China warns foreign media against jasmine strolls

Reshma Patil, Hindustan Times
Beijing, February 26, 2011

First Published: 23:10 IST(26/2/2011)
Last Updated: 01:56 IST(27/2/2011)

The polite reminder of reporting rules came 24 hours before a West Asia-inspired pro-democracy protest scheduled on Sunday in 18 Chinese cities. Dissident posts spreading through banned websites have asked Chinese citizens to ‘stroll, watch or pretend to pass by’ at sites in 18 cities every Sunday a fternoon. Authorities are taking no chances, though the first such protest failed last Sunday, with more police and onlookers than protesters gathered outside a McDonald’s at Wangfujing, in Beijing.

Barricades have since appeared at the site making it difficult for gatherings. Prominent rights lawyers and dissidents have been detained or put under surveillance. Censorship has extended to block online searches in Chinese for US envoy Jon Huntsman who angered netizens after he was spotted at the Wangfujing protest.

On Saturday, an official reminded HT that foreign correspondents must ‘abide by the regulations’ and seek permission before conducting interviews. The official was referring to a 2008 regulation that ‘to interview organisations or individuals in China, foreign journalists need only to obtain their prior consent.’

Calls to journalists ranged from ‘friendly reminders to specific warnings,’ said the Foreign Correspondents Club of China. Some correspondents were told to register for permission at a Wangfujing office with an unlisted number.