Police have taken seven people into custody following the murder
of a newspaper employee in north China's Shanxi Province, and are hunting for three
others, according to a spokesman for the provincial bureau of
public security.
The dead reporter, Lan Chengzhang, 35, had been working for the
Shanxi office of the newspaper China Trade News since
January 3.
On Jan. 10, Lan visited an unlicensed coal mine in Hunyuan
County in the province with his colleague Chang Hanwen. Some
reports said the two reporters - who were not fully-fledged
journalists - were investigating into the mine, while others
suggested that they may have been trying to extort money from the
mine owner.
When they arrived at the mine, Lan told an employee, Zhang
Gengen, that they wanted to talk with the mine boss, Hou Zhenrun,
as they had received reports the mine was run illegally.
Zhang gave the two reporters Hou's telephone number. Hou, who
was in Dadong City, suggested they meet there but Lan insisted on
waiting for Hou at the mine.
When Hou arrived at the mine at 4 PM that afternoon he was
accompanied by eight thugs. The heavies immediately set upon Lan
and Chang with clubs, and fled the scene after the beating.
The next morning Lan died of a brain haemorrhage in hospital.
His colleague Chang suffered a broken right arm plus minor injuries
in the attack.
According to the police, Lan told Chang en route to the coal
mine that the mine owner could "give us at least 1,000 yuan
(US$128) once we show him our identity."
Lan had an employee card issued by the Beijing-based newspaper,
according to the head of the paper's Shanxi office. On three months
probation, he had not yet obtained his press card issued by the
State Press and Publication Administration.
The head of the China Trade News Shanxi office said the
two men were employed by the paper but were not authorized to
conduct reporting missions and their investigation of the coal mine
was a "personal initiative".
The owner of the illegal coal mine, Hou Zhenrun, gave himself up
to police late Friday night. A native of Huairen County, Shanxi
Province, Hou previously worked for the Datong Standard Component
Factory.
(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2007)