Yanhuang Chunqiu website closed down after editorial on constitution
Yanhuang Chunqiu informed its registration 'had been cancelled' after publishing editorial urging implementation of constitutional rights
Authorities yesterday closed down the website of the mainland's most outspoken political magazine, Yanhuang Chunqiu, sparking fears that its call for political reform and constitutional governance has touched a raw nerve.
Chief editor Wu Si said the pro-reform publication received a text message and an e-mail from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on December 31 saying its registration "had been cancelled", without giving a reason.
Calls to the ministry went unanswered yesterday, but it issued a written response to Caixin Media saying Yanhuang Chunqiu failed to renew its registration information and the website could be reopened after an update is filed.
The website's editor told Caixin it found out only yesterday from the Beijing Communications Administration that its registration had been invalid since August 2010.
The editorial of Yanhuang Chunqui's New Year edition called for initiatives to "protect the constitution" and urged government action to grant citizens the rights to which they are constitutionally entitled. It said the constitution's guarantees such as the right to dismiss national leaders and officials, the protection of human rights, and freedom of speech and publication had not been implemented.
"Comparing the constitution and the everyday reality, you will find our current system, policies, laws and the way the government behaves is far away from the constitution," it said. "Our constitution is basically meaningless.