Chinese authorities assaulted three journalists from the Japanese
Kyodo News agency in a Beijing
hotel room on September 18, 2009, according to international news reports.
Unidentified authorities stormed into the room at around 8 p.m.,
kicked the reporter and two cameramen and “hit their heads to make them kneel
down,” according to Kyodo. They also destroyed two computers, the agency said.
Kyodo did not disclose the nationality of the three
journalists. They were near Tiananmen Square covering
a rehearsal for October 1 National Day celebrations, the reports said. China’s Foreign
Ministry also prevented a Kyodo journalist from photographing a rehearsal on September
6, the agency reported.
Beijing has seen a high security presence in advance of the parade
to mark the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic.