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AInternational Secretariat
Asia- Pacific Desk
6 June 2003
CHINA
Independent news website blocked on Tiananmen
massacre anniversary
Reporters Without Borders today protested against the
blocking of all access to the independent website
Bumei Zhyie on the 14th anniversary of the Tiananmen
square massacre on 4 June, in an evident attempt by
the authorities to prevent any pro-democracy messages
and criticism of the government.
³The blocking of this site is the latest of many
repressive measures taken by the Chinese government in
this present period of political tension,² Reporters
Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard said,
noting that four cyber-dissidents were sentenced last
week to prison terms ranging from eight to ten years.
³It shows yet again the Chinese governmentıs complete
lack of tolerance for freedom of expression on the
Internet,² Ménard said, reiterating the organisationıs
request to the new Chinese president, Hu Jintao, to
allow independent sites to continue to function
normally regardless of the political situation.
At least several hundred and possibly as many as
several thousand pro-democracy demonstrators were
killed by the Peopleıs Liberation Army during the
night of 3-4 June 1989. Every year since then, the
authorities have tried to ensure that no mention is
made of the anniversary.
The authorities seem to have made it a practice to
censor Bumei Zhyie during every important political
event. It was for example blocked throughout the 16th
communist party congress last November.
Started in January 2001, Bumei Zhiye is today one of
the main independent websites in China. It was the
first to protest last November against the
disappearance of the young Internet user, Liu Di, 22,
who was secretly detained by the Chinese authorities
because of the views she had voiced on the Internet.
asia@rsf.org
www.rsf.org
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