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.
Liu Minting wants to avenge her grandfather’s alleged beating.
Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.
Guangdong Propaganda Department: Do not reprint, report, or comment on the incident of a ten-year-old girl in Hunan challenging the head of the Administration for Industry and Commerce to a fight. (November 27, 2012)
广东省委宣传部：对湖南十岁女孩与工商所长约架一事不转不报不评。
On November 19, 10-year-old Liu Minting was spotted in Lianyuan, Hunan holding a knife in one hand and a sign in the other [zh]. “You hurt my grandpa, I challenge you to a duel,” the sign read. Her grandfather, Liu Chunlin, was allegedly beaten by the vice-director of the local Administration for Industry and Commerce, Yan Huaizhong, on August 17, 2010. Mr. Liu has not received any compensation for his injuries.
