The Federalist: China Scrubs Tiananmen Square From Internet

Friday, June 6, 2014

China Scrubs Tiananmen Square From Internet

A wider view of the famous "tank man" photo. The Communists sent
in tanks to murder people daring to protest for freedom.

Communists Scrub The Internet Clean

China Expunges Tiananmen From Social

Media, Closes Chat Groups

China on Thursday extended a massive censorship operation to target popular social media sites, banning keyword searches linked to the 1989 Tiananmen Square military crackdown 25 years ago and a mass vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park, netizens said reports Radio Free Asia.

Keywords like "June 4, 1989" and "6.4" are often blocked to China's 620 million Internet users, who often find ever more ingenious ways to elude censorship, however.

Netizens have used terms such as "Something Something Square" and "May 35th" to get around the blocks and filters, although "May 35th" began to be blocked for the first time last month.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party's powerful but secretive central propaganda ministry issued censorship instructions to the country's tightly controlled media recently, ordering editors to avoid any reference to June 4, or 1989.

"All websites are asked to strengthen on-duty work during this time of highest sensitivity," the leaked directive, collated and translated by the China Digital Times website, said.

"Closely observe reporting discipline. Ensure that a responsible editor is always present," it said.

"Strictly delete information about overturning the official line and commemorating June 4 (including so-called sideways expressions)," the directive said.

It warned: "We stress once again the responsibility of websites to check content. Anyone found to be violating discipline during this inspection will be severely punished."

Hong Kong citizens attend a candlelight vigil in Victoria Park to commemorate
the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown on June 4, 2014.

Hong Kong Vigil
.S
State-run media on Thursday was silent on a massive candlelight vigil attended by at least 100,000 people in Hong Kong on Wednesday to mark the crackdown.

And the list of blocked search terms had expanded on Thursday to include "Victoria Park", "candlelight," and "Teng Biao," the name of a leading Chinese human rights lawyer who delivered a swingeing attack on the Chinese government at the rally.

On the popular Twitter-like service Sina Weibo and similar social media sites, censors quickly located and deleted posts containing the banned terms.

And users of the popular chat service QQ said many of their groups were shut down in recent days.

"A lot of chat groups were shut down and disbanded," online activist Hua Manlou, who is currently on enforced "vacation" under police escort outside his hometown, told RFA.

"It was mostly the ones talking about people being 'disappeared,'" he said. "There were about six or seven groups shut down."

Read more Radio Free Asia

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Thomas Pinckney, Federalist

Commissioned as captain in the 1st South Carolina Regiment of the Continental Army. After seeing much action, he became an aide-de-camp to General Horatio Gates. He was captured by the British at the disastrous Battle of Camden in 1780. After recovering from his wounds, he was released in a prisoner exchange. In 1781 he fought under Lafayette in Virginia. Appointed by President George Washington to be the U.S. minister to Great Britain served as Envoy Extraordinary to Spain. The Federalist Party made him a candidate in the 1796 presidential election as the intended running-mate of John Adams. Served as Congressman and Governor of South Carolina. Served as a major general in the Army during the War of 1812.

Henry Lee III, Federalist

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Alexander Contee Hanson, Federalist

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William Bingham, Federalist

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David Cobb, Federalist

Cobb studied medicine in Boston and practiced in Taunton, Massachusetts. He was a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1775; lieutenant colonel of Jackson’s regiment in 1777 and 1778, serving in Rhode Island and New Jersey; was aide-de-camp on the staff of General George Washington; appointed major general of militia in 1786. Fought in the New York and New Jersey Campaign, the Battles of Springfield, Monmouth, Rhode Island and Shay's Rebellion. He served the Federalist Party as Lt. Governor of Massachusetts, President of the State Senate and Congressman.

Josiah Parker, Federalist

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William Stephens Smith, Federalist

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John Rutledge, Jr., Federalist

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John Sergeant, Federalist

Member of the Pennsylvania state house of representatives 1808-1810; elected as a Federalist to Congress and served from 1815, to 1823. Sergeant was a strong backer of Henry Clay's American System and the Second Bank of the United States, and even traveled to Europe to negotiate loans to the Bank. He was a strong opponent of slavery who voted against the Missouri Compromise. In 1826 he was an envoy to the Panama Congress. Elected to Congress as an Adams candidate 1827 to 1829. Failing re-election he became legal counsel to the Bank of the United States. Sergeant was the Vice Presidential running mate in Henry Clay's campaign on the National Republican ticket in 1832. Elected as a Whig to Congress serving from 1837 to 1841.

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Philip Barton Key, Federalist

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