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A Frightening Trend, Why Anti-Semitism Is On The Rise In France And What Is Being Done About It; Diplomatic Tango, Donald Trump Gets Ready To Head To Argentina For The G-20 Summit With Russia And China High On The Agenda; Missing In Xinjiang, The Wife Of An Award-Winning Photo Journalist Says Her Husband Was Detained In China's Northwest. Aired: 8-9a ET
Aired November 29, 2018 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST, "NEWS STREAM": I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream." A frightening trend, why anti-Semitism is on
the rise in France and what is being done about it. Diplomatic tango, Donald Trump gets ready to head to Argentina for the G-20 Summit with
Russia and China high on the agenda. And missing in Xinjiang, the wife of an award-winning photo journalist says her husband was detained in China's
northwest.
And we begin with "A Shadow Over Europe." Our extensive investigation to the rise of anti-Semitism on the continent. Nowhere is a problem more
apparent than in France, home to Europe's largest Jewish population and the mood there is driving some Jews to leave the country altogether. CNN's
chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward reports from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: In France today, anti-Semitism is not just a prejudice. It's 26 people held hostage in a
Kosher supermarket. It's three children and a teacher gunned down at a Jewish school. It's a holocaust survivor murdered in her apartment. It is
11 body bags in 12 years.
Nathaniel Azule (ph) nearly ended up in one, too. He says he and his brother were attacked in a Paris suburb by a group of local Muslim kids,
one on of them armed with a saw.
"We were in our car and it happened very quickly," he said. "It happened just because I had the kippah on."
Just because you were wearing a kippah? "His speech changed when he saw the kippah," he told us. "He started hurling anti-Semitic insults. Jew,
you're going to die on this road." Azule believes his knowledge of Krav Maga, the martial art form favored by the Israeli military saved his life.
Instructor Avi Atlan (ph) says he has seen an uptick in the number of young Jews wanting to learn to defend themselves. "It's very sad, but that's
where we are," he told us. "There are so many people who hate Jews."
According to the French government, the number of anti-Semitic acts here increased by a staggering 69% in the first nine months of this year and the
nature of the attacks is changing, becoming more violent.
Frederic Potier has been tasked with managing the official response. He says the government does not yet fully understand the reason for the
increase.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDERIC POTIER, HEAD, FRENCH GOVERNMENT OFFICE AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM: We're worried about these figures. But we have decided not to hide these
numbers. We have decided to face it and that's very important.
WARD: So, what do you say to a young French boy who is too afraid to wear a kippah?
POTIER: He shouldn't be afraid to wear it. I need him, I need him to fight anti- Semitism. I need him to fight cliche and stereotype. I need
him to stand for with the republic saying that, all the French Jews are French.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARD: France is now spending nearly $6 million on educational and online initiatives to combat hate speech. But anti-Semitism is a complex issue
here. Analysts say the traditional anti-Semitism of the far-right has been compounded by a more recent threat from radical elements in France's Muslim
population.
Hakim El Karoui has advised previous governments on what some are calling the new anti-Semitism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAKIM EL KAROUI, SENIOR FELLOW, INSTITUT MONTAIGNE (Through a translator): We now speak about Muslim anti-Semitism, which is a reality in which aligns
the anti-Semitism from the far-right and from the far-left which is mostly directed towards Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARD: A CNN poll found that more than a quarter of French people have a somewhat or significantly less favorable opinion of Jews as a result of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. France is home to the largest Muslim and Jewish minorities in Europe with roughly half a million Jews and 4.7
million Muslims. But the relationship between the two communities has deteriorated steadily since the first Palestinian intifada in the year
2000. As the politics of the Middle East has lapped up on France's shores.
[08:05:10]
WARD: "They're right to be afraid because the conflict in Palestine has reached here. That's why there's this situation." Muslim resident Mallika
says, "But for me when I see a Jew next to my place or on the street, I say we are the same family, they have nothing to do with what's going on in
Palestine, they're afraid for their children and that's crazy."
France does not identify the religion of those convicted of anti- Semitic crimes. Making it a difficult problem to quantify and a sensitive issue to
discuss with the Muslim community that already feels discriminated against and disenfranchised.
EL KAROUI (Through a translator): The perception of the Muslim is that they are the victims. They are the ones who suffered from racism and
discrimination. And then the Muslim community is going to tell you, yes, there is an anti-Semitism problem, but don't forget our situation. And the
problem is that you start comparing victims.
WARD: Miriam and her family have considered moving from France, joining the more than 55,000 Jews who have left since the year 2000. In the
sanctuary of their home, they celebrate Shabbat, a ritual ushered in every Friday night by lighting candles and reciting a blessing.
MIRIAM, JEWISH FRENCH RESIDENT: I'm scared for the future of my baby here, I hope that he will have a future here. And you know, Jewish community is
a part of the history of France, really. And so, I think France without any Jews is not any more France.
WARD: Miriam's prayers are for a France of tolerance where her little boy can grow up free of fear, but for now, there are no signs that her prayers
will be answered.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LU STOUT: Let's take a closer look at the numbers behind the fear that young mother expressed just then. Now, a CNN exclusive polling shows some
48% agree that anti-Semitism is a growing problem in France today And 29 of the surveys say, they know just a little or have never heard of the
holocaust. And some 24% believe that Jewish people have too much influence over global finance.
Our CNN's Clarissa Ward joins us now from London with more on this. And Clarissa, your reporting, it highlights so many issues including something
called the new anti-Semitism, this new wave of intolerance linked to France's growing Muslim population. Is this something that Muslim leaders
in France are addressing?
WARD: Well, I think to a certain extent, yes. There are certainly Muslim leaders who are coming out in France and acknowledging that they have a
problem, but Muslim leaders are also understandably very preoccupied with the very real discrimination and Islamophobia that they are facing, that
their communities are victims of.
And so that makes it very contentious and difficult issue to discuss. Also, as I mentioned in the piece, it's hard to know the scale and scope of
the problem because France does not identify the religion of people convicted of anti-Semitic crimes. How is one to know what proportion of
anti-Semitism really does come from the Muslim population?
Also, when we talk about issues of the new anti-Semitism, it's not just the Muslim population, there is a sense among the Jews in France that they are
taking a lot of criticism and facing a lot of anti-Semitism from the far left who have traditionally been very critical of Israel, but sometimes
we're seeing instances where, for example, a Jewish student union will be attacked with graffiti, will be vandalized, these types of acts.
When you put the whole picture together though what you have - and then of course, the far right still plays a major role in anti-Semitism in France
as well, but when you put it all together, what you have is quite a nasty and difficult situation evolving in France, particularly because of the
violence.
And one other thing, Kristie that I would be remiss if I didn't add here, a real major concern that we weren't able to get into in the piece of the
French government is that Jewish families are now moving out of areas, traditionally mixed areas, suburbs of Paris. They're moving into other
parts of France. And the more you have that, the more there is a kind of balkanization, the less integration there is, that really feeds into
according to the French government, the sort of vicious cycle of anti- Semitic attitudes. Integration, the French government believes is crucial to dealing with this problem.
LU STOUT: Lack of integration feeding into this vicious cycle as you pointed out, multiple sources now of Anti-Semitism is feeding it all.
Clarissa Ward, we thank you for your reporting.
[15:10:03]
LU STOUT: There has been plenty of reaction to CNN's investigation from all over the world. In Germany, the Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas said this
on Twitter, quote, "40% of Germans aged between 18 and 34 know little to nothing about the holocaust. These are shocking numbers as CNN has
revealed. We must remember the greatest crime against humanity if we want to prevent fascism in the future."
And Danny Danon, Israel's Ambassador to the UN says this, "This finding tells us that it is easy to forget our history. We are barely a few
generations removed from the holocaust, and yet these numbers are alarming."
We are also getting reaction from Israel's President, Reuven Rivlin in an exclusive CNN interview. Oren Lieberman is in Jerusalem and he joins us
now. And Oren, how does Mr. Rivlin respond to the investigation?
OREN LIEBERMAN, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, he wasn't surprised by the results, neither was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when we spoke with
him. Anti-Semitism in Europe and around the world is something that Israeli leaders every day, Israelis as well as Jews around the world are
fundamentally aware of.
But President Reuven Rivlin was very strong in his words, not only against anti-Semitism, but in the awareness and the education and what it will take
to rid the world of anti-Semitism, or at least to reduce it drastically from the levels we're seeing today.
He said anti-Semitism isn't only a problem of the Jewish people. It should be a problem of the entire free world because part of anti-Semitism is
simply a hatred of minorities. And once that takes root at any group, be it Jews or any other group, it spreads and very soon thereafter, other
minorities are targeted. Here is a part of our interview with Israel's President Reuven Rivlin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REUVEN RIVLIN, PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL (THROUGH A TRANSLATOR): For us, it's as clear as daylight. Anti-Semitism is a presence in society that corrupts
society itself. We try to explain to the whole world if you don't fight anti-Semitism, it will hit your societies because there are stereotypes
present in your societies that create a lack of understanding.
The treatment of minorities which is not humane or normal, this will corrupt your society. Anti-Semitism is an evil illness. It's evil. It's
evil. And evil does not exist in one place. Evil can sprout in every society that fails to examine itself, that fails to remember the past and
that fails to educate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMAN: And these are the two big elements he said have to be a part of education, of learning to fight anti-Semitism and other hatred of
minorities. First, he said, memories of the past. You have to remember the past, study the past if you expect to learn from it and not to repeat
the mistakes of history.
Then his other element as he just mentioned there is education. He said these are the two critical elements for humanity, for any country whether
it be Israel or another country to learn from the mistakes of the past, to fight anti-Semitism and to fight hatred and racism in general. He was very
strong on this point, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Anti-Semitism is intolerance. Intolerance is evil. Oren Lieberman reporting live for us. Thank you so much. And be sure to check
out Oren's full exclusive interview with the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, that's two hours from now, 11:00 p.m. in Hong Kong, 7:00 p.m. in
Abu Dhabi, only on CNN.
And do join us on Friday when Clarissa Ward speaks with Edith Eger. She survived Auschwitz. She survived the death camps and has dedicated her
life to educating people about the horrors of the holocaust.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDITH EGER, SURVIVOR OF THE HOLOCAUST: He pointed my mom to go to the left and I followed her. He came after me, grabbed me. I never forget those
eyes. He said your mother is just going to take a shower. You will see her soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Edie never saw her again. Both her parents were killed in the gas chambers of Auschwitz along with more than one million
Jews.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: And a horrific memory. And Clarissa also talks to the Chief Rabbi of Poland about how so many younger people know very little about the
holocaust. Join us for the next report in this exclusive series, it's called "A Shadow Over Europe: Anti-Semitism in 2018," Friday only on CNN.
You're watching "News Stream" and still ahead, two dozen Ukrainian sailors are being detained in Russian controlled Crimea for Sunday's confrontation
at sea. We'll tell you who Moscow suggests to be to blame.
And US President Donald Trump travels to Buenos Aires for the G-20 and a high stakes meeting with China's Xi Jinping.
[08:15:45]
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back, this is "News Stream." Now, Russia is lashing out at international criticism over its
latest confrontation with Ukraine. It's foreign minister says Sunday's naval crash was orchestrated by Ukraine possibly with the help of western
governments. Moscow accuses Ukraine's Navy of violating the rules of passage through Russia's territorial waters.
Kiev says the Russians were the aggressors, opening fire and seizing three Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait. Russia is right now holding two
dozen Ukrainian sailors in Crimea pending trial.
Let's bring in CNN's Fred Pleitgen live from the town of Taman, Russia on the Kerch Strait and Fred, as Vladimir Putin makes his way to the G-20
summit, will the crisis at home with Ukraine get worse?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, Kristie, there certainly is the potential that the crisis could get worse and one of
the things that I think we're seeing is that the crisis certainly doesn't look as though it's going to be going away anytime soon.
You've already mentioned those two dozen Ukrainian sailors are still in custody by Russia. They're going to be there for at least two months
pending trial. And also of course, those three ships are still very much impounded by the Russian Navy not far from where I'm standing here just on
the other side of the Kerch Bridge, which is of course the bridge that the Russians constructed after they annexed Crimea.
So it certainly doesn't look as though that crisis is going away. Then you have the Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko who just today called on
NATO to send warships to the body of water that you also see behind me, the Sea of Azov that's close to where I am right now. That's of course
something that could fuel tensions even further. So that crisis certainly doesn't look as though it's going away.
At the same time, the Russians also don't seem to have the impression that the crisis could derail any of the talks that Vladimir Putin wants to have
at that summit there, the G-20 Summit in Argentina, namely the one with President Trump.
The Kremlin earlier today on a conference call said that they still believe that that talk is going to go forward. They say it's been confirmed by the
White House that it will happen. It was interesting that Vladimir Putin just last night on Russian TV said that he believes that President Trump is
still very much positively inclined to improving relations between the United States and Russia despite many of the things that of course have
been going on over the past two years, over the past couple of months and specifically of course, in the past couple of days with that standoff that
happened here in the Sea of Azov, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Fred, there's been a lot of talk about how domestic politics is playing a role in this flare-up of tensions. We know in Russia, Vladimir
Putin has taken a dip in popularity. But does he need a conflict to boost support at home?
PLEITGEN: Not necessarily. I don't think that he necessarily does, but you're absolutely right. His ratings certainly have declined considerably.
There have been some things domestically politically that certainly have hurt Vladimir Putin in ways that we haven't seen over the past couple of
years.
His approval ratings right now in the high 40s. I think they were at around 49%, which is outrageously low for Vladimir Putin. One of the
things is the pension reform that really hasn't gone well for him. Also, the economic situation in Russia is not one that has not been picking up
also because of international sanctions.
[08:20:07]
PLEITGEN: And one does have to say that certainly since the time that the Crimea crisis has kicked off and the crisis with Ukraine has kicked off,
Vladimir Putin's ratings have been going up. So certainly those external crises have been good for his popularity ratings. That doesn't necessarily
mean that he would need something like this; so that something like this may have been orchestrated to boost popularity ratings.
Certainly, that is not something that generally we could say. On the other hand, the Russians, of course, are saying that they believe that the
Ukrainians are the ones who orchestrated this because of Petro Poroshenko's poor approval ratings because he has an election coming up. So these are
things that had been thrown back and forth. But whether or not Vladimir Putin would need this, it's really very, very difficult to say, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, so many factors at play here. Fred Pleitgen reporting from the Kerch Strait, a geopolitical hot spot despite those cold winds, Fred,
take care.
Now, in about two hours from now, Donald Trump will be leaving for that G- 20 Summit in Argentina. As Fred reported, the Kremlin says Mr. Putin will meet with the US President on the sidelines there. That would be the
second high stakes meeting lined up for Mr. Trump on Saturday because he is also due to meet with the Chinese President Xi Jinping and what could be a
make or break meeting for the trade war between these countries.
CNN's Matt Rivers is live for us in Buenos Aires. And Matt, thank you for joining us. There has been, as you know, so much tension, I don't know if
Matt, you could hear me right now. Do you know what? I don't think we have contact with Matt Rivers. Let's try to re-establish that. But
earlier, he filed this report, a preview of this big high stakes meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: The knock on the G-20 is that it's all for show -- handshakes, group photos -- but nothing ever really happens.
This year though, the summit in Buenos Aires might be different.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If China wants to make a deal, if we can make a deal we will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: With the US and China locked in a trade war, President Trump and President Xi of China are scheduled to talk and both sides are putting a
ton of stock in that meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will come to a head at the G-20. I think that's the key point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: The message seems to be if the trade war can be stopped or at least put on hold this meeting is the only place that could happen and
that's a big if.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIE LAM, THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: Both sides are trying to manage expectation, because it is unlikely that something dramatically
successful will take place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: A US trade representative report said this week China quote "fundamentally has not altered its practices related to technology
transfer, intellectual property and innovation," things the US has said must change. China rejected the report and then there was the APEC Summit,
where Xi, took a shot at the US.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (Through a translator): History tells us to take the road of confrontation whether it's in the form of a cold war, open
war or trade war that will produce no winners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: Just minutes later, Vice President Mike Pence fired back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: China has taken advantage of the United States for many, many years. And those days are over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: US tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports are already in place and hundreds of billions more could take effect next
year. For its part, China has more tariffs ready of its own and says these US actions are merely attempts to stifle its legitimate economic rise. It
all makes an Argentina deal seem unlikely, but there is a wildcard Trump mentioned it at Mar-a-Lago, the property where he first met Xi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think I've prepared for this meeting, I had a meeting literally right in that corner with President Xi. We have a great relationship. I
like him a lot. I think he likes me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: Trump has always shown a willingness to make decisions in the moment and perhaps he wants to make a deal. Xi might want the same.
China's economy is swiftly slowing down and a protracted trade war won't help. That's why this meeting is so important and why this G-20 could be a
lot more than just a photo-op.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LU STOUT: Now, we have managed to patch up that broadcast link to Buenos Aires with Matt Rivers standing by. And Matt, as you reported just then
and as you've been reporting for a while now, there is just so much tension. We've got this damaging trade war under way. These two leaders
are standing way far apart. So what's the likelihood of a deal at the G- 20?
RIVERS: I mean, I think your guess is as good as anyone's, Kristie. I mean, we really don't know exactly how this is going to play out. And it's
fascinating to see so much ride on just one meeting.
I mean, I think generally speaking, even if you are in the camp that says while a deal might come out of this, I don't think anyone is expecting that
the two leaders are going to walk out of this meeting and have some sort of step by step plan in place. If there is some sort of deal, it would be
more of a broad consensus, maybe go back to negotiations. I think that's the best case scenario if you want this trade war to stop or at least be
put on hold.
But there is no guarantee that is going to happen. I mean, The President's economic adviser, Larry Kudlow has said that the President is open to a
deal, but at the same time, he's not willing to budge ...
[08:25:07]
RIVERS: ... unless the Chinese really make concrete steps on those big economic structural issues that the White House says are necessary for any
deal to move forward. So what are the Chinese going to bring to the table? What is Xi Jinping willing to give up in these talks with Donald Trump? It
really is going to be a fascinating meeting Saturday night here in Buenos Aires and we're just not sure how it's going to turn out.
LU STOUT: Yes, a fascinating meeting and a crucial one. Matt Rivers with a preview of the G-20 Summit joining us live from Buenos Aires. Matt,
thank you.
Meanwhile, the trouble surrounding Mr. Trump continue in Washington. In an interview with "The New York Post," he dangled the possibility of a pardon
for his former campaign chair Paul Manafort. The President also accused Mueller of urging Manafort, and former Trump adviser Roger Stone and his
colleague, Jerome Corsi to lie about their connections to Russia and his campaign.
The President's comment follow prosecutor's accusations that Manafort violated his plea deal by lying to Mueller's team. President Trump has
denied two specific claims special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into. Now CNN has learned exclusively the President told Mueller in writing that
Roger Stone never told him about WikiLeaks' plans to release Democratic Party e-mails stolen by Russian hackers and that he was never informed
about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between his son, Don Jr., campaign officials and a Russian lawyer.
We have also learned the President hedged his answers, making it clear he was responding to, quote, "The best of his recollection." The Trump Tower
meeting and WikiLeaks are critical to Mueller's mission here, determining whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians.
The wife of an award winning Chinese photo journalist says her husband has been detained. And just ahead, the growing calls for Beijing to let the
world know what happened to him.
I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, you're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines. Russia's foreign minister says Sunday's naval
clash was orchestrated by Ukraine possibly with the help of western governments. Ukraine accuses Russia of being the aggressor. A court in
Crimea has ordered all 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by the Russian navy be detained for two months pending trial for trespassing over the Russian
border.
The US Senate voted to advance a resolution calling for an end to US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The vote came despite a closed
door briefing the Secretary of State had Wednesday with senators in which he stressed the importance of Washington's ties with Saudi Arabia and
defended the administration's ...
[08:30:10]
LU STOUT: ... response to the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Chinese state media report that Beijing has ordered the
activities of people involved in the baby gene editing experiment to be halted. This comes after the Chinese scientist, He Jiankui claimed he
helped create the world's first genetically edited babies violating international ethical agreements.
US President Trump and Russian President Putin will apparently meet Saturday on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina. That's
according to a Kremlin spokesman who says Washington has confirmed the talks, but the White House has not publicly confirmed that meeting. And on
Tuesday, Mr. Trump suggested he might cancel it depending the results of a full report on the maritime clash between Russia and Ukraine.
One issue that may be on the agenda when US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet at the G-20 Summit is two young US
citizens who are reportedly being prevented from leaving China. CNN's Ivan Watson tells us.
It's believed that they are being held in order to pressure their fugitive father into returning to Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
IVAN WATSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Days before a much anticipated meeting between the leaders of the US and China, President
Trump's national security adviser publishes a tweet, drawing attention to two American siblings currently detained in China.
"These Americans need to be allowed to return home," writes John Bolton, referencing an article in the "New York Times." He's referring to Victor
and Cynthia Liu. For months, Chinese authorities have refused to allow this 19 and 27-year-old brother and sister from leaving China. In a letter
to Bolton obtained by "The Times," Cynthia Liu claimed, quote, "We are being held here as a crude form of human collateral to induce someone with
whom I have no contact to return to China for reasons with which I am entirely unfamiliar."
She's referring to her father, Liu Changming, a fugitive former banker wanted by China since 2009 for allegedly making $1.4 billion in fraudulent
bank loans. Beijing stands by its detention of Victor and Cynthia Liu.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENG SHUANG, CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESMAN (Through a translator): These people you have mentioned all have legal and valid
identity documents as Chinese citizens. They're suspected of having committed economic crimes and have been restricted from leaving China by
Chinese police in accordance with the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Meanwhile, a state department official tells CNN that American diplomats are in close contact with the siblings while also expressing US
concern over Chinese exit bans imposed on American citizens.
A lawyer for the Liu family refused to comment further on the case aside from saying he's directly engaged with the Chinese government trying to
secure their safe return to the US. Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LU STOUT: The wife of an award winning Chinese photo journalist says her husband has been detained in the northwestern part of the country. She has
Lu Guang was traveling in the region of Xinjiang earlier this month when she lost contact with him. The region has been getting global attention
because it's allegedly placed at least one million Muslim Uyghurs in internment camps.
Lu's photography focuses on every day people on the margins of Chinese society -- coal miners, drug addicts, HIV patients -- but his most recent
work has been about environment issues. Lu has received numerous honors, three world press photo contest award wins, a "National Geographic"
photography grant and was the first photographer from China the US State Department invited to be a visiting scholar. There are calls from
journalist advocacy groups including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists for Beijing to publicly address Lu's case.
Joining me now is Steven Butler. He is CPG's Asia Program Coordinator. He joins us live from New York. Steven, thank you for joining us. Can you
tell us more about what is your organization's message to Beijing regarding the case of Lu Guang?
STEVEN BUTLER, ASIA PROGRAM COORDINATOR, CPJ: First of all, they have to answer where is he? What's happened to him? And the second is, he should
be allowed to travel freely without any restriction. These are the two basic things that we're asking for. As far as we, he hasn't been charged
with a crime and he should be let free.
LU STOUT: Now Lu Guang's work, let's talk about that, because his photographs are powerful and he has always - you could see this in his
work, he has been unafraid to take on controversial assignments and to depict the dark corners of China. Do you think that this would be why he
has gone missing?
BUTLER: It certainly could be the reason. I mean, there's a - it may not be a coincidence that the Deputy Party Secretary of Hunan when he was
working there on the AIDS epidemic ...
[08:35:09]
BUTLER: ... is now the Party Secretary of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. So there very well could be - that they are worried about these
sensitive issues that he has covered.
LU STOUT: And the details of Lu's case still unclear. His wife is saying he is missing. His wife is saying that he has been detained. What does
this reveal to you about the bigger picture, about the Chinese Communist Party today and the way it treats journalists and free speech?
BUTLER: Well, last year, China was number two in our annual prison census with 41 journalists in jail. This year, we're completing the research and
it looks like it's going to be closer to 45. We won't know for a few more weeks, but unless something changes drastically, China's history of
imprisoning journalists and those who speak out is continuing and becoming more severe, really.
LU STOUT: And because of the disappearance and feared detention of this famed Chinese photojournalist, Lu Guang, do you believe that other photo
journalists will be afraid? Could this lead to a chilling effect in China, even more self-censorship in China?
BUTLER: Yes, absolutely. What we have seen, the Chinese have virtually wiped out the community of independent journalists who are publishing news
stories and researched articles on the web and it looks now like photo journalists could be next. We hope not.
LU STOUT: Steven, please stick around because I want to get your thoughts on the next story which also involves press freedom. Just to brief our
audience here, in the Philippines, we've learned that the court there has formally charged the news organization Rappler and its CEO for tax evasion,
Maria Ressa, a former CNN journalist, has vowed to fight the charges many see the allegations as this thinly veiled attempt by President Rodrigo
Duterte to muzzle the investigative news site.
Duterte's office has denied involvement in the prosecutions against Rappler, but he has previously sparred with the company personally barring
Maria Ressa and a reporter from his official residence over their coverage of his administration.
Now, for more on this and what this could mean for press freedom in the Philippines, let's bring back Steven Butler from the Committee to Protect
Journalists, and Steven, again, Rappler and its founder, Maria Ressa, they have been charged for tax evasion. Is this legal harassment?
BUTLER: Oh, absolutely. It's transparently politically motivated. And the reason I say that is they have used an investment mechanism that many
companies use and had been accepted as legal and proper and they have been singled out for tax evasion on this charge. I mean, it's interesting
because this is not only an attack on the free press. It also puts in jeopardy many foreign investors in the Philippines.
LU STOUT: Maria Ressa has told us on this program that - and this was before the charges were announced, but when she was facing charges, she has
said she will not be intimidated. But could this move silence others? Is this a blow to press freedom in the Philippines?
BUTLER: There's been a creeping control by the Philippine government over the press. Many of the methods are subtle. They involve changes in
ownership. And Rappler has stood out as a strong and independent voice. So yes, if Rappler succumbs to this, then I think it's not good news for
the rest of the press and the media in the Philippines.
LU STOUT: And what about across the region? This could have a chilling effect, not just the case of Maria Ressa and Rappler, but also for Lu Guang
of governments exercising control, a chilling effect on journalists across the region here in Asia.
BUTLER: Yes. I mean, particularly if these governments get away with taking these kinds of actions, it's going to be a message to other
authoritarian governments or authoritarian leaning leaders to take similar messages. At the same time, you do see Malaysia things appear to be
improving. There was an election in the Maldives that turned things around. It's not entirely bleak, but we do worry that these methods will
catch on and that they will be used more widely to clamp down on the media.
LU STOUT: All right, Steven Butler of CPJ joining us. Thank you so much, sir and take care. You're watching "News Stream." We'll be back right
after the break.
[08:40:36]
LU STOUT: It is Thursday here in Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is "News Stream". A huge announcement coming from the best-selling author, Margaret
Atwood. She is writing a sequel to the "Handmaid's Tale." The new novel will be called, "The Testaments," it will be set 15 years after the
original book. In a press rerelease, Atwood said this, "Dear readers, everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the
inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything. The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." Atwood also said the storyline will
disconnect from the award-winning TV series that was released on Hulu. "The Testaments," it will come out in September of 2019.
And that is "News Stream" I'm Kristie Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is next.
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