China: Expanding Crackdown on Health Websites

(New York, March 6, 2008) -- Chinese authorities have shut down two
popular websites for people with AIDS and hepatitis, and threatened
the shutdown of a third unless it removes "illegal information", Asia
Catalyst said today. China should allow AIDS and hepatitis groups
free access to the internet to fight the epidemics.

"The internet is a lifeline to thousands of people suffering from
AIDS and hepatitis around China," said Sara Davis, executive director
of Asia Catalyst. "Shutting down websites will only drive those
people further underground."

Over the past three months, the ring of web censorship has gradually
widened. All of the sites affected are operated by grassroots Chinese
nonprofit organizations. While officials have acknowledged the need
for civil society in the fight against AIDS, in practice
organizations often face restrictions.

On November 20, 2007, the Beijing Communications Administration
ordered the shutdown of www.hbvhbv.com, a popular forum known as "In
the Hepatitis B Camp Network of China". Registered users share
information, including warnings about the fake hepatitis medicines
that proliferate in China. The forum is run by Beijing Yirenping, a
health and welfare organization.

On February 26, authorities shut down the AIDS Museum site
(www.aidsmuseum.net), an AIDS news site, and www.aidswiki.cn, a
collaborative "wiki" through which AIDS advocates shared news and
drafted articles. According to its host, AIDS advocate Chang Kun, the
site boasted 300,000 visits per day.

On March 5, China's leading independent AIDS organization, Aizhixing,
was warned to remove unspecified "illegal information" from its
website, www.aizhi.net, and the site was intermittently shut down on
March 5.

The web crackdown follows on the arrest of AIDS and civil rights
advocate Hu Jia, who was detained in December and charged
with "inciting state subversion." His wife, Zeng Jinyan, and their
baby both remain under house arrest. In a public statement, Aizhixing
suggested their website troubles could be linked to reports on their
site about Hu Jia.

"The crackdown on AIDS and hepatitis groups is having a chilling
effect," Davis said. "Many groups are becoming increasingly afraid to
do their normal work."

Widespread stigma and discrimination has driven many people with
HIV/AIDS and hepatitis underground in China, making the internet the
only way anonymous users can connect with peers to gain basic
information about their health and legal rights. There are an
estimated 130 million people carrying hepatitis B virus in China.

Officially China admits to having 650,000 people with HIV/AIDs,
though independent experts believe the number may be higher.

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
which China has signed and ratified, guarantees everyone the right to
health, including the right to access health information. China's
national laws, including the AIDS Prevention Regulations, call for
information on AIDS to be made available on the internet.

"Shutting down websites doesn't make epidemics disappear," Davis
said. "As many Chinese officials have acknowledged, we need civil
society in the fight against AIDS and hepatitis."

Asia Catalyst partners with activists in Asia to inspire, create and
launch innovative, self-sustaining programs and organizations that
advance human rights, social justice and environmental protection.
For more information, please see www.asiacatalyst.org.


Meg Davis
e-mail: <sara.meg.davis@...>
--
Sara L.M. Davis, Ph.D. ("Meg")
Chair, Committee for Human Rights, American Anthropological Assn
Executive Director, Asia Catalyst
PO Box 20839
New York, NY 10009
www.asiacatalyst.org
www.songandsilence.com