MCLC: S. Mongolia internet campaign

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Anne Henochowicz <anne at chinadigitaltimes.net>
Subject: S. Mongolia internet campaign
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Source: SMHRIC (9/4/13): http://www.smhric.org/news_497.htm

52 netizens arrested for "spreading rumors", "sensationalizing conflicts",
and "stirring up ethnic relations"

China has launched a major new “Strike Hard” campaign against Internet
freedom in Southern (Inner) Mongolia. At least 52 more netizens have been
arrested for “creating and spreading rumors”, according to a statement
issued by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Public Security Bureau on
August 29, 2013.

The statement was published on the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Public
Security Bureau official website under the heading “Inner Mongolian police
arrested 52 criminal suspects who created and spread rumors via the
Internet”. The statement calls the 52 netizens “criminal suspects” who are
blamed for distributing more than 1200 pieces of information mainly of
“Internet rumors and false reports of disaster, epidemic, and police
emergency”.

“Upholding the principle of ‘strike, investigate and punish group by
group’, this round of special operation further traces the clue, deepens
the investigation, digs deeper to unearth organized rumor networks,
accurately strikes the major targets, strikes hard and deters these
criminal activities in order to protect the legal rights of the broad
masses,” the statement concludes.

The Chinese authorities’ official mouthpiece Xinhua News provided
additional details on the crackdown, reporting that of the 52 “criminal
suspects” who were arrested, “21 were held in police administrative
detention, 10 fined, 3 warned, 18 educated and reprimanded.”

“Some even sensationalized the conflicts that occurred during the
development process in Inner Mongolia, deliberately stirring up ethnic
relations, encouraging the masses to appeal for their interests in a
radical way such as student strikes and protest demonstrations,” the
Xinhua News article partially admits to the increasingly tense ethnic
relations between the Mongolians and the Chinese in Southern Mongolia.

The article also reveals that this round of “Strike Hard” campaign is
“implemented by the Autonomous Region Public Security Bureau in response
to the request from the Autonomous Region leaders and the consolidated
deployment by the Public Security Ministry”. The goal of this campaign is
to “establish a long-term mechanism for suppressing Internet rumors”,
according to the article.

Shortly before this major crackdown, similar events were also reported by
the Chinese Public Security authorities in Southern Mongolia.

Mr. Yang Xiaoping, Deputy Director of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Public Security Bureau, told the Chinese official news agency China
Broadcast Network on August 13, 2013 that 23 netizens were “punished” for
“spreading rumors” related to “China’s plan to relocate earthquake victims
from Sichuan Province to Inner Mongolia”. Among the 23 netizens, “1 was
held in criminal detention, 10 held in administrative detention, 2 fined,
1 given administrative warning, and 6 students educated and reprimanded”,
according to Yang Xiaoping. “Most of these netizens disseminate these
information out of ethnic sentiment,” Yang Xiaoming told the China
Broadcast Network about the background of arrested Mongolian netizens,
“however, through our investigation we found out that some netizens have
ulterior motives and are trying to make some trouble to the society.”

On August 12, 2013, another official news agency, the Inner Mongolia Daily
reported that the Public Security Bureau of Chifeng Municipality
“punished” 15 netizens. Of them “8 were given administrative detention, 2
fined, 1 warned, and 4 educated and reprimanded for spreading rumor” on
China’s “plan for relocating 1 million Chinese from the earthquake
stricken province of Sichuan to Inner Mongolia”.

On May 19, 2013, Hulun-boir Daily, an official news agency of Hulun-boir
Municipality, reported that the Municipality Public Security Bureau
“punished” 14 netizens “in accordance with the law”. Of them, “4 were
given administrative detention and 10 were educated and reprimanded” for
spreading “rumors” such as “Mongolian herder of New Barag Right Banner
committed suicide in desperate shortage of hay for his livestock”.

On April 26, 2013, Tongliao Daily, an official news agency of Tongliao
Municipality, reported that 5 netizens were arrested and detained by the
Tongliao Municipality Public Security Bureau for merely posting and
disseminating information on the 5.3 degree earthquake of Horchin Left
Rare Banner through the Internet.

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Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC)

68-37 108th Street,6A
Forest Hills, NY 11375
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Tel/fax: 001-718-786-9236
Website: www.smhric.org <http://www.smhric.org/>
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