(WAN/IFEX) – In a 17 May 2000 letter to President Jiang Zemin, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their serious concern at the closure of a financial website. According to reports, on or around 13 May the government suspended the China Finance Information Network website for fifteen days and fined its owners 15,000 yuan […]
(WAN/IFEX) – In a 17 May 2000 letter to President Jiang Zemin, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their serious concern at the closure of a financial website.
According to reports, on or around 13 May the government suspended the China Finance Information Network website for fifteen days and fined its owners 15,000 yuan (approx. US$1,812). The website was suspended for having “spread rumours that damaged the government’s image”. The closure is apparently related to the publication of an article about corruption by a provincial official. The website, which has had 13.6 million visitors since its launch in April 1999, is owned by Zhongcai Information Industry Co Ltd.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– respectfully reminding him that suspending a website for reasons of content is a clear breach of the right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international agreements
– noting that Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which his government recently undertook to sign, states that: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of
expression; this right shall include freedom to seek receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, either orally, in writing or in print”
– respectfully calling on him to ensure that the order to suspend the China Finance Information Network website is rescinded and that the fine is lifted
– urging him to do everything in his power to ensure that in future China abides by its international commitments to freedom of expression through any medium
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
His Excellency President Jiang Zemin
Guowuyuan
9 Xihuangcheng
Beijing, China
c/o Embassy in France
Fax: +47 202 422
Please copy appeals to WAN.
