【英语中国】中国出台新规打压网络异议

The Chinese government has intensified its crackdown on the internet, describing online criticism of the ruling Communist party as illegal and airing a televised confession from one of China’s most popular online commentators.

An article in yesterday’s edition of the influential party journal Seeking Truth described online criticism of the party and government as “defamation”, while Chinese-American investor and internet personality Charles Xue appeared on state television in handcuffs on Sunday to praise legislation that in effect criminalises online dissent.

The moves are part of a campaign launched in recent weeks by newly installed President Xi Jinping to stifle calls for political reform and assert control over the country’s unruly websites.

Mr Xue, who has 12m followers on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo, was arrested in August for allegedly hiring prostitutes for group sex sessions, but most analysts and even senior officials say his arrest was intended as a warning to other web personalities.

There was no mention of the prostitute allegations in a 10-minute segment shown on China Central Television on Sunday, during which a chastened Mr Xue described how he had contributed to an “illegal and immoral” atmosphere on the Chinese internet.

“I felt like the emperor of the internet,” Mr Xue said when describing the thrill of speaking directly to more than 12m followers. “How do you think that felt? Awesome.”

The shackled Mr Xue also praised a legal interpretation issued by China’s judicial authorities last week, which allows people to be prosecuted for defamation or “spreading online rumours” if their posts are viewed by 5,000 internet users or forwarded more than 500 times.

The latest regulations are intended to “achieve the good social effect of attacking the extremely small minority and educating the large majority” to “standardise their online words and deeds”, the government said last week.

Those found guilty of online “rumour-mongering” can be sentenced to up to three years in prison.

Defenders of the rules say they are necessary to protect individuals from libel and to stop the spread of false rumours that can lead to public panic.

The most important target of the crackdown, however, appears to be criticism of the government and the Communist party.

“The use of information networks to commit provocation and other such crimes has created grave destruction of social and public order,” Chinese judicial authorities said in an online explanation of the new rules.

“Acts of jeering and stirring up trouble easily lead to mass incidents and create grave upsets of public order.”

The vague and broad definition of online criminality includes “triggering upsets of public order”, “causing vile social influence”, “causing vile international influence” and “harming the country’s image”, according to the interpretation.

In practice, the crime of “stirring up trouble” has often been used to silence political activists and critics of the Communist party or leaders.

“With this legislation the party is trying to regain ownership over public discourse,” said one normally outspoken politics academic at one of China’s leading universities, who asked not to be named because of fear of reprisal.

“It is equally important to the party to control both public opinion and the barrel of the gun.”

中国政府加强了对互联网的控制，在网上批评中共的行为可能会被认定为违法。电视上还播出了中国一位知名网络评论人士的忏悔。

颇有影响力的中共党刊《求是》昨日刊登的一篇文章，将网上批评中共和政府的行为描述为“抹黑”。另外，美籍华人投资者、网络名人薛蛮子(Charles Xue)戴着手铐的镜头周日出现在央视上，他称赞了一项新出台的、实际上将网络异议定义为犯罪的法规。

中国新任国家主席习近平近几周发起了一场运动，力图打压政治改革呼声，控制国内喧闹的网络空间。上述事件便是这场运动中的一部分。

薛蛮子在新浪微博上拥有1200万“粉丝”。他于8月被捕，理由是涉嫌嫖娼和聚众淫乱，但多数分析人士乃至一些资深官员都表示，逮捕薛蛮子的目的是警示其他网络名人。新浪微博是一个类似Twitter的微博客网站。

在中央电视台周日播出的10分钟视频中，已经“变乖”了的薛蛮子讲述了在中国互联网上变得“突破法律底线和道德底线”的过程中，他起到的推波助澜的作用。但报道中只字未提对他嫖娼的指控。

谈到与1200多万粉丝直接对话有多令人兴奋，薛蛮子说，“感觉像皇上一样...... 个人的虚荣心得到极大满足，逐渐就飘飘然了。”

戴着手铐的薛蛮子还称赞了中国司法机关上周发布的一项司法解释。根据该司法解释，如果一个人发布的不实信息浏览量达到5000次或转发超过500次，就可能被以诽谤或“散布网络谣言”的罪名起诉。

中国政府上周表示，新法规旨在教育广大网民自觉规范上网言行，达到“打击极少数，教育大多数”的“良好社会效果”。

一旦被认定在网络上散布谣言，当事人将被判处三年以下有期徒刑。

支持者表示，新规定对于保护个人不受诽谤伤害、防止可能引发公众恐慌的虚假谣言传播是必要的。

但新规的最主要目标，似乎是批评政府和中共的言论。

“利用信息网络实施的寻衅滋事等犯罪，对社会公共秩序造成了严重的破坏，”中国司法机关发布在网上的关于新规的解释中写道。

“起哄闹事的行为，易引发群体性事件，造成公共秩序严重混乱。”

司法解释中对网络犯罪的界定标准模糊、宽泛，包括“引发公共秩序混乱”、“造成恶劣社会影响”、“造成恶劣国际影响”和“损害国家形象”。

事实上，“寻衅滋事罪”在中国常被用来压制政治活动人士以及对中共或领导人持批评意见的人士，以让他们噤声。

中国某名牌大学一位平日敢说敢言的政治学者表示：“党想通过这项法规重新控制公共言论。”由于担心惹麻烦，这位学者不愿具名。

“对党来说，控制舆论和控制枪杆子一样重要。”

译者/何黎