Wikipedia Editor Forbidden From Leaving China for 3 Years
"I will not get out," Huang Zhisong said in a radio interview last week regarding China's recent decision to keep him from traveling outside of the country until 2016. The editor of the Chinese version of the free online encyclopedia was given no explanation for his grounding except that he “should know the reason.”
“I will not get out,” Huang Zhisong said in a radio interview last week regarding China’s recent decision to keep him from traveling outside of the country until 2016. The editor of the Chinese version of the free online encyclopedia was given no explanation for his grounding except that he “should know the reason.”
The blockade occurred soon after Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales spoke out against Chinese censorship laws. The Daily Dot elaborates on the circumstances surrounding Zhisong’s comment to Radio Free Asia:
The interview comes days after Wales stated in the Hong Kong Wall Street Journal that Wikipedia has been exploring the option of removing the free, but censored, version of Wikipedia in China. This would presumably force Chinese officials into a choice: endure a completely Wikipedia-less nation, or unblock the secure version of the website, which is hosted on non-Chinese servers that do not have to comply with Chinese censorship laws.
Of course, ideally to Wales, the Chinese government would stop censoring individual pages on Chinese Wikipedia. In the interview with Hong Kong Wall Street Journal, he called access to knowledge and education a human right.
Although it’s unclear whether Wales’ remarks are truly the impetus behind China’s punishment of Zhisong, the editor believes it is his country’s way of telling Wikipedia to toe the line when it comes to its censorship decrees.
—Posted by Natasha Hakimi
Wait, before you go…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
Asia Pacific
It's about much more than fossil fuels.
World
If so, it would be another step in Beijing’s rise to global power.
Politics
The truth about the origins of the COVID-19 virus should never have been a partisan issue — but can the political damage of the early pandemic be undone?
In this slim volume, Wasserstrom brings us into the world of Hong Kong’s activists while explaining the current and historical context underlying their cause.
A roundup of the latest news on the world's coronavirus pandemic.
Citing "alarming levels of inaction" despite warnings, U.N. health agency tries to shock lethargic countries into pulling out all the stops.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.