GHA 4: Citizen Magazine Chooses Self-Censorship

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 031041

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C O N F I D E N T I A L

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STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL
PACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/16
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI CH
SUBJECT: GHA 4: Citizen Magazine Chooses Self-Censorship
Because of Government Pressure

REF: A) Guangzhou 30534; B) Guangzhou 30533; C) Guangzhou
20890; D) Guangzhou 18191


1. (U) Classified by Consul General Robert Goldberg.
Reason 1.4 (d).


2. (C) Summary and comment: "Citizen" will hold back the
magazine's tenth issue till next year due to government
pressure--including blacklistings, electronic surveillance
and direct warnings--put on the group since August. The
Guangdong government has grown increasingly concerned about
Citizen's popularity and the role played by new dissidents
in the Guangzhou Humanistic Association, which publishes
the magazine. The tenth issue was expected to be more
controversial than previous issues, with articles on the
Shanghai corruption scandal and protests in Taiwan.
Comment: The combination of forwarding looking articles--
with what at times appears to be an anti-government, anti-
Party animus--has led the government to take a closer and
harsher look at the journal at a time when rights activists
throughout China have been targeted by authorities.
Because of its political connections, Citizen had
previously seemed immune to such pressure, but now it has
also become a target.


3. (C) On September 28, Poloff and a representative of the
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) met with Hao Yuanwen,
President of the Guangdong Humanistic Association (GHA),
parent organization of "Citizen" magazine, and his
assistant, Professor Yao Yuanguang (ref C and D). Hao and
Yao described increased political pressure against the GHA
since the last meeting with Congenoffs in August. Citizen
magazine is published by Guangxi Normal University Press,
which is known for its liberal publishing policies. Yao
said that the publishing house is receiving "pressure" and
the publisher is afraid that he will be the fall guy in the
event of a crackdown. During the meeting with Poloff, Hao
was on the phone several times with the publisher, trying
to alleviate his fears.

Membership Changes
--------------


4. (C) The composition of the GHA has changed somewhat
over the last few months. In addition to prominent retired
officials like former Guangdong Party Secretary Ren Zhongyi,
former Guangdong Deputy Party Secretary Wu Nansheng and
former Vice-Minister of Propaganda for CCTV Zhu Houzhe,
former governor of Guangdong Province Zhu Shengling has
recently begun attending GHA meetings. Most of these
officials were known for their liberal polices while in
power and, as retired officials, are drawn to GHA as a
place where they can share their views. The group recently
lost one of its important founding fathers, Guangdong
political cartoonist, Liao Bingxiong, who died last month.
Liao was Guangdong's most famous cartoonist, renowned for
drawing cartoons critical of the Cultural Revolution.


5. (C) The GHA has increased its membership of
intellectuals and "dissidents" as well. Professor Yao did
not elaborate on who these dissidents were, but said at
least 10 labor rights "weiquan" (Rights Protection Movement)
activists attend GHA events. Yao said that some of South
China's most notable Rights Protection Movement leaders,
such as lawyer Tang Jingling and Zhongshan University
professor Ai Xiaoming, were not involved with the group.

Increased Pressure
--------------


6. (C) Guangdong authorities have increased their
oversight of GHA since August. Yao said that "every month
things become more and more sensitive," and that Citizen
magazine, in particular, has become "too sensitive." He
described how certain members of the group have had their
cell phones tapped and said that Public Security Bureau
(PSB) officers have played their recorded voices back to
members over the phone.


7. (C) A representative of the National Security Bureau
recently warned President Hao that the National Security
Bureau is "completely aware" of the activities of the GHA.
He said that certain members, including Professor Yao, were
on the government's blacklist. The representative told Hao
to "keep his followers in check" and suggested that the

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group should stop publishing Citizen. Lectures and
discussions would be allowed as such "undocumented"
activities could be plausibly denied. Additionally, a
secretary to Guangdong Party Secretary Zhang Dejiang

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recently told President Hao that Zhang reads the magazine;
the group should be careful what it publishes.


Future Publications
--------------


8. (C) Because of the recent pressure on the group, Hao
and Yao have decided to withhold the publication of the
tenth (October) issue of Citizen, which was to include a
number of controversial articles, until next year. One
article focused on the recent Shanghai Party Secretary
corruption case. According to Yao, some of the Citizen
staff believed that Chen Liangyu had been planning to step
down prior to print publications disclosure of corruption
charges; Citizen staff also apparently have other
information which is not yet publicly available. The tenth
issue was also expected to include an article about
political protests in Taiwan and argued that protests are
useful for democratic reform in Taiwan.

Other Activities
--------------


9. (C) In addition to Citizen, the GHA has a number of
other projects it hopes to develop; among them a website
(under construction),a citizen rights textbook for
children, a "Citizen Exchange Center," where citizens could
share views on local government, and a "Humanity Research
Center" to examine human rights and other legal issues.
The exchange center and research center are based on
similar "Civil Society Centers" at UCLA and the London
School of Economics.


10. (C) Because of political sensitivities, the GHA is
constantly seeking cover for its aggressive political
agenda. For example, according to Yao, the organization's
title, the "Guangdong Humanistic Association" was
specifically chosen because "most people do not know what
'humanistic' means." If the group had used the term "human
rights," it would never have received permission to
register under the Guangdong Civil Affairs Bureau.
Additionally, representatives from the Guangdong Civil
Affairs authorities have told that Hao they have nominally
agreed to create the "Citizen Exchange Center" and
"Humanity Research Center" because the project would use
the world "exchange" (jiaoliu) rather than education
(jiaoyu). So far GHA's most successful project has been
the distribution of about 20,000 citizen rights textbooks
to urban and rural schools and juvenile detention centers.
Yao said that the reaction to the books has been very
positive.

GOLDBERG