Chinese in Manchester Protest Over Bbc 'bias' on Tibet and Olympics
Demonstrators read an open letter to the broadcaster, accusing it of 'tarnishing and demonising China'
More than 1,000 Chinese demonstrators gathered outside the BBC building in Manchester yesterday to protest against the coverage of the Free Tibet movement.
The protesters, many of them sporting 'I love China' T-shirts, held a two-hour silent demonstration before reading out an open letter to the BBC.
The letter, addressed to director-general Mark Thompson and signed by 'the Chinese community in Manchester', said the broadcaster was 'tarnishing and demonising China' in its coverage of Free Tibet protests and the Olympic torch relay.
It went on to state that the BBC had failed to provide 'credible and independent coverage' of the events. One of the main criticisms concerned a picture on the BBC's website of Chinese police helping doctors to move an injured person in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, described as a 'military crackdown' by Chinese police. 'The way they frame the story is biased,' said protest organizer Tian Yang, 21.
The BBC said in a statement: 'Despite restrictions placed on journalists, our coverage of Tibet has been extensive, fair and balanced. The same is true of our reporting of the Olympic torch relay and the protests that have accompanied it.'
The protesters, many of them sporting 'I love China' T-shirts, held a two-hour silent demonstration before reading out an open letter to the BBC.
The letter, addressed to director-general Mark Thompson and signed by 'the Chinese community in Manchester', said the broadcaster was 'tarnishing and demonising China' in its coverage of Free Tibet protests and the Olympic torch relay.
It went on to state that the BBC had failed to provide 'credible and independent coverage' of the events. One of the main criticisms concerned a picture on the BBC's website of Chinese police helping doctors to move an injured person in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, described as a 'military crackdown' by Chinese police. 'The way they frame the story is biased,' said protest organizer Tian Yang, 21.
The BBC said in a statement: 'Despite restrictions placed on journalists, our coverage of Tibet has been extensive, fair and balanced. The same is true of our reporting of the Olympic torch relay and the protests that have accompanied it.'
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