China continues to block Internet sites despite promise -- IFJ issues statement
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IFJ News Release
30 July 2008
IFJ Calls on China to Grant
Journalists Free Internet Access: "Censorship Has No Place at the
Olympics"
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the
Chinese authorities to unblock certain Internet sites that have become
unavailable for foreign journalists arriving in Beijing to cover the Olympic
Games which begin in nine days.
"We learn with dismay from the Chinese government that some Internet
sites are blocked", said Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ.
"This is a serious breach of the promise given that all journalists,
particularly those in the Main Press Centre for the Games, would have
unfettered access to the Internet. We demand that all restrictions are lifted
so that our colleagues can work freely and search access to the information
they need."
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman who admitted the Internet
restrictions said they concerned the Falun Gong spiritual movement, but
reporters working already in that country are also unable to seek information
from sites such as those related to Tibet or Amnesty International.
Several thousand journalists are already in Beijing and
they are complaining about the way certain sites are censored, either because
they are unavailable or they prompt suspiciously slow download rates when
attempting access.
"This is a bad start for journalism," said White. "We call on
the All China Journalists Association and the Chinese authorities to keep their
promise and open the Internet to access by all journalists. Censorship has no
place at the Olympic Games."
At the same time, the IFJ has called on the International Olympic
Committee to put pressure on China to ensure that it keeps the Internet open to
all by reminding the Chinese government about their undertakings to grant
unrestricted access for the period of the Games.
For more information contact the IFJ at +32 2 235 2200/07
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide.