Sina and Tencent Censor "Wukan" on Their Weibos

On December 21, 2011, the state sponsored Global Times published an editorial entitled “Wukan Hints at Urgency of Better Governance.” Some excerpts:

The village of Wukan in Guangdong Province is under the spotlight. Over the past months, villagers launched demonstrations against land exploitation and election-fixing by village heads. However, following village representative Xue Jinbo's death last week during police custody, peaceful protest turned into social unrest. The village is now cordoned off by police, as the authorities attempt to negotiate a deal.

These screenshots were taken on December 14, 2011, and show that Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo were censoring search results for “Wukan Village” (乌坎村).

Certain Provisions on the Administration of Micro-Blog Development

Beijing Municipal Government Information Office, Public Security Bureau, Communications Administration, and Internet Information Office jointly issued the "Certain Provisions on the Administration of Micro-Blog Development" on December 16, 2011. 

Certain Provisions on the Administration of Micro-Blog Development

Article 1. These provisions are enacted in order to regulate the development of micro-blog management, maintenance, network communication order, information security, protection of Internet information services unit and micro-blog user's legal rights, to meet the public demand for information on the Internet, to promote healthy and orderly development of the Internet, according to the "PRC Telecommunications Regulations," "Measures on the Administration of Internet Information Services," and other laws, regulations, rules, combined with the actual situation of the city.

Article 2. All websites launching micro-blog services and micro-blog users in the city's administrative area shall comply with these regulations.

Article 3. The development of management of this city's micro-blogs is conditioned upon the principles of active usage, scientific development, administration in accordance with the law, and ensuring security, in order to promote the building, utilization, and giving expression to a positive role for micro-blog services in the community.

Article 4. Websites that launch micro-blog services shall abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations, and rules, and operate in a sincere, honest, and civilized manner, actively spread the core values of the socialist system, disseminate socialist advanced culture, and build a socialist harmonious society.

Baidu, Sina, Tencent Search Results for "Xu Jinbo" - Man Who Died in Police Custody

On December 13, 2011, the state sponsored Global Times published an article entitled “Villager Detention Death Scrutinized.” Some excerpts:

A villager, who once led a demonstration in a village in Guangdong Province, died in detention on Sunday.

Some villagers suspect that he was beaten to death, but a local hospital said he died of cardiac arrest.

Xue Jinbo, 42, a villager from Wukan, Lufeng died two days after he was detained. The local government said Xue suddenly felt in pain and after emergency resuscitation failed was pronounced dead at Yihui Foundation Hospital in Shanwei on Saturday, according to Guangdong-based southcn.com.

In a timely fashion after Xue's death, leaders from the local government informed his family and comforted them. They also invited the local medical department as the third party to check the treatment process, the report said.

However, some villagers disagreed with the government's conclusions.

 "Xue was tortured to death," a 21-year-old villager, surnamed Zhang, from Wukan told the Global Times yesterday.

These screenshots were taken on December 14, 2011, and show that Baidu, Sina Weibo, and Tencent Weibo were censoring searches for “Xue Jingo” (薛锦波).