Journalists Covering Industrial Accident Attacked by Factory Staff

 

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns a group attack on three mainland China journalists who were reporting on an accidental fire at a factory in Xiegang town in Dongguan city in China’s in the south of the country on July 27.

 

Local sources told the IFJ that the journalists have been identified as Dong Zhe from Guangzhou Daily Newspaper, Mo Xiaodong from Southern Metropolis Daily and Jiang Yun of Yangcheng Evening News. 

 

Staff from the factory reportedly attacked the journalists, causing injuries on their faces and necks, and threatened them with death in an attempt to block coverage of the incident.

 

Jiang’s photographs were forcibly deleted from his camera and his notebook was destroyed.

 

Two of the attackers involved have reportedly been arrested by police and fined.

 

Police arrested two people involved in the incident and have ordered them to be detained for seven days and fined them 300 yuan (approximately USD 45) each.

“It is imperative that all citizens respect the non-partisan status of journalists in China, and refrain from violent retaliation against individual journalists whose job it is to report news and protect the public’s right to know,” IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said.

The IFJ reiterates its call to the China government to actively encourage greater public respect for independent media and explicitly acknowledge journalism as a profession conducted in the public interest.

 “We believe that such recognition would be a key component to a more open and free China.”

 

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919

 

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide