Censorship Task Force Lauds City Government for Suppressing Unauthorized Political Publications

September 22, 2006

No illegal political publications have been published in the Inner Mongolian city of Wuhai since 2002, according to an August 11 report on the Web site of the National Sweep Away Pornography and Strike Down Illegal Publications Task Force. The report attributes the city government's success in part to a rigorous training regime for publishers and printers as well as strict regulation of three areas:

  1. Printing: Every year municipal public security and industry and commerce agencies have carried out a campaign to "purify and rectify" the city's 107 printing enterprises. In the past three years, authorities have shut down 12 printing enterprises that were operating illegally.
  2. Access: Authorities strictly regulate the operation of booksellers, and does not permit the operation of mobile or temporary book stalls.
  3. Transportation: Authorities strictly monitor the flow of publications into the city, and have imposed a permit system at train stations, bus terminals, and post offices. Officials conduct daily inspection tours and surprise raids to stop unauthorized publications from entering or leaving the city. The report cited one incident where an official with the local Xinhua bureau stopped a Chinese citizen and forced him to open his backpack so that the official could see whether he had any illegal publications.

According to the report, city officials hold three or four "training sessions" a year for those in the publishing industry.