Step Up the Scope of "Sweeping Away Pornography" and "Striking Down Illegal Publications" Work, Achieve Important Successes - A Summary of Hubei "Sweeping Away Pornography" and "Striking Down Illegal Publications" Work in 2004

The following is a partial translation by CECC staff of a report that appeared on the Web site of China's national Sweep Away Pornography and Strike Down Illegal Publications Task Force:

*****************

In 2004, our province, in accordance with the requirements of the central and provincial government's "2004 Action Plan Regarding 'Sweeping Away Pornography' and 'Striking Down Illegal Publications'," under the guidance of the important ideology of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the "Three Represents," and looking toward safeguarding our country's political stability, social stability and cultural security, has achieved important results in further increasing the scope of "Sweeping Away Pornography" and "Striking Down Illegal Publications" work: according to incomplete statistics, in 2004 42,400 law enforcement personnel were deployed around the province, and made 28,087 investigations of publication operation units, banned and shut down 2,248 illegal shops, investigated and prosecuted 85 illegal printing enterprises, banned and shut down 164 illegal printing enterprises, investigated and confiscated 3,275,025 illegal publications, which included 1,508,022 volumes of illegal books, 1,224,200 boxes of illegal audio-visual materials, and 542,820 boxes of illegal electronic publications. [Authorities] investigated and confiscated 4,772 volumes of illegal political books and periodicals, 2,860 illegal political audio-visual products, and over 200,000 "Falun Gong" evil cult propaganda materials. [Authorities] investigated and confiscated 26,900 pornographic publications (including books and audio-visual materials), and 3,000,994 copyright violating publications.

Seven main administration projects were organized. The first administration project was directed at illegal political publications. Our province always put the heaviest emphasis on stopping, investigating, and confiscating illegal political publications in "Sweeping Away Pornography" and "Striking Down Illegal Publications" work.

The focus of the first stages of planning [for 2005] is:

1. Strengthen market monitoring and supervision. Focus on screening, censoring, investigating, and prosecuting printing units' that undertake the printing of illegal publications, especially those that undertake the behavior of printing illegal political publications; as well as those conducting or participating in illegal publishing activities, and activities like selling banned and illegal publications.
2. Strengthen the scope of investigating and confiscating. Focus on investigating and confiscating illegal political publications, especially those publications that disseminate political rumors, produce ideological chaos, harm social stability, and "Falun Gong" and other evil cults, and incite division amongst the people, obscene and pornographic publications, and pirated publications, especially those pirated instructional and teaching materials, pirated reference books, and best sellers, influential works, etc. Ceaselessly improve publication market order.
3. Investigate and prosecute major cases. It is necessary to investigate and prosecute in accordance with the law criminals who produce and publish pornography, and to pursue administrative and criminal responsibilities. It is necessary to have breakthroughs in major cases, it is especially necessary to investigate and punish cases of illegal political publications and organized, large-scale illegal publication groups, and to destroy criminals' illegal publishing industries.