The Guardian follows up on the closure of China Development Brief:
The publication’s role as a bridge between NGOs in China and the outside world may have raised the suspicions of the Communist government, which clamps down hard on any group that is in a position to link independent voices. China’s leadership is known to have been alarmed at the role that civic society movements played in the “colour revolutions” in former Soviet states in recent years.
Mr Young has a reputation as a supporter of the Communist party and a critic of western media coverage of China, but he has been under investigation for more than a year. He believes his phone is monitored and his emails intercepted.
The timing of the clampdown appears to be linked to the rising profile of China Development Brief – which recently organised a conference on China’s role in Africa and a party attended by several hundred NGO members and friends. [Full text]
Read also the Chinese government’s acknowledgment of the crackdown, via AP, and Nick Young’s statement on recent events.
