Forwarded From: jeradonah lives <jeradonah@juno.com>
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-China-Internet-Trial.html
December 4, 1998
China Puts Computer Whiz on Trial
Filed at 2:30 p.m. EST
By The Associated Press
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- China has extended its crackdown on dissent to the
Internet, putting a computer whiz on trial Friday for giving e-mail
addresses to an online pro-democracy magazine.
The case is the first prosecution of its kind in the ruling Communist
Party's attempt to exploit the Internet commercially while crushing
attempts to turn it into a forum for dissent.
Lin Hai, a Shanghai software company owner, is accused of subversion for
giving addresses for 30,000 Chinese computer users to ``VIP Reference,'' a
pro-democracy journal published on the Internet by Chinese dissidents in
the United States.
Hai, arrested in March, appeared in a closed courtroom Friday with two
defense lawyers to face the subversion charges. The trial ended after four
hours, defense lawyer Wang Wenjiang said, adding that the court could take
a week to issue a verdict.
``I'm afraid it doesn't look good for Lin Hai. I think he's going to be
found guilty,'' Wang said.
Lin's wife Xu Hong failed to arrive as planned Friday outside the
courthouse, leading to fears that she may have been detained by police.
A man's voice shouted ``Hang up! Hang up!'' when Xu was reached on her
mobile telephone Friday. After that, the line went dead and was switched
off.
Outside the court, police and plainclothes officers watched foreign
reporters, who were not allowed inside the courthouse gate.
Reporters also were shooed away from the suburban neighborhood where Xu
had been staying. When one man was asked whether police had warned
residents not to talk to reporters, he nodded yes.
Xu had appealed for an open trial for her husband. She had also written to
President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji asking for their help, but
said she received no reply.
The U.S. Embassy in Beijing expressed concern that the trial was closed
and urged China to ``fully respect international human rights standards,''
spokesman Bill Palmer said.
The group Human Rights in China demanded Lin's release and called the
trial a ``blatant violation of the right to freedom of expression.''
Chinese efforts to police the Internet include technology meant to block
access to sites deemed subversive or pornographic. Service providers are
required to register all users with the government.
-o-
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Received on Tue Dec 8 08:57:29 1998