RFA: Chinese Law Professors Criticize Chinese Government's Closure of Web Site

September 30, 2004

Radio Free Asia reports that three law professors from Beijing University, Yu Jiang, Xu Zhiyong, and Teng Biao, have written an open letter to the China's leaders to protest the Chinese government's closure of Yitahutu, an online chat room run by Beijing University students. Chinese authorities shut down the Web site two weeks ago ahead of the 4th Plenum of the Communist Party's 16th Central Committee. Citing Boxun, RFA reported the letter, which was addressed to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, said: "Without any warning or announcement from the relevant authorities, the Yitahutu Web site beloved of teachers and students has been shut down. . . . We currently have no legal or open platform from which to discover which authority ordered this, for what reason, and according to what laws." RFA also reported that one of the authors of the open letter had complained that Web sites in China were unwilling to post the open letter.