WAN 2008: Chinese journalist wins press freedom award

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A Chinese journalist sent to prison for breaking a story on the web about an outbreak of dengue fever has been awarded the 2008 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers .

Li Chongqing was released from prison in February after serving three years for filing a story to the Boxun News Network, a Chinese-language website based in the United States, about the outbreak in Fuzhou province in 2004 after officials had failed to warn members of the public about the spread of the deadly viral disease.

After spending a year in prison without being charged Li, a reporter and deputy news director of the Fuzhou Daily, was finally sentenced in January 2006, for "fabricating and spreading false information".

Li is the second Chinese journalist in as many years to win the award, the first time that WAN has given consecutive awards to reporters from the same country for more than 45 years.

Fellow countryman Shi Tao, who has served four years of an eight year prison sentence for his journalism, was awarded last year's prize.

Li was unable to obtain a passport to attend today's award ceremony in Göteborg, Sweden , and accept his award.

His wife, who was due to accept the award on his behalf, was also prevented doing so after being detain by Chinese authorities at Beijing airport.

Li Jianhong, a former colleague of Li's who was herself forced to leave China after being persecuted by the authorities, accepted the award on his behalf from George Brock, president of the World Editors Forum.

"The award was made on the individual merits of Mr Li's case. He went to jail for exposing a serious outbreak of a dangerous disease before the authorities had told the public about it. The Golden Pen of Freedom recognises Mr Li's brave conduct in revealing significant facts in the public interest," said Brock.

"But Mr Li’s case also belongs in a context. China has the dubious distinction of being the world’s biggest jailer of journalists.

"Despite the promises it made in its successful Olympic bid to improve conditions for journalists, China has continued its repressive policies, cynically believing that neither the Olympic movement nor the international community expects them to honour their promises of reform.

"In fact China is pursuing its crackdown on freedom of expression, even now a few weeks before the Olympic games.

"Just last month two more journalists were jailed, this time for reporting that a public official had beaten an employee who was late for work.

"More than 30 journalists and 50 cyber-dissidents are now in Chinese jails, some of you may like to remember that when you watch the Beijing Olympics later this summer."

After collecting the award Li Jianhong read a statement written by Li Chongqing .

"I am deeply aware that this is not an honour only to me in particular, but also an award in general to all of my colleagues who are bravely devoting themselves to freedom of expression, especially those in China," said Li's statement.

"The facts that Chinese journalists have gotten the Golden Pen of Freedom Award two years in succession, and that China has become the world’s largest jailer of the journalists, have shown that the current situation of free expression in China is of growing concern to the whole world," he said.

"China is a land that needs to be travelled with the voices of conscience and a nation that needs to be saved by the truth."

Watch more of George Brock's speech here:

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