Dokument #1337358
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
While no reference to the use of "self-criticisms" by the Public Security Bureau in Guangdong or to whether penalties are being imposed upon those who fail to submit a self-criticism could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate, the following information may be of interest.
According to reports, editors at the Guangdong newspaper Yangcheng Evening News were ordered by the Communist Party's propaganda department to write "self-criticisms" following the publication of an interview with He Qinglian, an economist and commentator whose writings have reportedly been banned in China (The Financial Times 7 June 2001; Knight Ridder 13 July 2001).
A 3 June 2001 article reported that Nangang Zhoumo, a weekly magazine subordinate to Nanfang Ribao which is an organ of the Guangdong Provincial Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee, had been "purged" for failing to meet the standards set by the central authorities (Hong Kong Ming Pao). Reportedly, the Central Propaganda Department had issued a circular in May 2001, criticising the magazine and requiring it to submit a written "self-criticism" to the propaganda department of the Guangdong provincial party committee (ibid.).
An 18 July 2001 article reported that Zhong Hongmao, county head and deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of Heping County, Heyuan City, Guangdong Province, had been temporarily relieved of his post and asked to make a "self-criticism" for being suspected of using bribes to gain more votes during a recent election (Xinhua).
As well, a 29 December 2000 article reported that the Guangdong Province Governor, Lu ruihua, had stated that, in future, those in charge of production facilities where a serious or fatal accident occurs will have to either make an "in-depth self-criticism or resign from office"(ibid. 4 January 2001).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Financial Times [London]. 7
June 2001. "Beijing Launches Press Crackdown." (NEXIS)
Hong Kong Ming Pao. 3 June
2001. "HK Paper Reports on PRC's 'Purging' of Guangzhou Magazine
Nanfang Zhoumo." (FBIS-CHI-2001-0604 3 June 2001)
Knight Ridder [Washington]. 13 July
2001. Michael Dorgan. "China Cracks Down on Journalists who Push
Boundaries of Censorship." (Tribune News Service/NEXIS)
Xinhua [Beijing]. 18 July 2001. "New
Heping county Head Temporarily Relieved of Post for Election
Bribery." (FBIS-CHI-2001-0718 18 July 2001)
_____. 29 December 2001. "Guangdong
Governor Addresses Meeting on Production Safety." (BBC Summary 4
January 2001/NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
LEXIS/NEXIS
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International
China Online
Human Rights in China
Human Rights Watch
People's Daily Online
United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights
Note: This list is not
exhaustive. Country or region-specific publications available at
the Resource Centre are not included.