rugiens [rugit@inreach.com]
2. a reader left...
Saturday, 5 February 2005 12:27 pm
These people were all convicted in Chinese courts under Chinese law; it’s
not a state secret if it’s already been published in Xinhua. After all, if
these people are guilty, then I’m actually providing a warning to other
journalists that China won’t tolerate sedition or the revealing of state
secrets.
3. a reader left...
Friday, 4 March 2005 4:41 am
With as many people as are getting arrested for "revealing state secrets,"
I'd say that the chicom govt does a piss poor job of securing such
secrets.
Knoodelhed