China doles out generous prison sentences for new round of cyberdissidents

Absolutely appalling.

Reporters Without Borders has expressed outrage after two cyberdissidents, Kong Youping and Ning Xianhua, were sentenced respectively to 15 and 12 years in prison by a court in Shenyang in Liaoning province in the north-east of the country.

They were both accused of “subversion of state power” for posting articles on the Internet in support of the Chinese Democratic Party (CDP)….

These sentences are the latest in a long list of repressive measures the Chinese government has taken recently to stifle freedom of _expression on the Internet,” said the international press freedom organisation in reaction to the 16 September 2004 sentences.

But when you look at what these men did, you realize that they probably deserve every year in the hell they’ve been sentenced to:

Kong Youping was arrested in December 2003 for posting five articles and seven poems on a foreign website challenging the official version of the Beijing Spring and criticising corruption among political leaders. He had also called for the release of the young Internet-user Liu Di, who was released in November 2003.

Imagine that. Five articles, seven poems and an appeal to release a young lady who had the temerity to suggest China would fare better under a more democratic system. (She was later released.) If that doesn’t merit 15 years in the Chinese dungeons, what does?

Update: See Stephen Frost’s post from January to see examples of Kong’s dreadfuyl crimes. Amazing.

The Discussion: 4 Comments

Thanks for the update on this, Richard. In January, I posted one of Kong Youping’s poems on ALN with an English translation (courtesy of Brendan from Bokane.org). It’s a poem entitled We Miss You: Liu Di, and you can read it here.

September 17, 2004 @ 6:36 pm | Comment

China: Kong Youping, We Miss You: Liu Di – A poem

Kong Youping, a Chinese factory worker detained on 13 December 2003 for posting political commentaries on foreign Web sites, is among those named in a recent Amnesty International report urging the Chinese government to free 54 people jailed or detaine…

September 17, 2004 @ 6:46 pm | Comment

Asia by Blog

A CBS/Rather free zone… Hong Kong, Taiwan and China Jiang Zemin has bowed to the inevitable. Now Hu Jiantao have no more excuses on delivering reform. Five articles and seven poems equals 15 years. ESWN says its no wonder most Chinese tourists avoid …

September 20, 2004 @ 2:09 am | Comment

Well, it is not particularly appalling when you consider the utilitarian nature of the Communist regime, which places very light importance on human life.

September 26, 2004 @ 4:03 pm | Comment

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