[huridocs-tech] Press freedom in China

CHINA
Reporters Without Borders calls on the President and the Prime Minister to 
make a stand in favour of press freedom

On the occasion of the visit to France, from 26 to 28 September, of the 
Chinese Prime Minister, Zhu Rongji, Reporters Without Borders has written 
to Jacques Chirac and Jean-Pierre Raffarin asking them to "do all they can 
to ensure that the question of the freedom of the press does not remain the 
poor relation in discussions with China". "Human rights, and especially 
freedom of expression, are still today one of the major forgotten aspects 
of the opening-up professed by this country. But the complacent silence of 
China's international interlocutors on these issues is just as serious and 
reprehensible. More than a sad mark of indifference, it amounts to tacit 
support for the practices of the Chinese regime," adds Robert Ménard, 
Secretary-General of the organisation.

China ranks fourth among the jailers of journalists globally, with to date 
at least 11 journalists in prison for having exercised their right to seek, 
receive and impart information. In addition, intimidation, censorship, 
confiscation of their publications or purely and simply deportation, make 
up the day-to-day experience of foreign journalists and correspondents 
working in this country.
China is also the number one ravager of freedom of information on the 
Internet. Thirty cyber-dissidents are currently in prison for having 
published information regarded by the authorities as over-critical. The 
promulgation in 2000 of drastic legislation on the Internet was moreover 
the starting-point for an unprecedented crackdown, which led to the 
suspension of numerous web sites and of two search engines, Google and 
Altavista, a wave of closures of Internet bars ­ more than 2000 in June 
this year ­ and strict surveillance of Internet users.


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