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Yahoo!, Microsoft and Cisco - Stop Supporting Chinese Government Repression
Tibetans, their supporters, and internet users worldwide are outraged by Yahoo!, Microsoft and Cisco System's decision to join hands with the Chinese Government in its crackdown on freedom of information.
In doing so, these companies are not only helping the Chinese government by censoring politically "sensitive topics", but they are also enabling China's propaganda by returning search results tailored to Beijing's repressive policies and, in some cases, assisting in the unjust arrest and detention of internet activists. Last April, Shi Tao, a 37 year-old journalist and activist, was sentenced to ten years in prison after Yahoo! gave the Chinese authorities his user information.
Under the Chinese totalitarian regime, the Internet is a critical tool for Chinese and Tibetans to improve their political situation. Yahoo!, Microsoft and Cisco have become active partners in the Chinese government's efforts to repress their own citizens along with Tibetans, Uighurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and anyone else standing up to Chinese authorities and demanding human rights and self-determination.
Please speak out against the action of these companies by sending the letter below and forwarding it onto friends and family.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Stop Supporting Chinese Government Repression
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am outraged at your company's hypocritical decision to join hands with the Chinese government in its propaganda efforts. The decision to block access to information according to Chinese authorities' specifications is more than just censorship. It's active participation in the Chinese government's efforts to repress and undermine Tibetans, democracy advocates, people of faith, and anyone working for freedom and human rights.
By censoring search results on critical topics such as "Tibet" and "human rights", you are promoting Beijing's wildly distorted version of history and truth. This is indefensible.
Under China's totalitarian regime, the Internet is a critical tool for people seeking justice. Your decision to help the Chinese government thwart this effort is unconscionable.
Do the right thing now by ending your partnership with the Chinese government.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
January 31, 2006
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According to Article 19 of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:
"...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, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print [...] or through any other media of his choice."
Read below for more information on how these companies are working with the Chinese government to repress freedom of information in China.
Microsoft (MSN)
Last year, Microsoft launched a blog sevice in China that blocks use of terms such as "freedom", "democracy", and "human rights" in blog text. According to Amnesty International, MSN also blocks searches containing key words including "democracy", "freedom", "human rights", "Falun Gong", "June 4", and "demonstration", amongst others. In China, users of the product Microsoft Spaces are also prohibited from using these and other 'sensitive' words on their weblogs.
In addition, Microsoft recently closed down a Chinese journalist's blog at the request of the Chinese government. Brooke Richardson, group product manager with Microsoft's MSN online division, would not give any other detail about the reason the blog was shut down. According to Reporters Without Borders, the blog was hosted on servers located in the United States.
The move came after the Chinese blogger Zhao Jing, discussed a labour strike at a Beijing newspaper, Beijing News on his blog. The blog also touched on topics like China's relations with Taiwan.
Yahoo!
Since 2002, Yahoo! has agreed to censor results of the Chinese version of its search engine in accordance with a blacklist provided by the Chinese government.
In 2005, it was disclosed that Yahoo!'s Hong Kong subsidiary worked with mainland Chinese police to identify and convict a Chinese journalist, Shi Tao, on charges of "revealing state secrets." Shi was arrested in November 2004, and convicted in April 2005 of "providing state secrets abroad".
According to the court transcript, evidence presented by the prosecutor included account-holder information provided by Yahoo! Holdings (Hong Kong) LTD. On April 27, 2005, Shi Tao was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sending information about a Chinese Communist Party decision regarding media controls to a website based in the U.S. via his Yahoo! email account. His appeal was denied on June 2, 2005.
Cisco Systems
According to Reporters Without Borders, Cisco Systems has marketed equipment specifically designed to make it easier for the Chinese police to carry out surveillance of electronic communications. Cisco is also suspected of training Chinese engineers on how to use its products to censor the Internet.
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