Hu Jintao, President of China
Wen Jiabao, Premier of China
Esteemed President Hu and Premier Wen,
To mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) respectfully asks that you, in your capacity as China’s most senior leaders, and the ruling Communist Party honour public promises to build respect for the independence and rights of China’s journalists and media professionals.
Since the beginning of 2010, propaganda departments across China have issued numerous orders that restrict journalists in conducting their work in the public interest. These restrictions contradict statements made by yourselves in which you offer assurance that China's media environment is one in which freedom of the press and freedom of expression will not be obstructed.
The IFJ respectfully reminds you of Premier Wen’s progress report delivered to the National People’s Congress on March 5. In the report, Premier Wen says, “In order to develop a socialist democratic society, we have to protect peoples’ rights, in particular the rights to election, participation, expression, supervision and knowledge.”
President Hu made a similar pledge in 2009, during a visit to the offices of the China Daily.
The IFJ welcomes these statements in support of press freedom and freedom of expression, which are in keeping with guarantees enshrined under Article 35 of China’s Constitution.
It is therefore distressing to learn that government departments at the central and provincial levels continue to issue orders and restrictions which prevent professional journalists from doing their job and reporting in a manner that serves the public interest.
The IFJ is especially concerned that journalists should be able to keep ordinary people informed about important issues to do with public health and safety, most recently in regard to the aftermath of the Qinghai earthquakes and the distribution of spoiled vaccines to children. Official government efforts to obstruct reporting on these important public concerns echo similar restrictions in regard to contaminated milk and the Sichuan earthquake in 2008.
Yet journalists and media workers, including online journalists, are frequently harassed and penalised by authorities when they seek to fulfil their professional duty to inform the wider public about important issues.
One example is the sacking in March this year of a senior editor because 13 newspapers simultaneously published the same editorial calling on members of the National People’s Congress to consider reform of China’s residency system.
Another example is the ban on media reporting on the imprisonment of Liu Xiaobo, who was sentenced to 11 years’ jail in December on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” due to six articles he wrote between 2005 and 2007.
The IFJ is further concerned that strict censorship on information disseminated over the internet, including news reporting, denies China’s population access to important information that they need to make informed choices.
Press freedom, freedom of expression, access to information and the right to know are basic human rights to be enjoyed by all peoples, as stipulated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The IFJ respectfully urges you to employ your authority to take action to ensure these rights are upheld in China, in accordance with your public statements. In particular, we urge that you direct propaganda department officials – at the central and federal levels – to desist from seeking to obstruct reporting by journalists and all forms of media, in recognition of the rights we celebrate every year on World Press Freedom Day.
Respectfully, Jacqueline Park
IFJ Asia-Pacific