IFJ condemns China's refusal to issue visas to Taiwanese reporters
2014/02/10
Taipei, Feb. 10 (CNA) The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined the affiliated Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ) Monday in condemning China's refusal to issue visas to two Taiwanese journalists who wanted to travel to China this week.
The Taiwan-based reporters with Taiwan's Apple Daily and U.S.-based Radio Free Asia were excluded from a delegation of journalists who will cover the visit of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council head Wang Yu-chi to China from Feb. 11-14.
The IFJ joined with the ATJ in calling on the governments of Taiwan and China to sign an "Agreement to Ensure News Freedom" and to immediately refrain from using the issuance of visas or permits as instruments of censorship.
IFJ Asia Pacific director Jacqui Park said the Chinese government's refusal to issue these visas was indicative of an ongoing trend.
"The Chinese government is clearly using their ability to retract or refuse visas to journalists as an instrument of censorship," Park said.
"Recently we have witnessed high profile cases in which foreign journalists such as The New York Times' Austin Ramzy and The South China Morning Post's Paul Mooney were forced to leave the country after having visa renewals declined.
"This is the first case we have come across where Taiwanese journalists have been targeted," he said.
Wang is set to meet China's Taiwan Affairs Office head Zhang Zhijun in Nanjing -- the first ever official meeting between Cabinet-level chiefs of the two governments -- on Feb. 11.
The ATJ called on Taiwan's government to officially rebuke Beijing for its action and demand that China revoke its ban and allow all Taiwanese journalists to cover the visit without discrimination.
"China's decision to trample on press freedoms by refusing to issue the visas is particularly serious, given one of the items on the agenda is a possible agreement on news media cooperation that could ultimately permit news media from each side to permanently station reporters in the other territory," the ATJ said.
The ATJ also urged the two governments to pledge to protect the rights of reporters of either side operating in each other's territory to freely gather news and guarantee that reporters from either side will not be detained or monitored for carrying out news gathering tasks.
In addition, it requested that Taipei and Beijing enter into an agreement that would prohibit both governments from censoring or blocking any news website and to refrain from censorship of publication of books, magazines or audio-visual recordings across the Taiwan Strait.
(By S.C. Chang)
The Taiwan-based reporters with Taiwan's Apple Daily and U.S.-based Radio Free Asia were excluded from a delegation of journalists who will cover the visit of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council head Wang Yu-chi to China from Feb. 11-14.
The IFJ joined with the ATJ in calling on the governments of Taiwan and China to sign an "Agreement to Ensure News Freedom" and to immediately refrain from using the issuance of visas or permits as instruments of censorship.
IFJ Asia Pacific director Jacqui Park said the Chinese government's refusal to issue these visas was indicative of an ongoing trend.
"The Chinese government is clearly using their ability to retract or refuse visas to journalists as an instrument of censorship," Park said.
"Recently we have witnessed high profile cases in which foreign journalists such as The New York Times' Austin Ramzy and The South China Morning Post's Paul Mooney were forced to leave the country after having visa renewals declined.
"This is the first case we have come across where Taiwanese journalists have been targeted," he said.
Wang is set to meet China's Taiwan Affairs Office head Zhang Zhijun in Nanjing -- the first ever official meeting between Cabinet-level chiefs of the two governments -- on Feb. 11.
The ATJ called on Taiwan's government to officially rebuke Beijing for its action and demand that China revoke its ban and allow all Taiwanese journalists to cover the visit without discrimination.
"China's decision to trample on press freedoms by refusing to issue the visas is particularly serious, given one of the items on the agenda is a possible agreement on news media cooperation that could ultimately permit news media from each side to permanently station reporters in the other territory," the ATJ said.
The ATJ also urged the two governments to pledge to protect the rights of reporters of either side operating in each other's territory to freely gather news and guarantee that reporters from either side will not be detained or monitored for carrying out news gathering tasks.
In addition, it requested that Taipei and Beijing enter into an agreement that would prohibit both governments from censoring or blocking any news website and to refrain from censorship of publication of books, magazines or audio-visual recordings across the Taiwan Strait.
(By S.C. Chang)
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