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Editorial: China's censorship affects us all

British prime minister Winston Churchill once spoke of Communist nations as existing behind an "iron curtain." China was later seen as being isolated behind a "bamboo curtain." But that is all in the past now that China is gradually opening up to the world. But despite economic liberalization, China is still subject to a closed political system that exercises harsh control over society. It is a world in which there are many hidden dangers, and those unwary enough to transgress can find themselves subject to imprisonment or worse.

The Internet espouses a spirit of borderless communications and freedom, but China is one of a small number of countries that insists on setting boundaries. Superficially, members of China's Internet community are free to search for whatever they want. But when using the Google search engine, they will be unable to find information on certain topics. You are free to set up a Web log (blog) and air your opinions, but you may well find that your blog is suddenly and inexplicably closed down. Those who assume that their Internet presence is anonymous may suddenly discover records of their transactions across the Internet used as evidence against them. On the Internet, the Chinese government is an omnipresent Big Brother, and in a cyberspace without borders, it has set up a "cyber curtain."

That China has been able to create this "cyber curtain" is not a reflection of its extensive power, but due rather to the connivance of the world's major Internet companies, who have provided the means for China to keep a tight rein on freedom of speech on the Internet. Google openly expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Chinese government, and Google staff have secretly connived with Chinese officials to ensure that certain search terms, which the government finds objectionable, will not turn up any results. Last year, Internet giant Yahoo provided information that helped the Chinese government to sentence "dissidents" Shi Tao (師濤) and Li Zhi (李志) to lengthy prison terms. Microsoft also shut down a popular Chinese-language blog that has published content unacceptable to the Chinese authorities.

These leading Internet companies claim to espouse freedom and openness yet, in order to win access to the China market, they have seen fit to bow to pressure from Beijing. In doing so, they have sold out fundamental values. Human-rights organizations, Reporters without Borders and the international media, which all uphold freedom of speech, have harshly criticized the behavior of these firms.

The struggle between money and values that these companies have entered into is a terrible one. The world's most popular Internet portal site, Yahoo, has stated that it is "deeply concerned" by some governments' efforts to control access to the Web, and hopes that the "cyber curtain" can be torn down.

But the company is not so naive as to believe that any company, whatever its size or share price, can resist pressure applied by the Chinese government. That's why the firm has announced that it will cooperate with Internet, media and communications companies, and the US government, to resist efforts by the Chinese government to monitor Internet traffic. This is a late awakening, but it is certainly better than staying asleep.

This battle against the pernicious affects of the cyber curtain will be fought on the keyboards and in the minds of every free individual. Every free person should write to the media and to their government to support freedom of speech; every person, organization and nation should express repugnance at China's violation of human rights, and call for the ripping down of China's "cyber curtain."
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