We released the following statement after news reports that two men attacked and killed 16 policemen in an apparent suicide attack in Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region:
“Journalists must be allowed to travel to Kashgar to report on this terrible incident. The world must not be forced to rely only on government-approved reports of an attack with such global implications,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, who is monitoring Olympic media issues in China from Hong Kong.
“This is a test of China’s pledge to allow reporters to travel freely within China during the Olympics. It must be honored,” Dietz said