Jiao Guobiao, Former Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University. (Wu Lianyou/The Epoch Times)
Sound of Hope reached Zan Aizong and Jiao Guobiao. Both men are on the regime’s list of dissidents. They confirmed that such blacklists have existed for quite some time in China.
Zan, a freelance writer and former director of the Zhejiang branch of Chinese Ocean News, said that the Propaganda Ministry routinely sends out such orders around politically sensitive dates, including national holidays, major conferences, or important events.
Boxun.net wrote that the media were ordered to copy the blacklist by hand [eliminating an eletronic record]. The Ministry of Propaganda reportedly also wanted the list to be returned afterwards.
Jiao, former associate professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, stated that he had been blacklisted for the last four or five years. "Since 2004, they have never taken me off the list. Sometimes they are strict about it; other times they are loose. If you search for my name on the Xinhua or Sina websites, you will not find anything."
Jiao added that it is impossible to publish any article in China under his name, including on websites or in print media.
A search on Sina.com for Jiao's name only yielded articles criticizing him. Under the search results, a small note on the website reads, "In accordance to local laws and regulations, some search results are not displayed."
Zan, on the other hand, may be a new addition to the blacklist. His blogs on both the Sina and Sohu websites have recently been shut down.
Zan said, "There weren't so many lists before. When there was an order, it was either in document form or by phone. Now everything is so mysterious. The mystery has backfired. Before, people didn't care about what they [dissidents] wrote. The more the media is asked to ignore them, the more the media will pay attention. The media may find alternative ways [to get input from the dissidents]."
Zan said he had not seen the document blacklisting him. He expressed that if he were to see his name on the list, he would sue the Ministry of Propaganda, since such a list would be in violation of the Chinese constitution, as well as other laws.
Read the original Chinese article.
