BrighamYoungUniversity

RuleofLawandChineseCensorship

EmmaGubler
AHTG100Sec.077
Dr.DavidKirkham
October6,2014

Censorshiphaslongbeenapartofworldcultureinvaryingnations,times,andwith
varyingpurposesandsuccess.Itsinfluencehasstretchedfromcensoringletterstoprotect
nationalsecretsduringtimesofwar,tohidinginformationtopreservethepowerofa
governmentoveritspeople.Inallofthesecasesthough,censorshiphasalwayscaused
discomfortandangeramongthepeoplewhoitaffects.InChinaespecially,itseemsthat
censorshiphasalwaysexistedaspartoftheircountryspolicies.ThefirstofficialChinese
censorshiplawwasinstitutedin300ADbytheJindynasty,buttherearerecordsofburning
booksaround200BCtogivemorepowertotheEmperoratthetime.Censorshipwasseenasa
waytohelpcitizenskeeptheirmoralandpoliticallivesinaccordancewiththeprinciplesofthe
government.Today,theuseofcensorshipinChinahasgrowntoincludeinternetaccess.These
displaysbythegovernmenthaveviolatedcertainaspectsoftheruleoflaw.Theruleoflawis
crucialtogoodgovernment,asitensurestherightsandhappinessofthepeople.However,the
ruleoflawcanonlyexistifgovernmentsarewillingtohonoralloftheprinciples.Inthecaseof
censorship,theaspectsthathavebeenignoredarepublicityandconsent.
Inordertounderstandthereasonsthatcensorshipissuchaviolationofgood
governmentalfunction,itisfirstnecessarytounderstandtheprinciplesofpublicityandconsent.
Thefirstaspect,publicity,requiresmakinglawsandpoliciespublicallyknowntoallcitizensthat
areexpectedtoabidebythelawknowsaboutit,andeasytoaccess.Theprinciplesandfine
pointsofthelawshouldalsobecarefullyexplainedandcleartoeveryone.Thisprevents
misunderstandingconcerningtheexpectationsofthepolicy,andalsopreventsundeserved
punishment.TheSecondprincipleisconsent,whichisarguablythemostimportantprincipleof
theruleoflaw.Consentispermissiongivenbythepeopletothegovernmenttopasslawsand

formnewpoliciesthatwillaffectthewaytheylive.Consentisimportantbecauseall
governmentsshouldreceivetheirauthorityonlywithandthroughtheconsentofthepeople.
Lawsshouldonlybeputintoplacethatcitizensarewillingtoobeyandwillhelptheoverall
wellbeingofthecommunity.
AccordingtoHumanRightsWatch,whenanindividualinChinaattemptstoreacha
blockedorcensoredwebsite,theyareshownanerrormessagestatingthatthepagecannotbe
loadedinsteadofbeingnotifiedthattheyareattemptingtoreachablockedpage.However,
somecountrieshaveamuchbettermethodofapproachingblockedcontent.Forexample,
accordingtoHumanRightsWatch,InSaudiArabia,whenauserattemptstoaccessawebpage
thatauthoritieshavechosentoblock,theyaredirectednottoa404errorpage...,buttoapage
informingtheuserthatthepageheorsheisattemptingtoaccesshasbeenblockedinaccordance
withnationallaws,withcontactinformationintheeventthattheuserbelievesthepagewas
censoredinerror(HumanRightsWatch).SaudiArabiasalternativeapproachisbeneficialfor
tworeasons.First,itputsthenecessarypowerintothehandsofthepeople.Theyhavethe
optionofgoingtothegovernmentandtellingthemwhytheremightbeaproblemwiththe
currentsituation,whichallowsforconsent.Second,thepolicyensuresthattheindividualis
informedaboutthelaw,andthereisanunderstandingmadebetweentheindividualand
government.
TheproblemwithChinasmethodisthatmanyChinesecitizensreallydontknowthat
theinternetisbeingcensored.AccordingtoanNPRnewsstorybyLauraSydell,somedont
reallyknowhowtoexplainthelackofconnection,buttheydontreallyknowwhattodoabout
it.WanJenFu,astudentinterviewedbyLauraSydell,said...sometimes,ifIwanttoseea

websiteonabook,Imaytrytocheckitupandthengotothatwebsite,butoftentimes,Icannot
openit.I'mnotreallysurewhythathappens.Maybetheconnectionisnotverygood,oritwas
reset(Sydell).Thisisanobviousdisregardoftheprincipleofpublicity,becausefewpeople
knowthatinternetcontentisbeingcensored,letaloneknowthattherearelawsregardingthe
policy.
Honoringpublicityinthiscasemayseeminsufficientafterall,thecitizenswouldstill
bemisinformedandinthedarkalotofthetime.However,knowingthatlawsallowingmedia
auditingwouldgivethemabetterpictureconcerningtheinformationthatisgettingthrough.
Theywouldbeabletoknowthattheinformationhadbeentamperedwith.
Knowingthatveryfewcitizensactuallyknowaboutthecensorshipthatishappeningisa
goodindicationthattheprincipleofconsenthasbeenviolated.Thegovernmenthassecretly
beenusingrouterstocensorinternetcontentforallofChina.Routerswereoriginallyintended
tobeusedindividuallytocontrolinformationaccordingtopersonalneedsandwants,orby
serviceproviderstominimizethethreatofcomputerviruses.Withoutaskingpermission,the
statehasoptedtoperformtheeditingonamuchlargerscalethanisnecessaryandhastaken
awaythepowerofchoicefortheindividual.Thetragedyofthisisthatthereisverylittleway
forcitizenstomaketheirvoicesheardbecauseanyprotests,whetherpublic,electronic,or
pressrelated,aresimplyremovedorblockedbygovernmentsensors.Forexample,thereare
currentlyprotestsinHongKongwherethecitizensareinsistingthatChiefExecutiveLeung
Chunyingstepdownfromhisposition.WhilethenewsisverywidespreadthroughoutHong
Kong,itsveryhardtofindanytraceofitinMainlandChina.MostofChinaislivinginasort
ofisolatedworldwheretheysimplycantgetanytraceofinformationofnewselsewhere.Those

whodorealizethatsensorsarereviewingeverythinghaveoftenbeenvictimspersonally.Some
havehadpersonalblogsandwebsitesremovedasaresultofwritingsomethingthatthe
governmentfoundoffensive.
Inthepreviouscases,thelackofinformationtothepeoplehasbeenupsetting,butits
mostlyonlybeenaninconvenience.Insomecases,therearemuchmoreseriousconsequences
ofauditingnewsmaterialwithoutconsentorpublicity.In2008,therewasaseriousproblem
withcontaminatedinfantformulacontaminatedwiththeindustrialchemicalmelamine.Withthe
propermediacoveragefromthegovernment,thousandsofinfantdeathscouldhavebeen
prevented,butthegovernmentwastooconcernedwithlookinggoodtogivetheeventthe
publicityitdeserved.Governmentofficialschosetodownplaytheproblem,anditspreadmuch
furtherandcausedmoredamagethanwasnecessary.EvenifChinesecitizenshadknownthat
newsstoriesareofteneditedtosuitthegovernmentswhims,theywouldhavebeenmore
empowered,knowingthatmisinformationwasapossibility.
UnlesstheChinesegovernmentwillbeginhonoringtheprinciplesofconsentand
publicity,thisviciouscycleofmisinformationwillcontinuetoplaguethecountry.Therewillbe
confusion,whichcouldleadtomoreeventsliketheinfantformulafiasco.Thegovernmentwill
losethetrustofitspeople,whichisprobablywhatitdeserves.Theremayactuallybealarge
scalerevoltandtheinstitutionofanewleader.Becauseinallofthestoriesmentionedatthe
beginning,somebodysawthroughthecensorshipandwasabletomakeadifference.Nobodyof
peoplecanstaysubduedandsuppressedthroughmediacensoringforever,andwhentheyfinally
breakfree,theirworldwillbeadifferentplace,fullofknowledgeandempowerment.Aworld
wherethegovernmentstrivestocreateagoodsocietythroughtheuseofpublicityandconsent.

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