The iron curtain of Chinese authoritarian communist regime is again trying to impinge on free flow of ideas. On the pretext of saving the youth from the harmful effect of online material, the Chinese authorities are denying license to open new Internet cafes this year.
The authoritarian government is already carrying out scrutiny of cyber cafes in China.Investigators are given the task of looking after whether the Internet cafes are offensively renting out their licenses or failing to record the identities of the users. A press release by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce dated May 30, said on its Web site,
Industry and commerce bureaus at all levels must not license any new Internet cafes in 2007.
The Maoist state encourages the web use for business and education. But it is worried of rising democratic ideas and children’s access to violent games, sexually implicit material and gambling web sites. Even the Beijing Reformatory for Juvenile Delinquents said 33.5 percent of its detainees had committed crime under the influence of violent online games or erotic Web sites.
Chinese President Hu Jintao himself has ordered the authorities to dirt free Internet culture. An ever-ready government to block freedom has already launched an onslaught in April on online pornography, saying it was perverting young minds. In March, the administration launched a crackdown on the illegal transfer of Internet licenses by holders, including schools.
China boasts the world’s second-largest population of Internet users after the US. But its, with 137 million people online has only 120,000 Internet cafes. Internet cafes are immensely popular with customers who fritter hours playing online games that tie multiple competitors.
Last week, a Shanghai court asked a Internet cafe proprietor to pay 86,000 yuan (US$11,200) to the family of a 15-year-old boy who fainted and died after playing online games for two consecutive days.
VIA:IHT
