FC: Journalist group asks China about blocking access to Google

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Fri Sep 06 2002 - 22:13:10 PDT

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    News report:
    http://news.com.com/2100-1023-956243.html
    
    ----
    
    Date: Wed, 04 Sep 2002 14:54:51 +0000
    To: declanat_private
    From: Greg Walton <jamyangat_private>
    Subject: Your Excellency: Where is Google?
    
    
    Declan,
    
     From the world-beyond-D.C. dept.
    
    
    >September 4, 2002
    >
    >Committee to Protect Journalists
    >330 Seventh Avenue, 12th floor
    >New York, NY 10001
    >
    >His Excellency Jiang Zemin
    >President, People's Republic of China
    >C/o Embassy of the People's Republic of China
    >2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
    >Washington, D.C. 20008
    >
    >Via facsimile: (202) 588-0032
    >
    >Your Excellency:
    >
    >The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is very concerned by the Chinese
    >government's apparent blocking of domestic access to the Google Internet
    >search engine. Such censorship directly affects China-based journalists'
    >ability to conduct research and impedes citizens' access to news that is
    >unavailable in China's tightly controlled domestic media.
    >
    >On August 31, both the English and Chinese-language search engines operated
    >by Google became inaccessible to Internet users in China. In a public
    >statement, a spokesperson for Google confirmed that the site was blocked
    >inside China and said that the government offered no explanation.
    >
    >Google is one of the most popular Internet search engines in China and one
    >of the only sites that allows users unfettered access to information. Your
    >government routinely blocks access to Web sites, including those of foreign
    >news organizations and human rights groups, but this is the first time a
    >search engine has been blocked.
    >
    >Legislation enacted on August 1 requires all China-based Web sites to censor
    >their content or risk being closed down. As a result, most major
    >Chinese-language search engines, including Yahoo's Chinese-language site,
    >have filtered out the majority of sites containing information that is not
    >sanctioned by your government, including independent reporting on political
    >developments, human rights abuses, and the banned spiritual group Falun
    >Gong. The U.S.-based Google has therefore become Chinese citizens' only
    >means to access thousands of Web sites containing news and information that
    >is unavailable inside China.
    >
    >We respectfully urge Your Excellency to take steps to ensure that
    >authorities restore access to Google immediately and uphold the right to
    >free expression as guaranteed in both the Chinese constitution and the
    >International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which China has
    >signed. We also call on you to ease restrictions requiring Internet
    >companies in China to censor information in order to conduct business in
    >your country.
    >
    >Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We await your
    >response.
    >
    >Sincerely,
    >
    >Ann Cooper
    >Executive Director
    >
    >
    >CC:
    >Premier Zhu Rongji
    >Yang Jiechi, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S.
    >Clark T. Randt, U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China
    >Eric E. Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer, Google Inc.
    >merican Society of Newspaper Editors
    >Amnesty International
    >Article 19 (United Kingdom)
    >Artikel 19 (The Netherlands)
    >Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
    >Freedom Forum
    >Freedom House
    >Human Rights Watch
    >Index on Censorship
    >International Center for Journalists
    >International Federation of Journalists
    >International PEN
    >International Press Institute
    >Lorne W. Craner, United States Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human
    >Rights, and Labor
    >The Newspaper Guild
    >The North American Broadcasters Association
    >Overseas Press Club
    >Reporters Sans Frontières
    >Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
    >The Society of Professional Journalists
    >World Association of Newspapers
    >World Press Freedom Committee
    >
    >*************************
    >Committee to Protect Journalists
    >330 Seventh Avenue, 12th floor
    >New York, NY 10001
    >Tel: 212-465-1004
    >Fax: 212-465-9568
    >E-mail: asiaat_private
    >Web: www.cpj.org
    
    
    
    
    
    
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