Zoom closes account of US-based Chinese dissidents after Tiananmen conference
- Participants joined Zoom meeting from China to listen to testimonies of people targeted in 1989’s bloody June 4 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters
- Days later, the paid Zoom account the group set up for the event had been disabled, says activist Zhou Fengsuo
The event on May 31 saw participants dial in from China to listen to the testimonies of a number of people tied to the events of June 4, including the mother of a slain protester, a Beijing resident imprisoned for 17 years for his participation, and multiple exiled student leaders.
On Sunday, organisers discovered that the paid Zoom account that they set up for the forum had been disabled, said Zhou Fengsuo, a US-based human rights activist and president of Humanitarian China, the group that hosted the event.
A statement from Zoom, which is accessible from within China without a VPN, suggested that it had taken the action because participants joining the conference from China had violated “local laws”.
“Just like any global company, we must comply with applicable laws in the jurisdictions where we operate,” a company spokesperson said. “When a meeting is held across different countries, the participants within those countries are required to comply with their respective local laws.”