Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Baidu Censors "Attorney Wang Yu" - Lawyer Detained for "Hyping Up" "Sensitive Incidents"

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On July 14, 2015, the state sponsored Global Times published an editorial entitled "US Sings Old Tune Over Radical Lawyers" (拘留滋事律师,美国反应可以藐视). Some excerpts:
The US State Department Sunday made a high-profile intervention over China's recent detention of "rights protection" lawyers who are suspected of committing crimes. It accused China of having "systematically detained individuals who share the common attribute of peacefully defending the rights of others."
. . . .
The detentions are China's internal affairs. Specifically, taking away lawyers from Beijing Fengrui Law Firm should serve to increase understanding among Chinese lawyers and promote China's rule of law as much as possible.
. . . .
Apparently some lawyers have doubts about the recent detentions. This may partly stem from sympathy for their peers and meanwhile over long-standing disputes on the boundaries of democracy and the rule of law. Western values have infiltrated intensely in this respect and damaged some important basic consensuses.
. . . .
The crackdown of the criminal gang involving several rights lawyers is a step toward realizing China's social stability, through which Chinese should acquire more confidence in the ideological contention between China and the West. It is more than a struggle for peace, but rather a struggle for hearts and minds.

美国国务院12日高调介入中国警方拘留涉嫌犯罪的“维权律师”一事,指责中方“有组织扣留”一些“和平捍卫他人权益”的人士。
. . . .
这件事是中国的内部事务。这句话的含义之一是,让对锋锐律所涉案律师的抓捕得到中国律师界更广泛的理解,让此事最大限度地促进中国民主法治建设,比我们思考如何回击美方的指责或许更重要。
. . . .
毋庸讳言,律师界内有人对警方的这次行动存在困惑,这或许有一部分来自于行业内部的“同病相怜”,就像有记者犯案被抓时,新闻圈内会天然多一些人觉得有必要帮着说几句话。还有一部分来自对民主和法治边界的长期争议,不能不说,西方价值观近年来对这个领域渗透了大量影响,使得一些相当重要的基础性共识遭到了破坏。
. . . .
打掉一个有“维权律师”涉嫌参与的犯罪团伙,不仅要实现中国社会治安的进一步平稳,还要力促国人在中西意识形态的争议点上更加自信和团结,这既是法律和治安之战,也是人心争夺战。而我们向后一场战役的投入程度,一点也不应当比对待前一场战役的认真程度低。
These screenshots show that on the evening of July 14, Baidu began censoring search results for the phrase "Attorney Wang Yu."


Translation: Xu Zhiyong's Statement in His Own Defense

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