Exactly two years before the Olympic Flame will burn in Beijing -- an event that will draw some 20,000 journalists from around the world -- the Chinese authorities are seriously obstructing the work of foreign correspondents. That's the conclusion drawn by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC) in a statement presented in Beijing Monday. Control of the foreign media in China doesn't fit with Beijing's promise to the International Olympic Committee to allow reporters to work freely, says FCCC president Melinda Liu, who is also the China correspondent for the US magazine Newsweek. Liu said these controls are "an affront to the Olympic spirit."

Some journalists don't like to report on themselves, but apparently foreign correspondents in China are now resolved to draw attention to their situation. The time until the Olympic Games is short, the FCCC statement points out. The group's stated goal is to create "a more open media atmosphere" through talks with the authorities. The FCCC hopes that such an atmosphere that will remain as a lasting accomplishment of the games.

The FCCC drew attention to Beijing's promise to allow the media complete freedom during the Olympics -- a promise made during China's application for hosting the games. But so far foreign correspondents in China are far from being able to research freely the way their Chinese colleagues in Europe can. Foreign journalists and their Chinese assistants repeatedly end up at the police station when they report on delicate topics such as pollution, AIDS or farmers' protests. Often they're forced to state the names of their sources, in addition to handing over their notes and photographs.

Journalists threatened

At least 72 such cases have occurred since 2004, according to an internal investigation by the FCCC. The cases involved journalists from 15 countries. In 10 cases, reporters and their sources were attacked by what appear to have been hired thugs while the police stood and watched. Reporters working for Radio France International and the South China Morning Post were hassled intensely for more than 30 minutes in southern China last October, when they wanted to report on a demonstration by local residents.

Beijing justifies itself by reference to articles 14 and 15 of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's rulebook for foreign correspondents, which prohibit journalists from researching an issue without registering with the appropriate authority and getting permission. Such a rule contradicts the norms expected from countries that host the Olympic games, according to the FCCC.