On March 30, 2012, the spokesperson from the State Internet Information Office reported that 16 websites had been shut down for allegedly fabricating or disseminating online rumors about “Military Vehicles Entering Beijing… Beijing is in trouble.” Those Websites included www.meizhou.net, www.xn528.com/forum-40-1.html, www.dadongyang.com, and www.ezeem.com. Microblog sites on Sina and Ten Cent were given warnings; they were ordered to take additional measures to manage the Internet.
The Beijing Public Security Bureau confirmed that 6 people were arrested for spreading rumors on the Internet. The Security Bureau warned that netizens should “abide by the law, not trust and spread rumors, and be timely in reporting rumors.”
VOA called the arrests Beijing’s revenge. Based on the comments it gathered from the media scholars outside of China, China’s media control is far from opening up.
Source: Xinhua, March 30, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-03/30/c_122911337.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2012-03/30/c_122911330.htm
Voice of America, March 31, 2012
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20120331-China-Cracks-Down-on-Websites-145377595.html