Subscribe free to our newsletters via your




SINO DAILY
China media vows punishment for dissenting Tibetan officials
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Jan 29, 2015


US concerned about press freedom in China: senior diplomat
Beijing (AFP) Jan 28, 2015 - Washington is concerned about press freedom in China, a senior US diplomat said in Beijing Wednesday as some US news organisations face repercussions over their reporting of issues deemed sensitive by the ruling Communist Party.

"There is no doubt that we are very concerned about the freedom of the press, about the ability for journalists to be here, to stay here, to have status here," said Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, on the first stop of a three-country visit to Asia.

"All of those are very critical issues," she added.

Washington has criticised China's treatment of foreign correspondents after new reporters for The New York Times and Bloomberg were not given residence visas -- apparent retaliation for investigative stories on the wealth amassed by leaders' families.

Some members of Congress have backed a draft measure calling for reciprocal denials of US visas for Chinese media workers and executives. Opinion on such a move remains divided in Washington.

China's ruling party is highly sensitive about critical coverage of its leaders, while also keeping a tight grip on information in the country.

Beijing says it respects freedom of the press and that all journalists in the country must abide by Chinese law.

In November the US and China announced a deal to extend the validity of visitor visas -- but not journalists' -- for each other's citizens to as much as 10 years.

At a joint press conference with US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested that US news organisations had themselves to blame for not receiving visas.

"In Chinese, we have a saying: 'The party which has created the problem should be the one to help resolve it'. So perhaps we should look into the problem to see where the cause lies," Xi said.

Sherman, who is also leading the US team in its nuclear negotiations with Iran, spoke to reporters in Beijing on the first leg of an Asia trip that will also take her to Seoul and Tokyo.

China's state media on Thursday called for officials who take an "ambiguous attitude" towards Tibetan independence to be prosecuted, after personnel in the region were reportedly punished for communicating with the Dalai Lama.

A total of 15 officials of the ruling Communist party had "violated discipline" for activities including "providing information to the Dalai Lama" and "participating in underground groups", the state-run China News Service said this week, adding they would be punished by party authorities.

Many Tibetans resent Chinese rule and official restrictions on their Buddhist religion. China strictly limits public expressions of support for the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader who escaped China in 1959 and is still revered by many Tibetans.

Beijing says it has brought development to the region, denies repression and brands the Dalai Lama a "separatist" seeking independence for Tibet.

The Global Times newspaper, which has ties to the ruling Communist party, said in an editorial that "if there are officials who take an ambiguous attitude on the Tibetan independence question... they must be investigated and prosecuted regardless of their ethnicity".

"Party officials in Tibet won't receive favourable treatment for their support of separatists and they will pay the price for this. This must be made known to all Tibetan officials," it added.

The US-based International Campaign for Tibet said in a statement that the move would add to tensions in the region, saying: "Punishing Tibetan officials for allegedly supporting the moderate policy of genuine autonomy put forward by the Dalai Lama is a radical and wrong move that could further alienate the Tibetan population."

It added that restrictions have increased since deadly riots in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 2008, under which "almost any expression of Tibetan identity not directly sanctioned by the state can be branded as 'anti-separatist', and penalised by a prison sentence, or worse".

More than 130 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest against Chinese policies since 2009, with most dying.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
China News from SinoDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








SINO DAILY
China university 'expels student over genetic blood disease'
Beijing (AFP) Jan 23, 2015
A student in Beijing is suing his university after he was allegedly expelled for having the rare hereditary blood disease haemophilia, reports said Friday, the latest case in China's long history of medical discrimination. The student, identified by the pseudonym Zheng Qing, is suing the China Institute of Industrial Relations after he was officially expelled earlier this month, the governme ... read more


SINO DAILY
New York defends storm shutdown

Probe after 11 die in NATO training jet crash in Spain

Hackers target Malaysia Airlines, threaten data dump

Shanghai stampede showed 'critical neglect': mayor

SINO DAILY
Congressman claims relying on GLONASS jeopardizes US lives

Turtles use unique magnetic compass to find birth beach

W3C and OGC to Collaborate to Integrate Spatial Data on the Web

AirAsia disappearance fuels calls for real-time tracking

SINO DAILY
Livermore research finds early Mesoamericans affected by climate

Easter Island mystery

Australopithecus africanus: Strong hands for a precise grip

Did genetic links to modern maladies provide ancient benefits?

SINO DAILY
Picking up on the smell of evolution

The origin of life: Labyrinths as crucibles of life

Researchers identify natural plant compounds that work against insects

Blind beetles show extraordinary signs of sight

SINO DAILY
Scientists develop potential late-stage rabies treatment

H5N1 bird flu spreads to 11 states in Nigeria: govt

WHO says Ebola epidemic on the decline

Bird flu confirmed in Canadian patient after China trip

SINO DAILY
China surveying government suicides amid graft drive

China media vows punishment for dissenting Tibetan officials

China university 'expels student over genetic blood disease'

China has mountain to climb with 2022 Winter Olympics bid

SINO DAILY
China arrests Turks, Uighurs in human smuggling plot: report

Two police to hang for murder in Malaysian corruption scandal

Nobel protester sought to draw attention to 'murdered Mexican students'

Corruption on rise in Turkey, China: Transparency

SINO DAILY
ECB QE could cause "competitive depreciation": China

China's economy not headed for 'hard landing': PM

China bank lending up in 2014 as govt seeks credit boost

China's economic growth slows to 24-year low: govt




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.