Wednesday, June 22, 2011

CCP Attacks Anti-Corruption Websites as Part of Increased Anti-Corruption Efforts

Corruption Strikes Back
New Tang Dynasty TV. The gist is my own, there being no English version yet.

Recently the upper echelons of the Chinese Government has stepped up anti-corruption activity, however the fates of domestic Chinese anti-corruption websites are very much in doubt as many of these sites have died out in rapid succession this month.

Recently Chinese netizens have taken inspiration from Indian anti-corruption websites and even the official internet media have been reporting from three "I bribed" websites: www.woxinghuile.info, www.522phone.com, and www.ibribery.com.

Shortly after going into operation, these three private-run websites became very popular. There were numerous incidents of public safety (read: "the police") accepting bribes and doctors demanding extra payment.

The 522phone.com site garnered two hundred thousand hits in a single two-week period but hits like this could only be maintained for a short time.

On Monday, during Beijing City Police Department's "National Week for Propagandizing Against Criminal Acts" Deputy Bureau Chief of the City Police Anti-Corruption Bureau Zhang Jinghong said "There need to be standards when collecting tips on the internet". His reason being that if the clues do not pan out, it could lead to a negative influence upon those who have been named. Also public declarations on the internet could scare off those implicated, complicating further investigations. Another city official engaged in prosecution declared the format illegal.

Almost to the minute of this announcement, the three above mentioned sites all ceased operations and none of them have been able to open since the 21st.

Because authorities are not being forthcoming with what exactly the legal requirements for such sites are leading some to conclude that although the government encourages civilians to rat out crimes to authorities, they keep an iron grip on some platforms like the internet and display an alarming degree of sensitivity when it comes the government's own involvement in corruption and bribes.

Okay, That was my translation. Here is my short opinion: when discourse is only allowed to serve one side, it is too easy to subvert reason.

No comments:

Post a Comment