On April 27, 2005, the Intermediate People's Court of Changsha, Hunan sentenced Shi Tao (师涛), director of the editorial department at the Hunan Contemporary Business News Publishing House, to ten years imprisonment for disclosing a state secret. Specifically, the court said:
[F]ollowing a routine article review and pre-editorial meeting, deputy editors-in-chief surnamed Wang and Yang of the Hunan Contemporary Business News Publishing House again assembled the persons responsible for the headline news, mobile hot-line, editorial, and other departments, to participate in a specialized meeting. In this specialized meeting Wang verbally passed on a summary of the important contents of the top secret state secret, "Notice Regarding Current Stability Work" (Party General Office Document (2004) No. 11) of the Communist Party of China Central Committee General Office and the State Council General Office, and stressed that this document was top secret, and it was not permitted to take notes on or spread it. Defendant Shi Tao, however, secretly took notes on this summary of important contents. Between 7:00 p.m. in the evening of that same day and 2:00 a.m. the following morning, defendant Shi Tao in his office used his personal electronic mailbox [INTENTIONALLY DELETED]@yahoo.com.cn to transmit the notes he had secretly taken of the summary of the main contents of the aforementioned Party General Office Document (2004) No. 11 to the electronic mailbox [INTENTIONALLY DELETED]@aol.com of Hong Zhesheng, one of the organizers of the "Asia Democracy Foundation" located in New York, USA, and editor-in-chief of the foreign website "Democracy Forum" and the electronic periodical "Democracy Newsletter," and provided "198964," as the provider's alias. At the same time, he asked Hong Zhesheng to think of a way to disseminate it as quickly as possible, but not to use Shi Tao's name. On that day the summary of the important contents of the aforementioned Party General Office Document (2004) No. 11 provided by the signatory "198964" was distributed on "Democracy Forum," and afterwards it was also redistributed by foreign websites such as "Boxun" and the "Chinese Democracy and Justice Party."A full translation of the court judgment (师涛刑事判决书, (2005)长中刑一初字第 29 号) can be found in "State Prosecutions of Speech in the People's Republic of China: Cases Illustrating the Application of National Security and Public Order Laws to Political and Religious Expression" (中華人民共和國政府對言論的訴追：有關國家安全及公共秩序相關法律適用於政治及宗教言論的案例彙編), available for free download at www.feichangdao.com.
Below is a translation of the version of Shi's notes published on the Boxun website on April 22, 2004 at https://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2004/04/200404220629.shtml.
Summary of Document No. 11 of the Central Office of the Communist Party of China (VI) State Office ("Notice Regarding Current Stability Work")
Provided by 198964
On April 20, China's Propaganda Department urgently conveyed to all news agencies the document No. 11 from the Central Office and the State Office, the content of which is the "Notice Regarding Current Stability Work.” The summary is as follows:
1. Analysis of the current situation:
(1) This year marks the 15th anniversary of "6.4", and some overseas pro-democracy activists are more active, and they plan to take action to break through the blockades during the "6.4" anniversary, and prepare to forcibly break through the blockades;
(2) On the issue of liberalization, it is mainly about denying the leadership of the Communist Party, denying the socialist system, engaging in so-called "civil learning," and some hostile forces politicizing criminal cases;
(3) "Falun Gong" cult members are engaging in sabotage activities;
(4) The dissemination of various harmful information on the Internet;
(5) Mass incidents are relatively prominent, mainly manifesting around issues such as demolition and petitioning;
(6) Overseas hostile forces are using religious and other channels (printed materials, the Internet) to win over young people, or conduct academic activities in schools, help students, etc., to engage in illegal activities;
(7) The Hong Kong issue.
The focus is on "6.4", about "Falun Gong," and about “mass incidents."
2. All departments at all levels should take preventive measures:
(1) Resolutely prevent pro-democracy elements from breaking through obstacles and getting inside the borders;
(2) Strictly prevent various activities;
(3) Strictly prevent hostile elements from using the Internet to engage in activities;
(4) Strictly prevent the occurrence of mass incidents;
(5) Strictly prevent the "Falun Gong" cult organization from engaging in sabotage;
(6) Strictly guard the safety of key departments and personnel;
(7) Strictly guard against various factors that affect stability and unity.
3. Five tasks to be paid close attention to at present:
(1) Adhere to the correct theory and sense of responsibility;
(2) Effectively strengthen intelligence work and grasp the situation of various activities;
(3) Adhere to the correct orientation of public opinion, effectively prevent sabotage by foreign hostile elements, and resolutely refrain from making any remarks that are inconsistent with the policies of the central authorities;
(4) Highlight key points and do a good job of prevention and control in a targeted manner;
(5) Reduce mass petitions.
(At the same time, you should pay attention to contacts between overseas pro-democracy activists and individual editors and reporters of domestic media. Once discovered, report it immediately.)
中共中办(六)国办11号文件摘要(《关于当前稳定工作的通知》)
198964提供
4月20日,中国的宣传部们紧急向各新闻单位传达中办和国办的11号文件,内容是《关于当前稳定工作的通知》,摘要如下:
一、关于当前形势的分析:
(一)今年是“6.4”15周年,境外一些民运分子比较活跃,他们准备在“6.4”纪念日期间采取闯关行动,准备强行闯关;
(二)关于自由化的问题,主要是否定共产党领导,否定社会主义制度,搞所谓的“民间学习”,还有一些敌对势力把刑事案件政治化;
(三)“法轮功”邪教分子搞破坏活动;
(四)互联网上各种有害信息的传播;
(五)群体事件比较突出,主要表现在拆迁、上访等方面;
(六)境外敌对势力利用宗教等渠道(印刷品、互联网),拉拢青少年,或在学校里开展学术活动、助学等等,搞非法活动;
(七)香港问题。
重点是关于“6.4”、关于“法轮功”、关于群体事件”。
二、各级各部门要做好防范措施:
(一)坚决制止民运分子闯关入境;
(二)严密防范各种活动;
(三)严密防范敌对分子利用互联网搞活动;
(四)严密防范群体事件的发生;
(五)严密防范“法轮功”邪教组织搞破坏;
(六)严密防范重点部门和人员的安全;
(七)严密防范一些影响安定团结的因素。
三、当前要狠抓的五项工作:
(一)坚持正确的理论和责任意识;
(二)切实加强情报工作,掌握各种活动情况;
(三)坚持正确的舆论导向,有效地防范境外敌对分子的破坏,坚决不发任何和中央政策不一致的任何言论;
(四)突出重点,有针对性地做好防范控制工作;
(五)减少群体性上访。
(同时要注意境外民运分子与境内媒体个别编辑、记者的联系,一旦发现,立即报告。)
