Al Jazeera: Censorship in China

[CaptainJackSparrow]

Censorship in China​

A new law could curb internet freedom.

Users of Sina Weibo, China's most popular micro-blogging website, will soon have to register under their real names. Critics of the law say this is further increasing the government's control over online freedom. Yet despite pouring more and more resources into policing the web, the country's netizens are finding ways to beat the system.

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to Eva Galperin (@evacide), an activist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Michael Anti (@mranti), a journalist and blogger.

How long can China manage to stem the flow of information and at what cost? Send us your thoughts and comments on Facebook or Twitter using hashtag #AJStream.



Wang Chen, Minister of the State Council Information Office, said there are legitimate reasons for controlling information, such as stopping the spread of rumors, blocking pornography, and stopping illegal commercial activity.

Many have chimed in on Weibo and Twitter opposing the real-name registration requirement. This post reads: "I oppose the real-name registration requirement for a Weibo account. It is a step back for democracy. Before it is carried out, I call for the disclosure of government officials’ properties. If they can be corrupted secretively, why couldn’t we make criticism anonymously?"

"Instead of silencing the dissidents, Weibo’s real-name registration aims to block an individual's Weibo account permanently so you will never get another opportunity to make your voice heard. Those anonymous corruption reports and outcries will be gone after the government turns Weibo into a “harmonious society." ("Harmonious society" is a phrase commonly used by Hu Jintao to defend his censorship policies.)

Ai Weiwei tweeted: "China’s censorship has taught the young generation to ask WHY all the time. Why things that everyone would appreciate, just like the water and the air, cannot be discussed in this country."

"I am thinking that someone would probably receive this kind of express delivery service after Weibo’s real-name registration is carried out…… Police: 'Open the door, package delivery!!'"

"Weibo's real-name registration will be a test of the courage that Chinese netizens should have when they decide to make their voices heard. It places more responsibility for speech on Weibo users."

 

[CaptainJackSparrow]

This infographic shows the overall state of censorship in China.

Reporters Without Borders has called China a country with pervasive internet censorship and one of the worst countries for press freedom.

Twenty-seven journalists were also imprisoned in China in 2011.

This screen shot capture illustrates China's censorship policy. The capture shows the phrase "Tiananmen event" entered into China's popular search engine Baidu. The black lettering directly underneath the search box states, "According to local laws, regulations and policies, part of the searching result is not shown" and leaves out any results from the Tiananmen Square uprising and massacre in 1989.

This map shows the areas in China where netizens are using Twitter by circumventing censors. These areas also happen to be China's wealthier and more urban regions.

Chen Guangcheng is a human rights activist who was arrested and sentenced to four years in prison for “damaging property and organising a mob to disturb traffic.” Many believe the real reason Chen was imprisoned was because he exposed the illegal measures Chinese authorities took to enforce the one-child policy, such as forced abortions and sterilisations. Chen, who is blind, is known for his trademark sunglasses, and many people have worn sunglasses and circulated photos of him with sunglasses as a way of showing support and calling for his freedom. Chen was released from prison in 2010 but remains under detention in his home.

Liu Xiaobo is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning writer and human rights activist who currently remains a political prisoner in China. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison after penning the Charter 08, a manifesto calling for political reform and democracy in China. China immediately censored news of Liu’s Nobel Peace Prize award, blocked words such as "Norway" and "Nobel," and cracked down on those who celebrated his award.

Ge Xun (pictured on the left with Canadian-Chinese journalist Sheng Xue） a Chinese American citizen, was allegedly abducted, interrogated, and beaten by Chinese security officials during his trip to Beijing in February. Ge says the officials demanded his Twitter password and questioned his connection to an organisation that promotes dialogue between Tibetans and Chinese.

 

[CaptainJackSparrow]

Wen Yunchao is a prominent blogger who frequently uses satire to poke fun at and raise awareness about the government's censorship policies. In an interview with The Stream, he describes how the Chinese government has used intimidation to try to silence him.

On the anniversary of former Chinese chairman Mao Zedong's death in 2009, Wen Yunchao organized a "de-Maoification" campaign online. Since "mao" means "hair" in Mandarin, Wen called netizens to shave their hair and post pictures of it online as a means to ridicule the former leader. This picture shows Wen's own "de-Maoification" effort on his stomach outlining the "t" that represents the Twitter logo.

The Chinese government is known to hire or encourage Internet commentators to speak favorably about the government on social media sites to positively influence public opinion about the government. These commentators are unofficially called the 50 Cent Party because they are allegedly paid 50 Chinese cents for each pro-government post. This screenshot shows identical tweets from 50 Cent Party members who are criticising Wen Yunchao. The tweets say, "I don't think Wen Yunchao is a man. He is at best a dog."

Ai Weiwei is a well-known artist and political activist who was arrested on April 3, 2011 and held for over 2 months for tax fraud. Many believe the real reason for his arrest was his exposure of government corruption and calling for democratic reform. To raise awareness of his detention, animator and political activist Pi San created a satirical cartoon called "Crack Sunflower Seeds" which has circulated online exposing the government's forceful efforts to silence Ai Weiwei. The sunflower seeds refers to Ai's last big exhibit which featured thousands of porcelain sunflower seeds.

Another satirical animation by Pi San, entitled “Little Rabbit, Be Good,” has been passed around Twitter and Weibo (now removed on Weibo) and carries a powerful hidden message, provoking Chinese citizens to subvert state power through a mass uprising. Despite the video’s disclaimer that it is simply “an adult fairy tale” that has no connection to real life, the allusions to real-life events, such as the milk contamination incident, illegal demolitions, protester beatings, self-immolations, are clear to Chinese citizens. A full translation and analysis of the video can be found here.

This video shows an attempt by Chinese citizens to organize a mass protest against the government in early 2011 inspired by the Arab uprisings. The protests, referred to as the Jasmine Revolution, never took off, as Chinese security officials quashed street protests, detained activists and dissidents, and increased online censorship.

 

[CaptainJackSparrow]

This video shows how China's censors disconnect users temporarily after they try to access banned sites such as CNN and Wikipedia.

This anti-censorship cartoon reads "Freedom of speech! Against censorship!"

---------- Post added at 09:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:33 AM ----------

Link: Censorship in China | The Stream - Al Jazeera English

 

[TruthSeeker]

Repression in the PRC, because of the sheer size of the PRC population, censors and stifles more human beings than any other regime on earth. That is a simple, undeniable fact. Now, apologists for the PRC will say that this is good because their fellow citizens cannot be trusted with the basic human rights of free speech and freedom of religion. So, it is inescapable that, in the PRC, some humans have more rights than others. Some humans, those in the Communist Party hierarchy, are far more equal than others. Such a political system will ultimately fail. Allah (God) did not make some humans to be superior to other humans.

 

[CaptainJackSparrow]

Guys, it's an eye-opening piece.

I request the members to watch all the videos as they contain accounts by people.

 

[RayKalm]

Well, this is something Indians can be proud of over China.

A Quick Test of Online Chinese Censorship During the Olympics - YouTube

 

[LetsGetRowdy]

talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill. if I remember correctly, india requested google to censor some parts of the internet but was shown the middle finger by google executive (lol). all this censorship crap about china is absolutely blown out of proportion. no one is killing themselves because they can't use american facebook or american skype (skype isn't even banned at all - this one is COMPLETE LIE). china blocks or restrict a lot of these foreign websites to promote our own versions. why would we want our internet controlled by the US who only has malevolent intentions towards china? a country that promotes hate against china through their corporate controlled media and also through their foreign policy is not a country that can not be trusted.

but i think china should just drop all this censorship crap. china censors everything negative about the US and the west while promoting everything good about them, while it is the complete opposite in the US. everything negative about china is blasted in the media 24/7. this censorship crap is not in favor of china at all. china must drop it and expose the US for its corrupt foreign policy and intentions towards chinese people.

 

[LetsGetRowdy]

one reason for china censorship on the internet is because the ccp still believes in "peaceful rise". because we censor almost EVERYTHING negative about the US and europe, we are showing a very distorted image of the west to ordinary chinese people, who naively believes that the US is friendly and an ally to china- LOL. why does the US promote so much hatred and propaganda against china, yet china not only NOT reciprocate, but sort of follow along? it doesn't make any sense.

once the ccp get rid of this peaceful rise fantasy notion will china i believe drop this censorship nonsense and finally get on the same level playing field as the US. chinese people deserve know who the real enemy is. this censorship crap isn't helping.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Al Jazeera is a network owned by an absolute Arab monarch and supported by Al Qaeda.

it is hilarious that these absolute monarchs and dictators are criticizing China for lack of "press freedom". they should remember that "democracy starts at home"... but of course that would mean exposing the hundreds of billions they've stolen in oil wealth and put into their private coffers. Some humans are more equal than others. I am honored that Arab dictators care more about me than their own citizens.

that is as if an african is making fun of luxembourg citizens for being poor.

 

[LetsGetRowdy]

Al Jazeera is a network owned by an absolute Arab monarch and supported by Al Qaeda.

it is hilarious that these absolute monarchs and dictators are criticizing China for lack of "press freedom".

that is as if an african is making fun of luxembourg citizens for being poor.

al jazeera is only speaking with the interest of the US in mind. this censorship human rights crap is the united states propaganda campaign against china. we are being demonized by the very same people who declared war on us a century ago just so they could poison our country with drugs and also loot out all our resources. censorship in china not only does not show the true face of the west but astonishingly praises them. the sooner china gets rid of censorship the better off chinese people will be.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

al jazeera is only speaking with the interest of the US in mind. this censorship human rights crap is the united states propaganda campaign against china. we are being demonized by the very same people who declared war on us a century ago just so they could poison our country with drugs and also loot out all our resources. censorship in china not only does not show the true face of the west but astonishingly praises them. the sooner china gets rid of censorship the better off chinese people will be.

agreed, we have to expose how the west really works. the richer Chinese are, the less they will be blinded by the wealth, and the more they will realize what THEY really think of them.

i hope Arab Spring comes to Qatar, but we all know they have a license to kill, the US backed dictators always do.

 

[fallstuff]

How many people know this guy Robert Menard who created and used to run this joint ' Reporter without border' ? Not Many.

This guy was in bed with the guy named 'Otto Reich' , how many people know 'Otto Reich' ? He worked for Bush II Administration. His name came up numerous times after the 2002 Venezuela Coup attemp.

On 24 March 2008 Ménard and two other members of Reporters Sans Frontières were arrested for attempting to disrupt the lighting of the Olympic Flame prior to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The disruption was aimed at protesting the crackdown on Tibetan civil rights activities by the Government of the People's Republic of China.[2]

Ménard is also known to have collaborated with fringe Cuban groups in Florida, leading to the revelation that he and Reporters Sans Frontières have received financing by the US Department of State to spread propaganda against Cuba


Reporters Without Borders - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[1962 spanking]

Al jazeera is a western backed network. Al jazeera is extremely anti-china. I truly wish china got rid of this peaceful rise crap and be ame more hardline towards anti-china people all around the world. We are too nice and foreigners take this as weakness. Foreign journalists should be banned in china. Chinese leaders trying to please westerners are meek and weak.

I want china to have the most hardline, anti-western leader in power. Being nice is for weak countries. We need to be assertive. Don't take bull from anyone.

 

[shree835]

China is only country in the world where Army is loyal to a Single political Part...Not to the people.