Attacks on the Press 2004: China
China (including Hong Kong)It was a disappointing year for those who hoped that President Hu Jintao would allow a greater degree of freedom for China’s increasingly market-oriented press. After taking over the presidency from Jiang Zemin in 2003, Hu consolidated power in September 2004, when Jiang gave up his final leadership post, the chairmanship of…
Attacks on the Press 2004: North Korea
North Korea While foreign analysts kept guessing at the state of nuclear development in North Korea, one thing remained certain in 2004: There is no free press in the country, only government outlets that voice the pronouncements of Kim Jong Il’s authoritarian regime.
Authorities suspend license of jailed journalists’ lawyer
New York, March 1, 2005—Authorities in Shanghai have suspended the law license of Guo Guoting, defense attorney for three jailed journalists as well as a number of other dissidents and members of the Falun Gong religious sect. The suspension throws into question the defense of imprisoned writers Shi Tao, Zhang Lin and Huang Jinqiu.
CHINA
JULY 2, 2005 Posted: July 22, 2005 Wong Yuk-man, Commercial Radio HARASSED Hong Kong’s Commercial Radio terminated the contract of popular radio host Wong Yuk-man. Local supporters say that political pressure played a part in the decision to fire the host, known for his outspoken criticism of local pro-Beijing politicians.
Journalists in prison in 2004: Four nations stand out
New York, February 3, 2005–Four countries with long records of press repression–China, Cuba, Eritrea, and Burma–account for more than three-quarters of the journalists imprisoned around the world, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found.
CHINA
JANUARY 29, 2005 Posted: March 28, 2005 Zhang Lin, Freelance IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION Zhang, a political essayist who wrote regularly for overseas online news sites, was detained on his return to Anhui Province after traveling to Beijing to mourn the death of Zhao Ziyang, the ousted general secretary of the Communist Party.