The following example of censorship instructions, issued to the media and/or Internet companies by various central (and sometimes local) government authorities, has been leaked and distributed online. Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to those instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.
State Council Information Office: To all websites nationwide: In light of Mo Yan winning the Nobel prize for literature, monitoring of microblogs, forums, blogs and similar key points must be strengthened. Be firm in removing all comments which disgrace the Party and the government, defame cultural work, mention Nobel laureates Liu Xiaobo and Gao Xingjian and associated harmful material. Without exception, block users from posting for ten days if their writing contains malicious details. Reinforce on-duty staff during the weekend and prioritize this management task. (October 12, 2012)
国新办：各地各网站：关于莫言获诺贝尔文学奖事，要加大微博客、论坛、博客等关键环节的监看力度，坚决删除借机抹黑党和政府、抹黑文化事业以及与刘晓波、高行健获奖等相联系的有害信息。情节恶劣的帐号，一律禁言十天。周末要加强值班，把此项管理工作作为重点。
