Protests in the southern coastal city of Lianyungang earlier this month have lead to the suspension of a planned nuclear waste facility, but local authorities are pressuring residents to stop. Online discussion of the issue has been heavily censored, and a man has been charged with “disrupting social order” for allegedly spreading a rumor that workers were planning a strike. According to images of a document tweeted by @beidaijin, the city’s port is also forcing all employees to sign an agreement to “three do nots and two leads.” They must pledge not to “believe rumors,” “spread rumors,” or “participate” in “illegal assemblies”; and are suggested to “take the lead” in both signing the agreement and carrying out its stipulations.

https://speakbridge.io/medias/embed/cdt-test-project/cdt-test-project-general/2860

Lianyungang Harbor Holding Group, Ltd.

Urgent Notice on “Three Do Nots and Two Leads” Agreement for Port Workers and Staff

To All Work Units, Departments, Shareholders, and Member Enterprises: According to the demands of the spirit of the municipal assembly and the holding group’s Party committee, all workers and staff must carry out the “three do nots and two leads” agreement (attached). All work units and departments are kindly asked to make the agreement in accordance with the principles below:

1. The person responsible in each work unit (general manager, Party committee secretary), in keeping with the “Table of Lianyungang Harbor Holding Co. Leadership and Team Member Stability Maintenance Work Points of Contact and Division of Responsibilities,” is to make the agreement to the holding group leader in contact with their respective work unit; members of other teams are to make the agreement to the primary person responsible for their work unit. Section leaders are to make the agreement to the leadership in charge of each work unit; team leaders are to make the agreement to section leaders; and workers and staff are to make the agreement to team leaders. Each work unit is responsible for getting their external personnel to complete the agreement work (the agreement may be signed by text message, collectively, or other means).
2. The primary person responsible in every department of the organization is to make the agreement to the holding group’s leadership; departmental deputies are to make the agreement to the persons responsible in their department, and other organization personnel are to make the agreement to the leadership in charge of the department.
3. Every work unit and department, in accordance with the principles of one level carrying the other, is to ensure that food service workers sign the agreement. The holding group’s commission for discipline inspection will send an inspection team to check the status of every work unit in its fulfillment of the agreement.

Agreement

In the past few days, people have been assembling illegally because of the nuclear cycle project, seriously affecting social stability and the outside image [of Lianyungang]. For this reason, I promise:

1. I will not believe rumors. I will resolutely carry this out, and I will respect notices issued by the municipal government.
2. I will not spread rumors. I will not send any incorrect messages via text or WeChat, and I will not publish anything that goes against the requirements of the municipal government.
3. I will not participate. I will not become involved in any illegal assembly, demonstration, or similar activity. [Chinese]

@beidaijin has also shared screenshots from two WeChat conversations indicating that food service workers have indeed been asked to sign this agreement, as have staff at a local hospital:

Last week, a leaked propaganda directive demanded that websites not carry a Sohu article that criticizes the Lianyungang government for keeping city residents in the dark about the proposed facility. CDT has documented censorship around similar environmental protests over the past few years.