"Officials Must Report Assets" Rally (官员必须申报财产)

Photography: Gao Quanliang 摄影：高全亮
Reporting: Lin Feng 报道：林峰

On January 29, 2013, "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" (CCCR), held a rally at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, USA demanding that high officials report their assets so as to curb the rampant corruption in China.
2013年1月29日， 中国公民自由联盟在美国纽约的中领馆前举行集会，要求中国高层官员申报财产，以抑制猖獗的贪污腐败。

The reporting of private assets for government officials has proven to be an effective measure to curb corruption, and in most countries, it is required by law that government officials, especially those high officials, must regularly report their assets to the public.
政府官员申报财产被证明是遏制贪污腐败的有效手段。世界上的绝大多数国家都立法规定，政府官员，尤其是高官，都必须定期向社会公众公布他们的财产。

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally (from left to right): Lin Feng, Quan Ningling, Cui Chunhua, Piao Chunzi, Jin Yuzi, Zheng Jinhua
中国公民自由联盟成员在集会上：（自左至右）林峰，权宁玲，崔春花，朴春子，金玉子，郑今花

In China, there is no such asset reporting system, and in the past years, delegates to the National People's Congress have repeatedly proposed bills for government officials to report their assets. But the bill could not pass into law because the majority of the delegates, many of whom government officials, are opposed to it.
在中国，没有财产申报制度。在过去的人代会上，代表们都要提出政府官员财产申报法案，但就是不能通过成为法律。这是因为，绝大多数的人大代表，其中很多是政府官员，反对将自己的财产公诸于众。

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally (from left to right): Zhao Chunping, Jin Hai, Shen Zhenan, Chen Jianrong, Lin Feng 赵春萍，金海，沈哲男，陈建榕，林峰

About 2 weeks ago, a girl in China showed off on her blog that her family owns 21 apartments in the city of Zhengzhou, Henan Province. It was revealed later that the girl's father was the chief of the Zhengzhou Housing Department, and he took huge bribes from real estate developers while approving housing projects.
大约两个星期以前，中国一个女孩在网上炫耀她的家庭在中国河南郑州市区拥有21套房产。经网友人肉搜索，发现这个女孩的父亲是郑州市一个区的房管局长，他在批准房屋开发项目时收受了房地产开发商的巨额贿赂。

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally (from left to right): Zheng Jinhua, Cui Hailan, Cui Yuhua, Shen Xuehua, Cui Yonglu, Yu Jie, Jin Hualin, Lin Rong, Jiang Jiongri 郑今花，崔海兰，崔玉花，申雪花，崔永禄，于捷，金花林，林榕，姜炯日

After the 18th CCP Congress, there has been a wave of selling of luxury apartments by government officials, who are scared that the passing of the asset reporting law would mandate them to report to the public the assets they own.
在中共十八大召开后，中国出现了一股政府官员争相出售豪宅的风潮，这些官员害怕如果官员申报财产的法案通过，他们就不得不向社会公众公开他们拥有的财产。

Site of rally: Chinese Consulate in New York, USA

"Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" calls for the asset reporting system be passed into law, so that government officials can not trade the power they own for money.
“中国公民自由联盟”号召中国的人大会议通过官员财产申报法律，这样，政府官员才不会用自己手中的权力换取金钱。

“Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" also calls for the removal of the Great Firewall, so as to allow freedom of the internet, and the release of Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for writing an article calling for freedom of speech and constitutional reform.
"中国公民自由联盟”也呼吁搬掉网络长城防火墙，实现互联网自由，并释放2010年诺贝尔和平奖获得者刘晓波博士，他因为写了一篇文章呼吁实现言论自由和宪政改革，被判处11年徒刑。

Gao Quanliang photographs the event 高全亮在集会上摄影

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally (from left to right): Jiang Jiongri, Liu Jingnan, Piao Xiangshun, Dong Zhenghu, Piao Hulin 姜炯日，柳京男，朴享顺，董正虎，朴虎林

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally (from left to right): Gao Quanliang, Zhu Benjian, Zhao Chunping 高全亮，朱本俭，赵春萍

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" attending today's rally include: Cui Yuhua, Chen Jianrong, Lin Feng, Cui Hailan, Cui Yonglu, Cui Chunhua, Quan Ningling, Piao Chunzi, Zhu Benjian, Zhao Chunping, Gao Quanliang, Yu Jie, Shen Xuehua, Piao Xiangshun, Jin Yuzi, Zheng Jinhua, Dong Zhenghu, Piao Hulin, Liu Jingnan, Jiang Jiongri, Lin Rong, Jin Hai, Shen Zhenan, Jin Hualin, Cao Jintao.
参加今天集会的中国公民自由联盟成员有：崔玉花，陈建榕，林峰，崔海兰，崔永禄，崔春花，权宁玲，朴春子，朱本俭，赵春萍，高全亮，于捷，申雪花，朴享顺，金玉子，郑今花，董正虎，朴虎林，柳京男，姜炯日，林榕，金海，沈哲男，金花林，曹金陶。

"Stop Media Censorship in China" Rally （支持南方周末，停止新闻检查）

Censorship Protest Heats Up

2013-01-08

Government supporters confront press freedom demonstrators outside the offices of a censored Chinese newspaper.

AFP

Demonstrators call for press freedom in support of journalists from the Southern Weekend newspaper outside the company's office building in Guangzhou, Jan. 8, 2013.

Scuffles broke out as protests over censorship at a cutting-edge Chinese newspaper continued on Tuesday, amid public slanging matches between ruling left-wing Chinese Communist Party supporters and protesters angry over tight media controls.

Several hundred protesters showed up outside the offices of the Southern Weekend newspaper in the southern city of Guangzhou for a second day running, following online calls for continued protests over censorship of the paper's New Year editorial.

Footage on Hong Kong's Cable TV showed people shouting "Running dogs!", "50-centers!" and "Traitors," as government supporters, known as the "50-cent party" for the fees they are supposedly paid, appeared to have turned up as well.

"Did you ask me if you could come here?" shouted one bystander at a Hong Kong camera crew. "Do you think you are in Hong Kong?"

One protester said he had seen a number of the "50 centers" talking quietly on the sidelines with police, suggesting they may have been working for the government.

"These clashes happened three or four times, and the police detained one person, who hadn't been released by the time I left the scene," said protester Wei Xiaobing.

"By the time I left, there were upwards of 500 people there, probably more than yesterday," Wei said.

"It was clear that there was a bigger police presence, too, and while they didn't take aggressive measures to interfere, we felt they were taking a harder line [today]."

Editorial censored

Netizens, journalists, and academics have faced off with the authorities since the Southern Weekend newspaper was forced to change a New Year editorial calling for political reform into a tribute praising the Communist Party.

Those who express dissenting political views, or who call for major changes to one-party rule in China, are often harassed, held under house arrest, or sent to prison for subversion or unrelated charges.

The protest is one of the first overt calls by members of the public for political freedom since large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations were crushed in a military crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Last week, 18 Chinese academics signed an open letter calling for the dismissal of Tuo Zhen, a provincial propaganda minister blamed for the censorship. The scholars included legal professors, liberal economists, historians, and writers.

There has been no direct official comment on the confrontation so far.

Return to work?

However, Reuters reported that Guangdong provincial chief Hu Chunhua had stepped in to broker a deal between senior editorial staff and provincial propaganda chiefs.

The agency quoted a source close to the Guangdong Communist Party Committee as saying that Hu, who just took over leadership of Guangdong province last month, had suggested a return to normal work at the paper following a strike.

Senior editors have denied newspaper workers have been on strike, in spite of an online declaration signed by some staff members.

"Most staff" won't be punished after the incident if a normal edition is printed this week, the source said.

"Guangdong's Hu personally stepped in to resolve this," the source said. "He gets personal image points by showing that he has guts and the ability to resolve complex situations."

The Southern Weekend has long been seen as a beacon of independent and in-depth reporting amid otherwise tight controls on the media.

Reuters reported that propaganda authorities had agreed in future to "lengthen their leash" on the paper. However, more than one source said the paper's chief editor Huang Can now stands to lose his job whatever happens.

Meanwhile, a number of activists who have spoken out openly in support of the newspaper in recent days said they have been contacted by state security police.

Anhui-based pro-democracy activist Zhang Lin said he had received a call from the police after he sent out a tweet in support of Southern Weekend on the Sina Weibo microblog service.

"They didn't say anything very specific...but they asked me my views on this issue," Zhang said. "The subtext was to warn me not to pay much attention to it."

Homes searched

According to the Sichuan-based rights website Tianwang, Zhejiang-based activists Lu Gengsong and Mao Qingxiang had both had their homes searched in connection with the protest.

Lu's wife confirmed that police and government officials had entered the couple's home on Tuesday, confiscating one of her husband's computers and other materials.

"He was taken to the police station for questioning," she said, adding that Mao had been questioned around the same time.

The two men hadn't been released by 8.00 p.m. local time (12 noon GMT) on Tuesday, she said.

Repeated calls to the Guangdong provincial government propaganda department and to the government press office went unanswered during office hours on Tuesday.

Dai Zhiyong, the Southern Weekend editor who penned the original, pro-reform article that was altered, declined to comment.

"I have already had a lot of interview requests, but it has been decided that it's not convenient for any of us to give interviews," Dai said.

Mak Yin-ting, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA), said the paper's demands didn't seem unreasonable from outside mainland China.

"Of course this is a question of systematized media censorship, and the right of citizens to freedom of publication isn't being upheld," Mak said.

"[The protesters] want a free press and an end to censorship, and the Southern Weekend incident is going to have a bigger and bigger impact," she said.

Historic crossroads?

The Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) paid tribute both to the original editorial and to the journalists who protested at its removal.

"The original version talked of hopes of change for the New Year and called for a constitutional government," RSF said in a statement on its website.

"It was purged of its critical content and prefaced by a propagandistic introduction."

It said the "unprecedented" protests show that the Chinese media are at an historic crossroads.

"It is unacceptable that the content of a respected newspaper such as Nanfang Zhoumo [Southern Weekend] should be censored by the Communist Party without warning, because it dared to talk about the rule of law and civil liberties," the statement said.

RSF called on China's president-in-waiting Xi Jinping to take stock of the consequences of media censorship as he prepares to take over the presidency in March.

Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese service and by Xin Yu for the Mandarin service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright © 1998-2011 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

"Stop Media Censorship in China" Rally (支持南方周末，反对新闻审查）

Photography/Reporting: Gao Quanliang

摄影/报道： 高全亮

On January 15, 2013, "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights", a human rights organization, held a rally at the United Nations Square in Manhattan, New York protesting media censorship in China, calling on the Chinese government to allow freedom of press in China. 

2013年1月15日，人权组织”中国公民自由联盟“在纽约的曼哈顿联合国广场举行集会，抗议中国的新闻审查，要求在中国实现新闻自由。

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally. (from left to right): Jin Lianji, Yu Jie, Xuan Hua, Cui Chunhua, Quan Ningling, Dong Zhenghu
"中国公民自由联盟”成员在集会上（自左至右）：金连姬，于捷，玄花，崔春花，权宁玲，董正虎

The ”Southern Weekend", a newspaper in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, gained its popularity over the years for courageously speaking out the grievances of the powerless people in China, as well as its reporting on corruption of government officials, media freedom, and political reform. 

"南方周末“是中国广东省广州市的一家报纸。由于其一直报道弱势群体的悲惨生活，揭露政府官员的贪污腐败，要求新闻自由，号召政治改革，因此在中国越来越受到欢迎。

On its New Year Editorial, the newspaper stated that the dreams of the Chinese people over the past 100 years was constitutional democracy, calling on the new leaders in China to start political reform. However, this editorial was taken off the newspaper before its publication and was replaced by an editorial written by the Chief of the Propaganda Department of the CCP in praise of the Chinese Communist Party's rule in China.  This was done without the knowledge of the editors and journalists of the newspaper. 

在”南方周末“的新年献词中，南方周末说中国人过去一百年的梦想就是实现宪政民主，要求中国的新领导人开启政治改革。可是，这篇新年献词被篡改，中共广东省委宣传部长强行将自己所写的东西替换了”南方周末“的新年献词，结果南方周末的新年献词变成了赞美中国共产党在中国的领导地位。他篡改南方周末的新年献词并没有经过该报纸记者和编辑的同意。

Tuo Zhen, the chief of CCP's Propaganda Department, Guangdong Province, who put his article in place of "Southern Weekend"'s New Year Editorial to praise the CCP rule in China
庹震，中共广东省委宣传部长，他将自己的文章强行替换了“南方周末”的新年献词，赞美中国共产党在中国的领导地位

This event sparked strong protest from the editorial staff of the newspaper, as well as from many of its supporters. Hundreds of people gathered outside the office of the newspaper everyday since the beginning of the new year to express their support of the newspaper, and clashed with left-wing Maoist supporters, and the "50 cents party". Some protesters were detained and beaten by the police. 

在事件发生后，南方周末的记者和编辑发表了强烈的抗议声明，许多该报纸的支持者们也每天聚集在报纸编辑部门前，抗议篡改南方周末的新年献词，并与左派支持者以及五毛党们发生了冲突。有些抗议者遭到了警方的拘留和毒打。

”Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" strongly supports the "Southern Weekend" and calls on the Chinese government to allow freedom of press, and put an end to media censorship. 

“中国公民自由联盟”强烈支持“南方周末”， 呼吁中国政府允许新闻自由，停止新闻审查。

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally: (from left to right) Dong Zhenghu, Jiang Kaixiong, Ming Jian, Luo Shimeng, Ren Chengguang, Shen Zhenan, Jin Hai, Xuan Longyan
“中国公民自由联盟”成员在集会上：（从左至右）董正虎，蒋开雄，明键，罗士猛，任成光，沈哲男，金海，玄龙岩

At the event, members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" also calls on the Chinese government to release Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for writing an article calling for freedom of speech, and constitutional reform in China. 

在集会上，“中国公民自由联盟”的成员们也号召中国政府释放刘晓波。他是2010年的诺贝尔和平奖的获得者，因为写了一篇文章，号召在中国实现言论自由和宪政改革，结果被中国政府判处11年有期徒刑。

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally: (from left to right) Zheng Jinghua, Jiang Jiongri, Lin Rong, Chen Jianrong, Cui Yonglu
”中国公民自由联盟“成员在集会上（自左至右）：郑京华，姜炯日，林榕，陈建榕，崔永禄

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" attending today's rally include: Zheng Jinhua, Shen Xuehua, Jin Hualin, Jin Lianji, Cao Jintao, Cui Yonglu, Chen Jianrong, Yu Jie, Xuan Hua, Han Yongde, Dong Zhenghu, Jiang Jiongri, Gao Quanliang, Lin Rong, Jiang Kaixiong, Ming Jian, Luo Shimeng, Ren Chengguang, Liu Jingnan, Xuan Longyan, Shen Zhenan, Jin Hai, Shen Yunyi, Piao Guishu, Quan Ningling, Cui Chunhua, Piao Yingmei, Zheng Jinghua， Guo Qing. 

今天参加集会的“中国公民自由联盟”成员包括：郑今花，申雪花，金花林，金连姬，曹金陶，崔永禄，陈建榕，于捷，玄花，韩永德，董正虎，姜炯日，高全亮，林榕，蒋开雄，明键，罗士猛，任成光，柳京男，玄龙岩，沈哲男，金海，申允义，朴桂淑，权宁玲，崔春花，朴樱梅，郑京华, 郭清。

Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" at rally (from left to right): Shen Zhenan, Jin Hai, Xuan Longyan, Han Yongde, Shen Yunyi, Piao Guishu, Liu Jingnan, Piao Yingmei
”中国公民自由联盟“成员在集会上（自左至右）：沈哲男，金海，玄龙岩，韩永德，申允义，朴桂淑，柳京男，朴樱梅

"High Officials Must Report Their Assets" Rally (官员公布财产，杜绝贪污腐败）

On January 1, the New Year's Day of 2013, "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" held a rally at Chinese Consulate in New York demanding Chinese high officials report their assets, so as to put an end to the rampant corruption in China.2013年的新年1月1日，“中国公民自由联盟”在纽约中国领事馆举行了集会，呼吁中国政府官员公布财产，杜绝贪污腐败。

Corruption has become a very serious problem in China. Nationwide, high officials, as well as low-level government officials, embezzled money to their private pockets. Bo Xilai, the disgraced CCP Party Chief in Chongqing, China, amassed billions of US dollars worth of assets while he was in office.
腐败现象一直是中国一个非常严重的问题。政府高官，以及低层官员，侵吞社会财富。已经下台的共产党高官薄熙来，曾担任重庆前市委书记，在任职期间积累了几十亿美元的资产。

Bo Xilai, former CCP Chief of Chongqing City
薄熙来，重庆前任市委书记

Yang Dacai, a industry security bureau chief in Shanxi Province, wore several watches that were worth millions of RMB. After he was disciplined by the CCP a couple of months ago,, he was found to have hidden tens of millions of RMB cash in his home.
杨达才，山西省前任安检局局长，拥有许多价值几百万人民币的手表。前几个月，杨达才被共产党双规之后，在他家里发现了几千万人民币的现金。

Yang Dacai, former chief of Shanxi Industrial Security Bureau
杨达才，前任陕西省安检局局长

Three months ago, the "New York Times" reported that the Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Prime Minister, and his family amassed 2.7 billion US dollars worth of stocks and assets during his 10 year tenure in office. The Chinese and English versions of the "New York Times" website was then quickly blocked by the Chinese government.
3个月前，“纽约时报” 报道了中国国务院总理温家宝和他的家人，在温家宝10年的任期中，积累了价值27亿美元的股票和资产。纽约时报关于此报道的中英文网站，都被中国政府迅速删除。

CCCR members attending today's rally (from left to right): Shen Yunyi, Piao Yingmei, Gao Quanliang, Ge Yaowei, Liu Jingnan, Piao Xueling, Xuan Longyan
参于今日集会的“中国公民自由联盟”成员（从左至右）：申允义，朴樱梅，高全亮，葛耀伟，柳京男，朴雪玲，玄龙岩

Almost at the same time, the Chinese government blocked "www.bloomberg.com", a financial website, for its investigation report on Chinese state president Xi Jinping's family's 700 million US dollars in assets.
几乎在同一时间，中国政府封锁了彭博财经网站，网址为“www.bloomberg.com”，原因是一篇调查报告公布了中国现任国家主席习近平的家族资产价值7亿美元。

CCCR members attending today's rally (from left to right):  Zhao Dezi, Wang Ruhua, Jin Dayong, Fan Guorong, Shen Yunyi, Piao Yingmei
参与今日集会的“中国公民自由联盟”成员（从左至右）：赵德子，王汝华，金大勇，樊国荣，申允义，朴樱梅

Today, the Chinese government deported Chris Buckley, the New York Times reporter in China as a punishment for New York Times's series reports on Chinese high officials' corruption.
今日，中国政府将纽约时报驻中国记者储百亮驱逐出境，原因是他在纽约时报的系列报道中揭露了中国高官的腐败现象。

Chris Buckley, "The New York Times" Reporter in China
储百亮，“纽约时报”驻中国记者

Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights holds that the rampant corruption in China was caused by the lack of asset reporting regulation for high officials, which has been called for by the delegates of the National People's Congress for more than 16 years.
中国公民自由联盟坚信，由于中国缺乏官员财产申报制度导致了中国的贪污腐败现象，人大会代表16年多以来一直在呼吁建立官员财产申报制度。

CCCR members attending today's rally (from left to right): Ren Chengguang, Li Ruiying, Zhao Dezi, Wang Ruhua
参与今日集会的“中国公民自由联盟”成员（从左至右）：任成光，李瑞英，赵德子，王汝华

Two days ago, Wang Qishan, the new chief of the CCP's Disciplinary Committee, said that it is very hard to have high officials report their assets at the present time.
2天前，新任中国共产党纪委书记王岐山，发表了言论：现在让官员们公布财产是非常困难的。

Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights calls on the National People's Congress, which is scheduled to convene in March 2013, to pass into law the asset-reporting regulation so as to curb government officials from trading power for money.
“中国公民自由联盟”呼吁预定于2013年3月召开的全国人大会议，通过财产公布制度，避免官员以权力换取金钱。

Members of Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights attending today's rally include: Cui Yonglu, Gao Quanliang, Piao Yingmei, Piao Xueling, Liu Jingnan, Ge Yaowei, Xuan Longyan, Cao Jintao, Shen Yunyi, Fan Guorong, Jin Dayong, Wang Ruhua, Zhao Dezi, Li Ruiying, Ren Chengguang.
参与今日集会的“中国公民自由联盟”成员包括：崔永禄，高全亮，朴樱梅，朴雪玲，柳京男，葛耀伟，玄龙岩，曹金陶，申允义，樊国荣，金大勇，王汝华，赵德子，李瑞英，任成光。