A rights group on Tuesday called for an investigation into the near-fatal beating of a journalist in China, who is known for his reporting on the sensitive issue of forced relocations.
Sun Hongjie, a reporter based in the far-western Xinjiang region, was left brain-dead after he was beaten over the head by four or five men on Saturday night, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in a statement.
"In view of the suspicious nature of the attack, Reporters Without Borders urges the local and national authorities to carry out a transparent investigation that examines all the possible motives," the statement said.
The official Xinhua news agency said police in Kuitun city had confirmed the violent attack on Sun in a construction site and had claimed Sun was beaten because he had previously insulted another man — not because of his work as a journalist.
But Reporters Without Borders said colleagues of Sun at the Northern Xinjiang Morning Post said "it was not, as the police are claiming, an ordinary case of violent robbery or a brawl outside a bar."
"His colleagues say he was working on a sensitive story about the demolition of housing to make way for new homes for officials," the Paris-based group said.
"Speaking on condition of anonymity, one colleague told fellow journalists that Sun had 'an idealistic vision of journalism'."
Six suspects have been detained and police are investigating the case, Xinhua said.
"If the authorities want to prevent any rumours about the underlying reasons for Sun's attack, it is in their interest to conduct an impartial and exhaustive investigation," RSF said.
China's media is tightly controlled but gradually becoming more aggressive in exposing corporate and official malfeasance. However, particularly bold reporters who offend powerful forces risk being muzzled or even jailed.
RSF said the last confirmed murder of a journalist in China was in 2007.
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