Protests that have toppled authoritarian Arab governments have reinforced Chinese leaders’ vigilance about defending one-party control, a priority since the Communist Party crushed pro-democracy protests in June 1989. Those official anxieties are sure to multiply as President Hu Jintao prepares to hand power to a successor from late 2012.
Some foreign reporters were assaulted over the weekend in central Beijing, where an online message from abroad had urged a pro-democracy gathering inspired by the “Jasmine Revolution” that overthrew Tunisia’s government. Police smothered the designated area and no protest happened.
On Wednesday, police threatened to revoke the visas of foreign reporters whom officials deem to be “illegally reporting” on the Wangfujing shopping street, where the protest was supposed to happen.
Officials cited new restrictions for conduct on the street that limited earlier promises of unimpeded reporting. But recent directives on many Chinese government websites show the country’s own targeted citizens—from dissidents to ex-soldiers and the mentally ill—face much stricter controls. “Foreign journalists are having a taste of the recent escalation of the security crackdown against anyone or anything considered potentially politically sensitive by the authorities,” said Nicholas Bequelin, a senior researcher in the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group.
“This is an across-the-board attempt to asphyxiate all critical voices ahead of the leadership transition,” Bequelin said.
The Party has become adept at orchestrating campaigns of control around major events, such as the National People’s Congress starting on Saturday. This year’s directives tell officials nationwide to be extra vigilant ahead of the parliament.
“We must strengthen control over the whole range of target people so they are under constant watch and prevented from going to Beijing to gather and stir up trouble,” said one such order, found on the website of Jincheng, a city in Shanxi province.
“Strengthen monitoring and control of the Internet and prevent hostile elements at home and abroad, and other malicious-minded people, from exploiting the Internet to collaborate and incite others,” it said.
Dozens of similar calls for tight security could easily be found on other local government websites.