The little attention the Hong Kong media, including the South China Morning Post, has given to the plight of Shi Tao, the journalist jailed on the mainland, is nothing short of frightening.
Shi has been condemned to 10 years in prison for doing something the United Nations General Assembly would consider most commendable. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: 'Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.'
Both mainland authorities and Yahoo! have violated this article. As long as Shi is in prison, the media should keep the pressure on so he can obtain a new and fair trial. Yahoo!, for its part, owes all its clients an apology. And it should assure them that it will not betray its clients in future.
Yahoo!'s statement that it has to obey China's local laws is absurd. Is it right to obey the unjust laws of any autocratic government? Should Yahoo! not instead be concerned about obeying the laws of decency, of respect for clients, and complying with the universal declaration of human rights?
The mega contracts between giant media companies and autocratic regimes pose a great danger for freedom. People are worried. It is becoming very clear that self-censorship is alive and well not only in the mainland but in Hong Kong.
GIANNI CRIVELLER, Aberdeen
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