Standing Up Against Censorship

A coalition of Chinese Web activists has launched a petition decrying censorship of the Internet and challenging the legality of government information controls on China’s more than 100 million net users.

Hundreds of citizens signed the petition along with representatives of 13 local Chinese Web sites recently closed or targeted by censors. It began circulating on Saturday via email and overseas Chinese-language Web sites unaffected by domestic censorship.

The signatories said China’s constitution grants citizens freedom of expression and publication, and those rights “should be respected and protected, and should not be subject to any unlawful restrictions and obstructions”.

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“The State Council Information Office’s rules about who can use the Internet to disseminate news are far too restrictive,” Chen told Reuters.

“The problem is we’re supposed to enjoy freedom of expression, but rules like these mean all the channels for expression are blocked.”

They are standing up against censorship from inside China.

The ball is rolling, albeit slowly, but it is rolling.