The Olympics Countdown

Further attempts at Internet control

Internet censorship remains pervasive in China with few signs that the authorities are prepared to relax policies of surveillance and control, thereby upholding freedom of expression and information online. Websites which have been closed down over recent weeks include a literary forum run by poet Lu Yang called Forum for Contemporary Chinese Poetry (????????). The site was reportedly removed from its host server in line with instructions from the Shanghai Information Bureau on 11 July 2007. When asked by a journalist from Radio Free Asia which information had to be censored, an employee of the server reportedly stated that ‘all articles relating to politics, the Falun Gong movement or those critical of the Party that are longer than two pages are deleted. In general, that’s how it happens. If the news posted is more frightening, we then close the forum.’(33)