China: more on Hu Jintao's new net censorship regs

Xeni Jardin: Following up on a BB post about news reports of new internet regulations in China, BoingBoing reader Will says,

This is from the blog of an English-language "polisher" who works for Xinhua news agency. The piece that got picked up by Reuters (and passed on to CNN) actually crossed his desk. His view, like those of many observers here in China, is that Hu Jintao's statements are, at this stage, typical government claptrap. "Duffman says a lot of things."

Although China still labors under an uneven regime of censorship, there is a surprisingly wide array of opinion and internal debate that goes on, in print and on the 'net. danwei.org is always a good place to start if you're curious about what's going on in the Chinese media. They publish interviews, translations, and provide a very down-to-earth perspective on the Chinese press and its travails.

Previously on BoingBoing:

China: government's new campaign to "cleanse" the internet Bill Gates and Free Software heckler in China Google, China, and genocide: web censorship and Tibet Yahoo aided China in torture, says dissident in lawsuit papers China dissident's wife: "Yahoo betrayed my husband." Jailed Chinese dissident's wife to sue Yahoo for ratting out her husband Yahoo rats out Chinese reporter to Beijing, writer gets 10 years in jail China: gov to expand "Great 'Net Firewall," censor web even more Report: Yahoo helped jail another Chinese 'net dissident, Li Zhi Journalism school won't return Yahoo's controversial $1M grant Report: Yahoo implicated in 3rd China dissident case Yahoo could stay in China and stop sending its users to jail Harsh words for US tech firms from House at China 'net hearings Report: verdict confirms Yahoo helped jail China dissident #2 Xeni's LAT op-ed: war, blogs, news, and profit. Amnesty Int'l. confronts Yahoo over jailed Chinese reporter NPR "Xeni Tech": Yahoo may have aided in jailing of second China writer Tech firms blasted over China policies on Capitol Hill HK lawmaker: Yahoo unit had role in Shi Tao's jailing Chinese activist to Jerry Yang: You are helping to maintain an evil system

Yahoo aided China in torture, says dissident in lawsuit papers

eni Jardin:

Snip from New York Times story:

A Chinese political prisoner and his wife sued Yahoo in federal court Wednesday, accusing the company of abetting the commission of torture by helping Chinese authorities identify political dissidents who were later beaten and imprisoned.

The suit, filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act, is believed to be the first of its kind against an Internet company for its activities in China.

Wang Xiaoning, who according to the suit is serving a 10-year prison sentence in China; his wife, Yu Ling; and other unnamed defendants seek damages and an injunction barring Yahoo from identifying dissidents to Chinese authorities.

Link, here's a Reuters item, here's the AP's item, and here's the Washington Post's item.

Wired News reporter Luke O'Brien, who covered the story as it developed in this earlier piece, has an update today. Snip:

I just spoke with former dissident Harry Wu, who helped arrange Yu's travel to the United States. He told me Yu Ling is leaving tomorrow morning to go back to China. Today she wanted to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. She walked the whole thing.

Link to post, with PDF of the legal complaint filed in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Update: ArsTechnica has a post, too: Link (Thanks, Glyn)

Previously on BoingBoing:

China dissident's wife: "Yahoo betrayed my husband." Jailed Chinese dissident's wife to sue Yahoo for ratting out her husband Yahoo rats out Chinese reporter to Beijing, writer gets 10 years in jail China: gov to expand "Great 'Net Firewall," censor web even more Report: Yahoo helped jail another Chinese 'net dissident, Li Zhi Journalism school won't return Yahoo's controversial $1M grant Report: Yahoo implicated in 3rd China dissident case Yahoo could stay in China and stop sending its users to jail Harsh words for US tech firms from House at China 'net hearings Report: verdict confirms Yahoo helped jail China dissident #2 Xeni's LAT op-ed: war, blogs, news, and profit. Amnesty Int'l. confronts Yahoo over jailed Chinese reporter NPR "Xeni Tech": Yahoo may have aided in jailing of second China writer Tech firms blasted over China policies on Capitol Hill HK lawmaker: Yahoo unit had role in Shi Tao's jailing Chinese activist to Jerry Yang: You are helping to maintain an evil system

Tibet Olympic protesters "intimidated" in detention

Activists Tenzin Dorjee and Mac Sutherlin (R) hold a banner at Mount Everest's base camp in Tibet April 25, 2007. Five Americans detained and deported by China for demonstrating for a free Tibet and protesting against the 2008 Beijing Olympics at the base of Mount Everest said on Saturday they feared for their safety while in custody. REUTERS/Students for a Free Tibet/Shannon Service/Handout

• Tibet Olympic protesters "intimidated" in

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