A top media official in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region expressed Tuesday regrets over an alleged beating of three Hong Kong journalists in the regional capital of Urumqi last week, but noted that they had violated local regulations.

"We are regretful over the incident," said Hou Hanmin, director of the Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Information Office, during a meeting with a group of Hong Kong journalists who came to Urumqi to cover the aftermath of the riot on July 5.

"Of the three journalists, only one had a temporary press card that allowed him to conduct interviews in the city, but the other two didn't have. They violated our regulations," she said.

After the July 5 riot in which 197 people were left dead and more than 1,600 others injured, local authorities stipulated that journalists who came to cover the incident should first obtain temporary press cards issued by the regional information office.

Citing an investigation about the alleged beating of the three journalists on Sept. 4, Hou said security personnel found some people were following and filming a group of demonstrators on a road in the city that afternoon, and suspected them of instigating the demonstrators when witnessing that they made profuse gestures before the demonstrators.

"Security personnel asked them to show ID cards and leave the scene, but they refused to do so and continued to film the protests among the demonstrators," Hou said.

"Security personnel repeatedly asked them to leave but failed. Under such circumstances, they detained three of them," she said.

Hou did not specify whether a beating, as claimed by the three journalists, was involved in the detention process, but said "something that everybody doesn't want to see took place".

She also criticized some unspecified media and individuals for making "irresponsible remarks" after the incident without knowledge of the truth of the fact.

But Hou also stressed local authorities would maintain the media openness policy that has been employed after the July 5 riot and security personnel would also provide protection for journalists who conduct interviews while complying with local regulations.

"We reiterate here that journalists must abide by relevant laws and regulations, and refrain from doing anything that goes against their identity of being journalists," she added.

Source:Xinhua