February 21:
Chinese government officials are promoting a "red message" campaign to counter Internet and cell-phone pornography, the official China Radio International reports. Red messages cover a wide spectrum of issues, from advocating social ethics, to inspiring people and promoting a low-carbon lifestyle. Initially launched in 2005, China Mobile Guangdong provided an economic incentive to writers of red text messages: users whose uploaded text messages that are circulated receive 50 percent of the download fees. China Mobile Guangdong said that by the end of 2009, over 693 writers had been rewarded over 500 yuan ($73). According to The Economist, the most famous red-texter is Bo Xilai, the party chief of Chongqing. Bo’s Mao Zedong quotations and patriotic messages have been sent to millions of Chinese and forwarded to millions more.
February 25:
The official Global Times has published a surprisingly candid and extensive critique of China’s internet censorship policies. It noted that self-censorship has become the rule of survival that prevents popular websites from being shut down. “You can never relax,” said one small website operator. “You’re always keeping your phone switched on and waiting for that emergency call from the authorities requiring deletion of a post.” The article noted the complete absence of clear-cut rules for deciding whether or not to delete an online post. There are more than 10 government organs entitled to supervise the Internet and 14 general laws and regulations governing illegal online behavior, all vague and lacking in detailed, practical provisions. Bans are also increasingly unpredictable and recipients receive no explanation and no feedback.
March 1:
The Chief of Public Security, deputy bureau chief, and the head of the criminal investigations unit of Lushan, Henan were sacked and several others face charges after a suspect, Wang Yahui, died after being tortured in custody. The case is the latest in a series involving people being mistreated or killed in police custody. Pictures of his body show a hole in his skull, his nipples cut off, injuries to his genitals, and his back covered with bruises. Public anger nationwide has sparked a government investigation into police conduct at detention centers. In another recent case, four police officers were jailed in Shaanxi province for less than three years for torturing to death a high school student, the Agence France Presse reports. The Southern Metropolis Daily said the case “points to the lack of effective supervision over judicial powers, including the police.”
March 2:
The Economic Observer, an influential financial newspaper, and a dozen regional publications in 11 provinces have printed an identical front-page editorial urging an end to the household registration or hukou system. The system, first implemented in 1958, divides people into rural and non-rural households. Citizens with rural hukou cannot enjoy the same social benefits as urban residents even if they live in cities. Migrant workers pay fees for their children's education and are not eligible for urban social welfare programs. "Abolishing this policy would enable the coming generations to enjoy the rights of freedom, democracy and equality endowed by the Constitution," said the editorial. It spoke of a "hotbed of corruption" because urban registrations can often be bought from unscrupulous officials. In Beijing alone, about half of the 460,000 children born in the past three years were not eligible for a Beijing hukou. “Changing the system is not easy since some groups are reluctant to share the benefits with others,” writes the official Global Times.
[Editor’s Note: Liu Jian, The Economic Observer’s president and chief editor, has received "serious warning," while a deputy chief editor, who drafted the joint editorial, has been sacked. Ming Pao reports that several mainland websites have been ordered to remove all postings and contents about the joint editorial. The notice, which was handed down by a "rather high-ranking official from the State Council Information Office," ordered reporters not to cover the household registration issue or risk being sacked.]
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