p2p news / p2pnet: China, actively aided by Yahoo, Google and Microsoft in censoring online news, has jailed New York Times researcher Yang Tianshui, 45.

He’s, “one of several Internet writers and journalists being tried this month, amid what analysts say is a tightening of controls on media and freedom of expression,” says Reuters, going on:

“Yang was charged after posting essays on the Internet in support of the ‘Velvet Action of China’, a movement named for the ‘Velvet Revolution’ that peacefully overthrew communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia.

“He was also accused of illegally receiving overseas financial assistance and plotting to form provincial chapters of the outlawed China Democracy Party.”

Zhao Yan was arrested in September 2004 and was facing charges of leaking state secrets and fraud, says the BBC, continuing:

“But the charges were dropped in March one month before a US visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao. Lawyer Mo Shaoping said there was a new indictment against his client, but he did not know what the charges were.”

The pic is from a New York Times Press Photos post. The caption reads:

“New York Times Foreign editor Susan Chira, Executive Editor Bill Keller, Assistant General Counsel George Freeman, Op-Ed Columnist Nicholas Kristof and Editor Sheryl Wu Dunn attend newsroom ceremony in honor of detained Chinese colleague Zhao Yan, at The New York Times Foreign desk on March 14, 2005.”

Also See:
Reuters – Chinese Internet writer sentenced to 12 years, May 16, 2006
BBC – China re-indicts NY Times worker, May 15, 2006
Press Photos – Newsroom Hangs Photo of Detained Chinese Colleague, March 14, 2005

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If you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent website blocking outside of China.

Download it here and feel free to copy the zip and host it yourself so others can download it.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 17th, 2006 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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