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On Tuesday, two of China's largest microblogging sites—Sina Weibo and Tencent—resumed normal services after being partially suspended for three days. They had temporarily disabled the comment function—effectively blocking netizens' ability to engage in discussions.
The resumption came amidst public outcry over censorship—fueled by power struggles at the top level of the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP.
The three-day ban on commenting came after a burst of rumors online about the disgrace and downfall of Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai. It highlights the CCP's anxiety about netizens' discussions of political events.
Last Friday, Chinese authorities shut down 16 websites and arrested 6 people for spreading online rumors. Sina Weibo and Tencent said the services were suspended due to a "cleaning up" process.
But BBC reported the ban was enforced to suppress rumors.
[...]
[Wang Beiji, New York "Democracy University" Executive Director]:
"Rumors are a kind of public speculation. If there were normal media in the CCP society, no rumors would exist. So controlling the alleged rumors is a violation of people's freedom of speech and right to know—it's the Chinese Communist Party's new crime."
The ban sparked netizens' anger and a surge of reposting entries. The Associated Press cited several bloggers' postings on Tuesday after the ban was lifted.
One blogger, Li Xuepeng, wrote, quote, "Commenting is our inalienable right. What we need to do and must do is to speak up, until the right will not be taken away."
China's most popular blogger, Han Han, said the ban is not about regulation but about, quote, "power-flaunting and warning. What it says is, 'If I can take away commenting from you for three days, I can make you lose microblogging forever.'"
