AFP: Chinese authorities assault journalists - Japan news agency
Chinese authorities assaulted three journalists from a Japanese news agency in their Beijing hotel room, the agency said early Saturday, kicking them and destroying two computers. The three journalists from Kyodo News were in the Chinese capital covering a National Day rehearsal when authorities stormed into the room of their hotel Friday night, the news agency said. Kyodo alleged a reporter and two cameramen were kicked "and hit their heads to make them kneel down...", without specifying who the "authorities" were. It also did not disclose the nationality of the three journalists. They threw the two computers out of the room and into the corridor of the hotel, which is near Tiananmen Square, the venue of the National Day celebrations scheduled for October 1. China's Foreign Ministry had ordered news organisations not to take photos when the country conducted a rehearsal September 6, but the ministry has not issued such an order since then, according to Kyodo...more...