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Defeating Cyber Attacks: Ghosts Cannot Live in Sunlight

Formed in 2006, the Global Internet Freedom Consortium (GIF) is an alliance of several leading organizations that are developing and deploying anti-censorship technologies for Internet users living under oppressive regimes. The Consortium partners have contributed significantly to the advancement of information freedom in China, Iran and other “censorship” countries. Two of GIF’s most popular anti-censorship software tools, FreeGate and UltraSurf, have played a critical role in enabling Iranians in the recent election aftermath to connect and communicate over the Internet when their government blocked most overseas news and social networking websites overseas. It is estimated that, on June 20, 2009, alone, over 1 million Iranians used GIF to visit previously censored websites.

In addition,GIF itself has constantly been fending off cyber attacks launched against it.

On October 22, 2009, the U.S. Congressional Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, held a hearing on the ways in which new media and Internet communication technologies affect the balance of power between human rights activists and authoritarian governments. Zhou Shiyu, Deputy Director of GIF provided testimony at the hearing. Zhou estimated that over 90% if anti-censorship traffic comes through GIF servers. GIF has the current capacity to support 1.5 million people per day. It is working on expanding its capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand.

Chinascope recently interviewed Dr. Peter Li, GIF’s Chief Technology Officer.

Chinascope:  Recently President Obama launched the cyber security plan. Are cyberattacks a real threat to U.S. national security? Continue reading

The Journey of Clarifying the Truth While Being Persecuted — Falun Gong Practitioners From Mainland China Tell Their Personal Stories (From 1999 To the Present)

On July 20, 1999, the then leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Jiang Zemin, banned the Falun Gong spiritual practice. At the beginning of the suppression, Jiang intended to eradicate Falun Gong in “three months.” Intelligence agents locked onto Falun Gong practitioners whom they thought to be “leaders,” and its propaganda machinery prepared potent fabrications to vilify Falun Gong and turn the public against it. In so many previous persecutions, these two steps alone were enough to break the backbone and spirit of any victim group.

After failing to eradicate Falun Gong in a quick way, CCP has largely remained quiet about Falun Gong in its state-run media over the last several years, making the impression that Falun Gong is no longer in existence in China. So, did Jiang and the CCP achieve their goal? Where are the practitioners in China? What do they do these days? With these questions in mind, Chinascope interviewed the editor of the Chinese website, minghui.org. Minghui, whose English counterpart is clearwisdom.net, is the primary website for Falun Gong practitioners to obtain Falun Gong related information, report their activities, and share their experiences with each other.

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Taiwan CNA: The CCP Has Started Selecting Cadres for the Eighteenth NPC

The Central News Agency (CAN) of Taiwan recently published a report based on news from the Hong Kong magazine Mirror. The report suggested that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has started selecting high ranking officials for the Eighteenth National Party Congress (NPC). There are two “hard” conditions: the candidates must be below 45 years old and must be current bureau-level officials. The Organization Department of the CCP Central Committee determines the selection process: The Department officials will meet and vote on the candidates, and then the leaders of the Department will bring back the results for “consideration”. Voting results will not be announced.

Source: CAN, July 29, 2009.
http://www.cna.com.tw/ShowNews/Detail.aspx?pSearchDate=&pNewsID=200907290314&pType0=READTIME&pType1=&pTypeSel=0

HK Mirror: Chinese Military Reorganization

The HK monthly magazine Mirror reported recently that the Chinese military is planning a reorganization to divide China into four strategic regions instead of the current seven military zones. Each strategic region will be controlled by a “mini” central military committee that consists of a joint central command and the secretaries of the provincial committees of the Party in the region. The reform plan iincludes changes in some military ranks. Senior Colonel will be replaced by Brigadier General, and the number of generals will increase.

Source: HK Mirror, July 2009.
http://dailynews.sina.com/gb/chn/chnoverseamedia/cna/20090729/0316519118.html

Xinhua: China Should Have More Say on Global Pricing

Xinhua reported that the Deputy of the Development and Reform Commission, Ren Pengseng, said at the China Price Forum that China should fight for more say on the pricing of bulk commodities on the global market.

Ren claimed that the Chinese economy started recovering this year, but the recovery is not reliable and the pressure of structural adjustments is mounting up. Liquidity is ample and the level of prices tends to increase. In order to improve the price control and adjustment system, it is important to enhance monitoring and reserving mechanisms and price adjustment funds.

Source: Xinhua, July 30, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-07/30/content_11800355.htm

500 Attended Public Security Bureau Spokesperson Training Classes

From July 26 through July 30, close to 500 people attended the training class held for the spokespersons of the Public Security Bureau at the Chinese People’s Public Security University. This training was another large scale centralized training session held by the Public Security Bureau following a similar session for 3000 county level Public Security Bureau Directors and 400 city level Secretaries of the Discipline Inspection Commission.

Meng Jianzhu, Minister of Public Security, spoke at the closing ceremony of the training session. He stressed the importance for the attendees to fully understand the unprecedented challenges that threaten social stability. He said there is a need to improve the “spokesperson system." Whenever an unexpected event takes place, the spokesperson should immediately come forward and publicize first hand information.  According to Meng, the spokesperson should “always put political work as the first priority. They need to be mentally equipped with the (Party’s) theory of persistency on the socialist path with Chinese characteristics; constantly improve their own political capability, and fully understand and exercise the Party’s instructions and policies.”

Source: Legal Daily, August 1, 2009
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/0801/2009-08/01/content_1131716.htm

China County-Level Officials to Train for Sudden, Mass Uprisings and Disasters

The China National School of Administration plans to build a national training base for officials to deal with sudden or disastrous incidents. The training will most likely target the officials including those at the county level. It will last five to seven days and will use eight to ten typical cases so that the officials will have an overall understanding in handling emergency incidents.

According to the 2005 Social Blue Book, China’s mass incidents grew from 10,000 to 60,000 between 1993 and 2003, with the number of participants increasing from 730,000 to 3.07 million. In 2008, mass incidents took place in Wenan of Guizhou Province, Longnan of Ganshu Province, and Menlian of Yunnan Province. On June 25, 2009, the party secretary of Shishou city of Hubei Province was dismissed for his failure in handling a mass incident.

Source: Nanfang Daily, July 31, 2009
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/nfjx/200907310004.asp

People’s Daily Publishes Tibetan Language Edition

On August 1, People’s Daily published its Tibetan language edition. This will be the first Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper published in a minority language, People’s Daily reported. The publishing of the Tibetan language edition is to “carry the Party’s voice to tens of thousands of Tibetan households and enhance its media influence.”  According to People’s Daily, it also has the significance to “spread the Party’s philosophy, directions, and policies… (for People’s Daily) to seize the position of being the propaganda landmark in Tibet… and take control in the media war.”

Source: People’s Daily, August 1, 2009
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1026/9770748.html