western journalists received death threats in China, bout time for them to learn some lessons. Options

[lilzz]

I wouldn't be surprised if there news of some foreign journalists either got stabbed, attacked inside China.

============================================================================
BEIJING - Western reporters in China have received harassing phone calls, e-mails and text messages, some with death threats, supposedly from ordinary Chinese complaining about alleged bias in coverage of recent anti-Chinese protests in Tibet.


The harassment began two weeks ago and was largely targeted at foreign television broadcasters, CNN in particular. But the campaign broadened in recent days after the mobile phone numbers and other contact information for reporters from The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today were posted on several Web sites, including a military affairs chat site.

"The Chinese people don't welcome you American running dog. Your reports twist the facts and will suffer the curse of heaven," said one e-mail received by the AP. One text message said: "One of these days I'm going to kill you."

Those sending the messages and making the calls say they are ordinary Chinese, a claim that could not be verified.

Spokesmen for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government's State Council Information Office and the national police ministry did not respond to telephone calls and faxed questions Monday seeking comment about the threats.

The barrage of angry complaints seems to mark the latest outburst by nationalistic Chinese directed at foreigners and channeled through mobile phones and the Internet. Three years ago, anti-Japanese demonstrations organized by e-mail and mobile phone occurred in a half-dozen Chinese cities to protest historical grievances dating from World War II.

The complaints against foreign media come just four months before 30,000 journalists from around the world come to Beijing for an Olympics meant to feature a more open, modern China.

The criticisms touch on a sensitive issue: China's rule over Tibet. Chinese are taught in schools and through the wholly controlled state media that Tibet has been part of China for centuries, and that Chinese investment and political reform has lifted the region out of abject poverty and vastly improved living standards.

Some Tibetans however complain that Beijing's rule has resulted in a loss of religious freedom, economic disenfranchisement, and the watering down of their culture and language.

Sometimes violent anti-Chinese protests that began in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in mid-March and spread across Tibetan communities in western China have drawn intense media coverage and also touched off protests by Tibetans worldwide often outside Chinese diplomatic missions.

Complaints by Chinese have largely centered on Western media outlets that either cropped or captioned photographs and footage in ways some Chinese have found misleading. Several Web sites, for example, showed photographs of Indian or Nepali police forcefully detaining Tibetan demonstrators but misidentified them as Chinese security forces.

The complaints coalesced around a Web site started by a Chinese resident of Beijing that catalogued the supposed bias.

Asked about the criticisms at a briefing in late March, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang called them a "spontaneous condemnation and judgment on irresponsible and malicious reporting that violated professional ethics."

Contact information for reporters from the AP, Wall Street Journal and USA Today was posted online after they were among a group of foreign media taken by the Chinese government to Lhasa to report on conditions two weeks after the violent protests.

The Web sites listed the reporters as those who "fabricated untrue news about Tibet." Neither the Web sites nor government officials have cited specific criticisms about the reports.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China has urged its members to be more vigilant about security following the threats.

"Even if you've not received such messages, foreign correspondents in China should be aware of the negative emotions triggered by local perceptions of Western media 'bias,'" the Beijing-based club said in a statement Monday.

[Suijen]

Right, death threats.

[MiCC]

death threats my @$$, ill fu-king choke one of those b!tches with a chinese flag if i see them

[SkyLegenD]

^哈哈

我家里真有一个

[yawn]

Maturity at its finest.

[Chinese DesertFo...]

Death threats are not cool, people should not resort to this.

[B.ZhangMidshipma...]

Death threats are not cool, people should not resort to this.

I agree, people seriously must learn to control themselves during such trying times. I know that in times like these, people tend to get inflamed at what's happening; but despite that, we can't let ourselves run wild. Losing one's self-control generally results in dire consequences. I understand that controlling oneself may not be as easy for some as it is for others, but if someone has trouble sontrolling him/herself alone, then seeking help from close friends/family members should be a good idea.

[millersdude]

Actually western journalist biases against China is not a bad thing. At least it unites all Chinese everywhere.

[MiCC]

Death threats are not cool, people should not resort to this.

you're right death threats arent cool when it never gonna occur

[dragonballz]

lol, don't like it? get the fu-k out.

[orange peel]

... why did they have to specifically point out that they can't verify the claims that those are from ordinary Chinese.... >_>
every time.. they make it sound as if the Chinese gov invites them there to get threatened..

[Jaimu-Jaimu]

No need for death threats.
Intelligent people don't take news sources like CNN/BBC seriously.

[yhellothar]

I've gotten death threats for saying young earth creationism was bunk.

The saddest part is that no truly anti-Chinese Westerners in China have been murdered yet

[yawn]

*sigh*

[kreetslaak]

lol, don't like it? get the fu-k out.

You mean the Chinese living in America? Yeah, I thought not. Shut up ya hypocrite.

[kreetslaak]

The saddest part is that no truly anti-Chinese Westerners in China have been murdered yet

Advocating the murder of 'Westerners'. Yet they are somehow the evil biased racists. Not a single person objecting to your post, either.

[fairyofpov]

arrogant crybabies

[Mid-Night_Sun]

hahaha death threats? REALLY? man thats insane.

[yhellothar]

Advocating the murder of 'Westerners'. Yet they are somehow the evil biased racists. Not a single person objecting to your post, either.

Yes, they are. Racist imperialists should get what they deserve.

[kunomchu]

wow some moron bumped this thread... the fuk