FCCC Keep up the Good Fight, and We Salute Them

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China is one of our hero organizations.

All along during the Chinese regime's shameful violations of press freedom before, during and after the Olympic Games, FCCC has kept the Beijing bosses accountable for their behavior.

Now, after almost all has been said and done, it wants the Chinese government "to build an Olympic legacy by enshrining the pledge of openness in new rules for foreign correspondents."

Let's keep in mind that the regime is now seriously considering eliminating the allegedly "relaxed reporting rules" for foreign reporters that were enacted because of the Games. We all know how well that one went.

But FCCC, in a remarkable show of patience, has not hesitated to keep the pressure on the censors or to remind the regime "that the free flow of information is crucial to the proper functioning of the globalized world."

To that end, the regulations should also guarantee protection of news sources. During the Olympic period, the FCCC received numerous reports of people being prosecuted, intimidated or otherwise prevented from speaking to foreign reporters.

Around 100 countries have laws to protect sources. China is behind most other major economies in not recognizing this international best practice.

"We urge China to join these nations," said FCCC president, Jonathan Watts. "China cannot meet its promise of being open to the world unless its citizens are allowed to speak freely to foreign reporters."

FCCC also reminds us the following:

Since the Olympic regulations came into effect on Jan. 1, 2007, the FCCC has received reports of 336 cases of reporting interference, including 67 during the Games period.

Period indeed.