Boxun is a website that is mainly aimed at exposing alleged political scandals in China. It is partly backed by the China Free Press project, which is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.
Xiang Nanfu’s arrest is latest in wave of detentions of dissidents
A freelance journalist and 博讯 News contributor has been arrested. The arrest comes amid a wave of dissenters detained in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong as the authorities tighten their control over freedom of speech and dissent.
Xiang Xiang’s arrest came after he was accused of fabricating stories that harmed China’s image. He was also detained for stirring trouble. He was jailed for nine years.
Xiang was the second Boxun News contributor to be detained this year. His arrest is one of a wave of arrests by Chinese authorities as the country approaches the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Xiang was charged with “provoking trouble” in articles written for the overseas news website. This is a catch-all charge used by the Chinese authorities against dissenters.
China’s Jasmine Revolution will be a long-on-going event
The Jasmine Revolution is an online campaign to bring about a social uprising in China, modeled on the successful color revolutions in Eastern Europe in the early 2000s. The name jasmine, which is a flowering cousin of the olive tree, is also a symbol of Chinese tea.
The Chinese government’s response has been with a heavy hand. Authorities have filed charges against Internet users who proposed protests, while stepping up internet filtering. Despite these efforts, the movement has spread to several hundred cities in the country. Organizers have vowed to continue the protests each Sunday, citing feedback that they are having an effect.
The word “jasmine” has been banned from Chinese search engines, but it is still used as a descriptor of a social movement. While it has been blocked on social networking sites such as Facebook, it is possible to access the internet if you bypass censorship.
Chinese government’s removal of BOXUN and Bowenpress from Facebook
Facebook, arguably the world’s largest social networking platform, has made headlines by removing two major players in the online social media space. While they have not publicly revealed the reason for their recent actions, one could be forgiven for assuming that the Chinese government is responsible. In fact, it is not a stretch to conclude that Facebook has already slammed the shutters on BOXUN and Bowenpress, the two aforementioned social media platforms that were the most prolific.
While this is undoubtedly an uphill battle, a cursory glance at the company’s latest ad campaign will confirm that it has taken a decidedly conservative approach to its social media presence. For example, Boxun has been notably absent from the social media giant’s newsfeed for over two years. This includes both the company’s main and sub-pages.
Hacking attacks on Boxun servers
Boxun, a popular website that provides news and updates on corruption and human rights, has suffered from hacking attacks. The site’s editor is attempting to retrieve the data, but it might take several weeks.
The website was attacked in the aftermath of the Bo Xilai scandal, in which a Chinese Communist Party politician was found to have been involved in the murder of a British businessman. The scandal has deeply embarrassed China’s leaders. It has also caused an uproar among foreign media, which flocked to the city of Chongqing to investigate.
After the attack, the Chinese government announced that the man was under investigation. It was alleged that the politician’s wife and a household aide were also suspected of the murder. However, the Chinese authorities said that the case was unfounded.
