Hong Kong reporters recount days of hardship in war-torn Libyan capital

The four Hong Kong journalists who were trapped in a Tripoli hotel left for the Chinese Embassy on Wednesday, saying that they faced "huge difficulties" in the war-torn Libyan capital.

Despite the Rixos Hotel being relatively safe, the four said they faced hardships including lack of adequate food and water as well as erratic electricity supply.

Three of the Hong Kong journalists are employed by Phoenix TV while the other works for China Central Television (CCTV).

With them in the hotel was another CCTV reporter, from the mainland.

RTHK, meanwhile, has reported that the five Chinese journalists, including the four from Hong Kong, were seen leaving the hotel in a Red Cross vehicle.

They were later picked up by a car from the Chinese Embassy in Libya, which drove them to the diplomatic compound, news agencies reported.

Electricity supply had been reportedly cut off from the hotel before it was restored on Wednesday.

The hotel was designated by the Gaddafi regime for the use of foreign journalists.

The three Phoenix TV journalists - Jiang Xiaofeng, a reporter, Tang Leung-tong, a technician, and Ng Kin-ming, a cameraman - were able to maintain satellite connections with their colleagues at home.

Jiang reported that about 37 foreign journalists were still trapped in the Rixos Hotel on Wednesday. They have all since reportedly left as well.

Lv Ningsi, deputy head of Phoenix InfoNews Channel, left Hong Kong on Tuesday in an attempt to reach the stranded journalists as well as provide moral support.

Lv posted a micro blog message saying that he was "trying to transfer to another flight to Tunisia from Istanbul" around 2 pm on Wednesday.

Prior to Lv's departure, Phoenix TV said in a statement that "Phoenix has been neutral in reporting the war between both sides. Thus the safety of the journalists should be protected by both sides".

Sze Ho-wai, the Hong Kong journalist who works for CCTV, on Tuesday said: "I see about 4,000 soldiers rallying around the hotel. It is highly possible that we will be held as hostages."

Journalists had posted signs on white cloth to identify who they are in the event that the hotel is stormed by opposition forces, said Ng.

However, Ho Leong-leong, a commentator with Phoenix TV, told China Daily on Wednesday that he believes the tense situation will ease up in a few days.

"The restoration of the electricity is a positive signal. And the journalists can resume their jobs," said Ho.

He said the restoration may have come under pressure from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose spokesman Ma Zhaoxu had urged Gaddafi loyalists as well as the rebel forces to keep the trapped Chinese safe.

Ho said the trapped journalists are trying to carry on with their reporting and do not intend to flee the country.

He added, even if the rebel forces, which are backed by NATO, overran the hotel, the journalists will likely be safe.

He noted that most of the journalists trapped at the hotel are from the West.

One Western journalist working for an overseas broadcaster said after leaving the hotel that all the journalists stayed together in one corridor because they felt it would be safer there.

He also said that they expressed the opinion that it was unsafe for the journalists to leave the hotel.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association earlier said that it would contact the International Federation of Journalists in order to issue a letter of appeal to both sides in the conflict, asking them to safeguard the journalists at the hotel, said Mak Yin-ting, chairwoman of the association.

"We are gravely concerned with the safety of these journalists from Hong Kong and we will keep ourselves updated with the latest situation and offer help if necessary," Mak told China Daily.

stushadow@chinadailyhk.com

andrea@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 08/25/2011 page1)