Internet surfers in China are no longer able to visit the video sharing website Youtube.com, due to the site carrying some scenes of Tibetan monks being beaten by the Chinese Armed Policemen.
A spokesperson of the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Internet is open in China, but for national security purposes, it needs to be managed to prevent spreading “poisonous information.” He said that he is unaware of the case of Youtube.com.
BBC Chinese reported that since January, China has closed several hundred websites, including some popular blogs, as well as websites popular among Tibetans. Investigations confirm that China still blocks access to certain websites, including BBC Chinese.com.
Source: BBC Chinese, March 24, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7960000/newsid_7961100/7961110.stm