reporters strong armed by chinese gov't

[justashooter 430]

To all colleagues in journalism and all friends in other sectors:

I am in-depth reporter Yao Haiying of the Changjiang Business News in Hubei province. The number on my newspaper magnetic card ID is 0140. My General Administration of Press and Publication press card number is B42005301000071.

A few days ago, I wrote a news report and I was "illegally summoned" and "threatened" by the subject of that report -- the Wuhan city Jiangyan district procuratorate. From September to now, they have been pressing hard. In the absence of any alternatives, I am forced to go on the Internet to appeal for help.

In the "Notice for inquiry," the procuratorate stated clearly that this was about a report on the invasion of business secrets. The notice was marked with the keywords "discipline" and "graft." This means that the Wuhan city Jiangyan district procuratorate has set up a file against the reporter as a suspect in "party disciplinary violations" and "graft."

When the Changjiang Business News communicated with the Jiangyan district procuratorate, the prosecutor general harangued the newspaper director: "We get our way done everywhere except with the Changjiang Business News?" He then threatened: "If you continue not to cooperate and you won't let the reporter be interrogated, we will take the next step."

At a time when all of China is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the republic, this brutish behavior is shocking and regrettable.

On October 9, our state leader said at a worldwide media summit that we value the media, we support the media on watchdog journalism and we protect the people's rights to know, participate, express and supervise.

The Jiangyan district procuratorate is a law enforcement agency which is the subject of watchdog journalism. However, it is illegally summoning a reporter who was carrying out his duties for questioning. This blatant interference with news reporting is revenge? or frame-up?

Let me now describe the events in detail below. I hope that the upper levels of government departments will pay attention and protect the legal rights of journalists in order to highlight the image of justice among law enforcement agencies.

http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20091031_1.htm

[Darnell 8,478]

I've heard that Wuhan can be a tough city. A few of my police friends there talk about this specific case with me recently, claiming the reporter is wrong, and he'd better come to court, or they will take him away to the jail, without charges, be held indefinately...

I thought it weird, no charges? But then I remembered some other stories from last year, from my police buddies... Very Strange cr@p...

Oh well, hopefully the reporter can get out of China sometime quick, maybe leg it via boat to S. Korea somehow..