Cyber anti-corruption campaign proves free speech

BEIJING - Experts attending a human rights forum said an unofficial anti-corruption campaign sweeping the Internet shows that free speech is expanding in China, with the Internet bridging the gap between the public and the government.

The Internet and social networking services like Sina Weibo, China's Twitter, have broadened channels for people to voice their opinions on public issues and created a wider platform for people to exert their rights of supervision, said Li Yunlong, a professor with the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee , at the 5th Beijing Human Rights Forum, which concluded on Thursday.

Over the past month, the wrongdoings of more than ten government officials have been exposed by Internet whistleblowers. These officials, whose transgressions have included sexual misconduct and the possession of property and other assets well-beyond their financial means, have been investigated and brought to justice accordingly.

Exposing corruption online has quickly gained momentum, especially after the 18th National Congress of the CPC in November, as the newly elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, named corruption a pressing problem within the Party that needs to be resolved.

"The Internet has enabled the public to have more diversified means of expression and to enjoy greater freedom of speech," Li told the gathering of about 120 human rights experts and officials from 32 countries and regions as well as several international organizations.

The human rights advance in this respect mainly stems from China's fast development of Internet infrastructure, which has given citizens easy access to the web, experts say.

Statistics from the China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC) show that the country's population of Internet users increased to 538 million as of June this year from about 620,000 in 1997.

"The Internet has provided a beneficial environment for the fulfillment of human rights. In particular, it effectively protects the rights of many disadvantaged groups," said Xue Jinwen, director of the Human Rights Research Institute, Nanjing University.

The Chinese government has reacted to the public's pursuit of greater freedom of expression by constructing more Internet outlets.

In the late 1990s, China initiated a program to open websites for governments at all levels. By the end of 2010, nearly 70,000 such portals had been launched, and over 12,000 governmental Sina Weibo accounts had been set up by September 2011, facilitating public-government communication and interaction.

In the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2012-2015), published in June, the Chinese government vowed to make public any government information that does not involve state or trade secrets or the privacy of an individual, and to ensure the public's freedom of speech and their rights of supervision.

"The Internet has played an important role in China's human rights undertakings," said Li Junru, vice chairman of the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS).

As they enjoy the benefits brought by the Internet in terms of freedom of speech, the public also needs to refrain from abusing this privilege, experts say.

Nina Karpachova, vice president of the Union of Lawyers of Ukraine, said people should be on alert for "violence, pornography and xenophobia" online.

In May 2011, China set up an Internet information office to direct, coordinate and supervise online content management for a better Internet environment.

"Freedom of speech on the Internet should not infringe upon the legal rights of others or do harm to society," Xue Jinwen said.