Activism and Awareness

‘China Dev Brief’ shut down

Breaking news, via The Wall Street Journal:

“China Shutters Nonprofit Newsletter“
By Nicholas Zamiska
July 11, 2007

HONG KONG — A widely read newsletter on Chinese development and human-rights issues has been shuttered after more than a decade by public security officials, according to the newsletter’s founder, amid what observers say may be heightened scrutiny of foreign-funded nonprofit organizations working in the country.

In his personal statement released this morning, Young respectfully addresses a public security official, “Policeman Kang,” asking him pass along background information to Chinese public security officials, who are investigating Young’s involvement with the China Development Brief.

Young, who says he has been deemed guilty of conducting “unauthorized surveys,” writes in a tone that is urgent, yet humble, as he tries to convince the government that he has conducted his affairs openly, honestly and constructively.

“I believe it is better to work for mutual understanding,” he says, “than to remain in the dark of mutual suspicion and hostility. . . . In short, I consider myself to be a very good friend of China, and I personally believe that the government of China should be seeking to support my work, not close it down.”

Here is the introduction to his press release:

China Development Brief is a non-profit publication that I established in 1995. It’s current mission is “to enhance constructive engagement between China and the world.”

On July 4 our Beijing office was visited by a joint delegation of a dozen officials from the Beijing Municipality Public Security Bureau, the Beijing Municipality Statistical Bureau, and the Beijing Municipality Cultural Marketing General Legal Implementation Team.

After investigations and interviews lasting around three hours, they ordered the Chinese edition of China Development Brief to cease publication forthwith. The authorities appear to be deciding what punishment to apply.

I, as editor of the English language edition of China Development Brief, am deemed guilty of conducting “unauthorized surveys” in contravention of the 1983 Statistics Law, and have been ordered to desist. I have since been interviewed by the police section responsible for supervising foreigners in China.

My hope is that these actions have been precipitated by zealous state security agents, and that more senior figures in the government and Communist Party will realise that actions of this kind are not in China’s best interest.

I have appealed to international donor agencies, including the United Nations, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (all of whom subscribe to our publication and have in the past frequently asked me for information and opinions) to mobilize whatever friendly contacts they have in the upper echelons of government.

I have made a similar appeal to a few Chinese acquaintances.

I have spent the last decade telling foreigners that China is not as repressive and totalitarian as Western media often portray it to be. I have always been able to cite the example of China Development Brief, which, although closely watched by state security officers, has been allowed to publish continuously for the last twelve years.

Below is a statement that I have sent to the police officer who interviewed me last week.

Read Young’s full statement here.

If you have access to the China Development Brief, check out their archived articles on corporate social responsibility, which covers “corporate philanthropy; NGO engagement with corporations; the social, economic and environmental impacts of corporate policies and actions, including working terms and conditions.”

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