Dear Colleagues: Orders from China’s Minister of Internet Censorship

from “Journey to the Heart of Internet Censorship”

The Xinhua exclusive “Who is most hurt by the Web?” is available at the follow address: http://news.xinhuanet.com/focus/2006-05-08/content_4494204.htm. It contains many articles, so each site is asked to put a link on its home page so that Internet users can read them directly on the Xinhua site. This will reduce the amount of work for each site. (9 May 2006)

The website Qianlong has already posted a news report about a change in the increase in Beijing taxi fares (http://beijing.qianlong.com/3825/2006/05/19/134@3182655.htm). All sites are asked to put it in their news section, but not in a prominent position, to not put it on their front page, and to stop comments on the subject. (19 May 2006)

You are asked not to cover the matter of the real estate auction of public land at Dadun Beidingcun, in the Chaoyang district of Beijing. (22 May 2006)

Regarding the news report, “After a programming revision, the CCTV central television station has decided to stop broadcasting the national anthem,” websites must not post it, refer to it or comment on it, and those that have already posted it should take it down. Step up monitoring of forums, blogs and comments on the news, and suppress offensive or insulting reports as quickly as possible. Comply strictly with these instructions! (27 May 2006)

A few agitators got residents in Dongzhou (in the southern district of Shanwei) to commit an act of vandalism on a windmill and attack the police on 6 December. The competent authorities are in the process of taking measures to resolve this problem, and the trial of those responsible for this unrest is taking place right now. The leading news media in Guangdong province and thewebsites Nanfang Xinwen, Jinyang, Dayang and Shenzhen Xinwen are currently covering the case and will publish articles on this subject on 24 and 25 May. No news websites from other provinces should cover the case or post articles on the subject. Discussion forums, blogs and comments must not talk about the subject. (22 May 2006)

Dear colleagues, regarding the death of a radio presenter while she was at the deputy mayor’s home, do not disseminate any reports, do not send any new articles, withdraw those that have already been posted on the site, and ensure that forums, blogs and messages no longer refer to this case. Please reply. (30 May 2006)

Dear colleagues, the Internet has of late been full of articles and messages about the death of a Shenzhen engineer, Hu Xinyu, as a result of overwork. All sites must stop posting articles on this subject, those that have already been posted about it must be removed from the site and, finally, forums and blogs must withdraw all articles and messages about this case. (17 June 2006)

Regarding the issue of unequal income distribution, please use articles from the Central Committee’s main information mouthpieces and nothing else. Please do not spread rumours about this matter or conduct online polls. Please reinforce monitoring of comments, discussion forums and blogs and immediately block any violent or obscene message. (28 June 2006)

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October 12, 2007