Amnesty International Hong Kong is outraged at the mistreatment and detention of Hong Kong journalists in their course of covering the protest in Urumqi. The journalists were hindered from trying to cover the news and were forcibly removed from the scene. They were also beaten up during the course and had their press identification confiscated. Xinjiang officials claim that the journalists were beaten up as they were inciting unrest and violated reporting regulations. There has been no substantial evidence provided to support the officials’ claims, nor were any details from the “serious investigation” being brought to light. Despite the claims, the journalists were released from detention on the same day.
The right to access and dissemination of information is a basic human right, and protecting the safety of journalists when conducting legitimate coverage is part of the freedom of the press. It is unacceptable under any circumstances when journalists are subjected to harassment or violence by government officials, and it violates international conventions. The Chinese authorities have failed to live up to its international obligation to protect freedom of the press and the free flow of information by subjecting the journalists to arbitrary detentions and subjecting them to inhumane and violent treatment at the time they were arrested. The Chinese authorities, in doing so, tolerates and encourages the illegal conducts by law enforcements, endangering the safety of the journalists a, the freedom to information and have in effect deprived the citizens to to free access to information. All these have again shown that media freedom in China can easily be trampled on.
Journalists have been previously subjected to harassment like this; it is not an isolated incident. In fact, we see an increase in incidents of a similar nature where law enforcement overstep their powers, engaging in violence suppression and arbitrary detention in order to prevent journalists from carrying out their work. Such abuses have to stop. The authorities must allow free and uninterrupted coverage for journalists when covering stories and to conduct fair and independent investigation on any blockade or violence. This is necessary if the international community is to restore trust on the nation, and believe in China’s determination to protect freedom of press and freedom to information. Those who have committed abuses must be punished, and victims be given a fair and just account and compensation.