Intl group questions China's 'restricted reporting' of hostage crisis

An international media group questioned what it called the China's restricted" reporting policy on news about the hostage crisis on Monday in Manila where eight Hong Kong tourists were killed. The International Federation of Journalists(IFJ) voiced concern over an order from China’s Central Propaganda Department against "negative reporting" on the matter. “The order attempts to muzzle open reporting of the circumstances surrounding recent events in the Philippines, and must be lifted by China’s central authorities immediately," IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said on the IFJ website. IFJ, which represents more than 600,000 journalists in 125 countries, cited information indicating that the order was aimed at protecting Philippine-China ties. On August 23, dismissed Police Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, hijacked a bus carrying 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipinos. After an 11-hour hostage drama, nine people died— the hostage-taker and eight Hong Kong tourists. IFJ noted that China’s Central Propaganda Department instructed the media in China to report only the positive news, such as the evacuation of the victims or the story of the survivors of the incident. "There should be no reporting or sensationalist comment which could disturb bilateral relationships with the Philippines, the order said. Instead, journalists are required to report directly from statements issued by China’s Foreign Ministry," the IFJ said. The IFJ quoted a journalist from China as saying this was a strict rule. “We are not surprised to receive this order although I think the handling of the crisis by the Philippines’ Government is terribly unacceptable," IFJ quoted the Chinese journalist as saying. –VVP, GMANews.TV