The
International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is disappointed to learn that a journalist has been punished by
his employer for disclosing a restrictive order issued by China’s authorities.
Zhang
Junyan, a journalist at Southern
Metropolis Daily, was fined 1500 yuan (about USD 220) by his employer after
he published the order on his blog. Zhang was also demoted from his position as
an intermediate level journalist to a junior level journalist.
“We
don’t know what it was about, but he was punished because no order from the authorities
is allowed to be released,” another journalist from Southern Metropolissaid.
“It
is a secret in China
- anyone who releases [the order] might face punishment.”
The
relevant message in Zhang’s blog has already deleted.
“The
punishment of a journalist for posting a restrictive order is disappointing,
particularly as the Premier of China, Wen Jiabao, has publicly
reconfirmed the right of citizens to be informed about what is happening,” IFJ
General Secretary Aidan White said.
“Punishing
a journalist who has true respect for the public and upholding the Premier’s
ideal is abhorrent and is condemned by the IFJ. The Southern Metropolis Daily should reverse its decision and promptly
return the 1500 yuan toZhang Junyan.”
The
incident is similar to the case of former journalist Shi Tao, who was sentenced
to 10 years’ jail in 2005 after
he made public via the Yahoo! email service a restrictive government order instructing
media not to report on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989.
Another
restrictive order was issued on June 30 to prevent publicity about actions by a
group of media workers and scholars who denounced a statement by the Chongqing Morning Post after rumours
circulated that one of the paper’s journalists had been sentenced to a labour
re-education camp.
The
group, which alleged the newspaper disrespected journalists by using
threatening words in its statement in an attempt to stop other media reporting
on the case, is calling on people express their anger by boycotting the newspaper.
For further
information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific
on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ
represents more than 600,000 journalists in 125 countries