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International Press Institute Asserts that China's Control of the Media Caused the Spread of SARS
(Clearwisdom.net) According to a Radio Free Asia report on April 22, the Vienna-based
International Press Institute condemned the Chinese government for its obsession
with secrecy and their determination to restrict the free flow of information,
which caused the epidemic spread of SARS. The International Press Institute is
an international organization dedicated to safeguarding freedom of the press.
The International Press Institute (IPI), a network of senior journalists and
media executives from 115 countries, said an open letter to the President of
China, Hu Jintao. The Institute urged Hu to allow journalists "to report freely
in China without fear of arrest or prosecution," in order to help prevent any
"repetition of the SARS tragedy." The open letter pointed out that at the beginning of the SARS outbreak, the
Chinese government forbade journalists from reporting on the epidemic, and
failed to set up a prevention system for both people and doctors. They were
therefore unable to effectively control the spread of the epidemic. IPI said
that a free flow of information is needed to deal with emergencies. However, the
Chinese government determined that the free flow of information would be
hazardous, and that political and social stability was more important than
people's lives. Posting date: 4/29/2003 |