Posted on 01/14/2005 5:33:45 AM PST by crushelits
BEIJING, - The Chinese government on Thursday defended its decision to raid a news conference called by visiting South Korean legislators to discuss the status of North Korean refugees in China, accusing the lawmakers of inciting North Koreans to enter the country illegally and break into foreign embassies to seek asylum.
Kong Quan, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, rejected demands by the South Korean officials for an apology, instead suggesting they apologize to China for what he described as "very improper behavior." Speaking at a regular briefing, Kong also denied that Chinese security agents had roughed up journalists during the raid.
In Seoul, the South Korean government called in the Chinese ambassador to express concern about the incident and demand an explanation, but stopped short of lodging a formal protest. The opposition Grand National Party urged a tougher stand and condemned China's "rudeness and arrogance."
"This is in one word an insult to the Republic of Korea and a violence toward lawmakers who represented the people," the party said, according to the Associated Press.
Four legislators from the party who were on a fact-finding mission to China called a news conference Wednesday to urge the Beijing government to show leniency toward refugees from North Korea and to release South Korean activists jailed for helping them. But Chinese security agents cut the lights in the hotel meeting room, then shoved dozens of journalists out of the room. The men struck at least one photographer on the head.
Reporters Without Borders, an international media advocacy organization, said China was using "unacceptable methods" to stop Chinese and foreign journalists from reporting on North Korean refugees and said it had sent a letter of protest to the Chinese foreign minister.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Boy, what China needs is friendship, weapons, and control over the world's oil supplies!
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