Senior UN official urges probe into death of Chinese reporter

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today urged Chinese authorities to investigate the death of journalist Sun Hongjie, who died last week after being beaten by several men at a construction site.

Mr. Hongjie worked as a senior reporter for the Beijiang Chenbao newspaper. According to media reports, he sustained head injuries on 18 December when he was attacked by six people at a construction site where he was supposed to meet a source.

He died in a hospital in Kuitun, a city in the north-western province of Xinjiang, 10 days later.

Irina Bokova, the Director General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), deplored the killing and called for a full investigation.

“In view of the nature of the attack, I call upon the authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into this crime and bring the perpetrators to justice,” she stated in a news release issued by the Paris-based UNESCO.