Posted on 08/07/2002 8:40:04 AM PDT by tallhappy
Chinese 'dissident' jailed for Net download
Beijing - A Chinese dissident has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for downloading "reactionary" material from the Internet, the first such conviction in the country.
Li Dawei, 40, a former police officer from the north-western province of Gansu, was sentenced at the Tianshui Intermediate People's Court late last month, said Li's sister.
The Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Hong Kong said online dissent involved groups or individuals posting "reactionary material" on the Web.
A growing number of dissidents have been arrested for online activities as official sensitivity to the Internet's subversive potential increases.
Li was condemned for downloading about 500 "reactionary articles" and compiling them into 10 volumes, said the centre.
Last week a dissident group published a "declaration of Internet users' rights" in protest at new website self-censorship rules.
- Sapa-AFP
Toronto Star
SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. E04
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HEADLINE: China jails man for Internet downloading
BYLINE: Reuters
BODY: The Chinese government has sentenced a former police officer to jail for 11 years for downloading "anti-revolutionary" materials from the Internet, a human-rights group in Hong Kong says.
Li Dawei, 40, was the first person found guilty of subversion for downloading and printing material Beijing deemed to be anti-revolutionary, the Information Center for Human Rights & Democracy said in a statement yesterday. China had an estimated 45.8 million Internet users at the end of June, according to government figures.
A former police officer in the suburbs of Lanzhou in Gansu province, Li was arrested last year and sent to jail two months ago.
The Web sites Li had visited included www.89-64.com, a spokesperson for the human-rights group said in an interview.
The Web site is now for sale, the homepage said.
China last month announced new rules that threaten to fine or close down online publishers if they disobey an existing broad ban on content deemed politically unacceptable.
Since a fire at an unlicensed Internet cafe killed 25 people in June, China has closed or temporarily banned as many as 14,000 such businesses for failing to obey safety regulations.
Internet cafes are a common way for Chinese to get on the information superhighway, as few have personal computers at home.
Of course you can.
But under our political system you are not obligated to.
The Juror's discretion is absolute and final.
Isn't it odd that no jury has ever been jailed for "disobeying" the judge's instructions?
I agree. I was just quoting someone else.
Cordially,
What law? You don't even know what you're talking about.
But thanks for exposing yourself.
Maybe you don't like it, but that's the law.
I read that Microsoft has great hopes for expansion in China. I guess they are hoping for an alliance with the Chinese government to enforce very strict anti-piracy policies.
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