Freedom of Expression

Xinhua reports that the General Administration of Press and Publication and the National Anti-Pornography Counter-Illegal Publishing Task Force have banned 60 publications as part of an ongoing "Sweep Away Pornography and Strike Down Illegal Publications" campaign. According to Xinhua, the banned publications fell into the following categories:

1. Foreign publications being illegally published, printed, or distributed in China.
2. Publications illegally using the names of government-authorized publications. Many of these were "extra editions" that were being published by government-authorized publishers without permission.
3. Publications that were publishing internal ("nei bu") information.

The Dui Hua Foundation has released information about the recent release of Chen Gang, a worker from Xiangtang, Hunan, and the propsective release next year of Wu Shishen, a former Xinhua domestic news editor. Both prisoners have long been the focus of advocacy efforts by human rights groups and foreign governments, including the U.S. government.

Citing a source in the Communist Party's Central Propaganda Department, The South China Morning Post (subscription required) reports that that department has issued an order barring the media from reporting on the topic of "public intellectuals". The term refers to intellectuals who become involved in public affairs.

According to reports in the Taipei Times, the Hong Kong Tai Yang Pao, the Singapore Straits Times, and other media, Hanyuan county, Sichuan has been hit by several rounds of massive demonstrations over forced relocations since mid-October. Hanyuan county is the site of a large hydroelectric project that has displaced more than 100,000 peasants. Beginning in late October, tens of thousands of peasants reportedly marched on the construction site and government buildings in Hanyuan and clashed with police in a protest over the relocations and inadequate compensation.

In an article translated by New Century Net on November 8, former Chinese reporter Liang Zhi discusses how news stories are censored in China. He cites examples of material that has been cut out of labor stories: usually reporting about major accidents or labor demonstations. The article also has a vivid description of the working conditions of Chinese reporters. The original Chinese version is available here.

Several news outlets in China have recently carried articles about the difficulties journalists in China face.

Citing Voice of America, the Epoch Times Web site reports that a Guangdong Intermediate People's Court has rejected the second appeal of Yu Huafeng, former general manager of the Southern Metropolitan Daily. There had been some hope that Yu and Li Minying might be released or have their sentences reduced following the release of Cheng Yizhong, who was detained at the same time as Yu and Li.

Radio Free Asia has reported that the Communist Party's Central Propaganda Department has issued an order forbidding news outlets in China from publishing any articles about bombings, insurrections, demonstrations, and worker strikes, except those prepared by the government's Xinhua News Agency.