HONG KONG—As pressure grows for a more open government, a Chinese journalist has reported rough treatment at the hands of a provincial governor, and a top Internet firm has blocked the microblogging accounts of a prominent activist.
Chinese journalists and Web users reacted angrily this week after the posting of a video online showing Hubei provincial governor Li Hongzhong snatching a tape recorder from Liu Jie, a reporter for the official Jinghua Shibao newspaper.
Liu had asked Li a question about the case of waitress Deng Yujiao, who fatally stabbed a Communist Party official who demanded sex with her last May. Deng was freed after a national outcry surrounding her murder trial.
While Liu said she was unable to comment on the incident, she said she would refuse to write any form of “self-criticism.”
“I am a journalist, and we have the right to independent media scrutiny,” she said.
Official arrogance ‘common’
Online activists said the incident came against a background of popular resentment of arrogant officials and lack of accountability.
“This insolence of manner is not limited to Li Hongzhong,” said Sichuan-based blogger Ran Yunfei.
“The system produces officials who are abusive to subordinates while servile to their bosses.”
“The reason is that they are not elected by the people,” he said.
Shenzhen-based cyber writer Bei Feng said that the most worrying part of the episode was that Li threatened to talk to the reporter’s superiors on hearing her ask a sensitive question.
“This was blatant blackmail and abuse of power,” he said. “It clearly demonstrates how little space exists for Chinese media under the supervision of absolute power.”
The incident rippled fast through the Chinese Internet in China, but most postings were deleted as fast as they appeared, netizens said.
Letter to parliament
Meanwhile, Chinese artist and blogger-activist Ai Weiwei called on the government to make its information publicly available in an open letter sent to dozens of parliamentary delegates during the annual National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing.
Ai’s letter said that Chinese citizens had sent at least 113 letters to government departments at all levels last year requesting the disclosure of information.
“None of the departments directly answered a single question raised by us,” the letter said, adding that 84 departments responded by saying the citizens should seek the information they wanted on the Internet.
According to Ai, regulations on the disclosure of government information require departments and agencies to reply to requests for information within seven business days.
Of the government departments contacted, 24 failed to respond at all.
Calls to a number of NPC regional offices met with no comment on Ai’s initiative.
Qinghai provincial NPC editorial department official Xie Ping said he hadn’t read Ai’s letter yet because he had been busy.
“I haven’t had a chance to read this letter yet,” Xie said. “I will answer you once I have had a chance to read it.”
‘Against regulations’
Guangdong provincial NPC propaganda and information department official Wang Fei also declined to comment. “I haven’t received this letter yet,” he said.
“I don’t feel comfortable making any comment on this matter, because I am head of the propaganda and information department.”
After the letter was posted on a microblogging service run by Chinese Internet giant Sina.com, accounts containing any characters resembling Ai’s name were immediately deleted from the service.
“It’s probably because they had content that was against regulations,” a customer service agent at Sina.com said. “There isn’t any other reason [for accounts to be deleted].”
“This is done by our monitoring department.”
Farmers voice concern
As netizens racked up the pressure online, a nationwide group of farmers’ associations also called on the government to make public its intentions on genetically modified food imports.
“Genetically modified foodstuffs may have unforeseen consequences after people eat it,” association founder Zhao Fengsheng said.
“We don’t have information about whether or not genetically modified foods can harm people, or induce various forms of cancer.”
“So we are calling on the government to make public the relevant reports on the matter … We don’t know why they haven’t published it. This stuff is not secret,” Zhao said.
In his annual work report to the NPC last week, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao called for greater oversight of government by ordinary citizens and media, and for officials to create an environment in which it is possible for people to criticize and supervise the government.
“We must create the conditions under which people are allowed to criticize the government, to supervise the government,” Wen told delegates to the country’s parliament.
“At the same time, we must bring out the ability of the media to exercise a supervisory role, so that power is exercised in broad daylight.”
Analysts said there is still a huge gap between what the government says and what it is able to achieve, however.
Original reporting in Mandarin by Xin Yu and in Cantonese by Fung Yat-yiu. Mandarin service director: Jennifer Chou. Cantonese service director: Shiny Li. Translated and written for the Web in English by Luisetta Mudie. Additional translation by Chen Ping. Edited by Sarah Jackson-Han.