The following post from “Zhou Yan 310” (周燕310), which includes a list of 18 “bans” in 2014, was deleted from Weibo sometime before 10:47AM today, December 31, 2014. The post was live for just 25 minutes before being removed by censors. [Explore more deleted posts by using the Weiboscope, created by the Journalism & Media Studies Centre.]
The post simply includes a tag that reads, “#Goodbye2014 #18BansIn2014” (告别2014#2014十八禁), with a shortened link to another Sina Weibo account.
But the substance of the deleted post, a list of 18 bans in China in 2014, is included as a jpeg. A brief summary of the first 12 items on the list follows:

1. Ban on Religious Freedom. On April 3, Yongjia County in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, issued a notice saying that the ‘Sanjiang Church’ (三江教堂) in the area was an illegal structure. The church was demolished on April 28.
2. Ban on American Sitcoms. On April 26, the General Administration of Press Publications Radio Film and Television (GAPPRFT) issued a ban on The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, NCIS and The Practice, demanding that they be “taken off the shelves” on the internet.
3. Ban on the Use of LINE. Beginning on June 2, many users in China of the LINE application reported that something was wrong. Beginning on the night of July 1, users of the application in mainland China suddenly could not access it.
4. Ban on Press Freedom. On June 18, the General Administration of Press Publications Radio Film and Television issued a notice prohibiting news reporters from reporting across industries and cross-regionally. It prohibited reporters from reporting negative news storeis without the prior consent of their news organizations.
5. Ban on Press Freedom (2). On June 30, GAPPRFT issued a document called, “Professional Conduct Information Management Guidelines for Members of the Press” (新闻从业人员职务行为信息管理办法), which banned journalists from posting “information about professional conduct” on blogs, Weibo, public or private WeChat accounts, or other social media, as well as on online forums in public lectures or in any other forums.
6. Ban on Instagram. On July 7, media reports said that Instagram had been removed from most third-party app providers in China. The reasons for the removal were unclear . . . From September 28, 2014, onward Instagram was completely blocked inside China, the reason being that photos had been circulating of the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong.
7. Ban on Internet TV. On June 24, GAPPRFT shut down third-party video content channels for internet TV. On July 8, GAPPRFT forced the installation of their own proprietary TVOS Smart TV operating systems for internet TV boxes. On July 14, GAPPRFT again ordered that all internet TV boxes must stop providing time-lapse and replay functions.
8. Ban on Religious Freedom (2). Between August 4 and August 20, as the 13th Xinjiang Athletic Games were held in Karamay, the government banned the wearing of veils, headscarves or large beards on public transportation.
9. Bans on Independent Film Forums. On August 23, the 11th Beijing Independent Film Festival was forced into cancellation by police in Beijing’s Tongzhou District. Film critic and artists Li Xianting said on WeChat that they came under police scrutiny on August 18 after a posting an announcement online of the films to be shown.
10. Bans on Overseas Dramas. The General Administration of Press Publications Radio Film and Television issued a notice saying that overseas television dramas were not to be broadcast online without either a “Film Performance License” or a “Television Drama Distribution License.”
11. Library Bans. On September 18, a Chinese pro-literacy non-profit operating 22 branch libraries in the countryside in 12 provinces and cities for more than seven years announced that it had been ordered to shut the libraries down, and that it would no longer be receiving citizen support for the initiative.
12. Ban on Books. On October 10, GAPPRFT announced a list of authors — including Xu Yingshi, Liang Wendao, Xu Zhiyuan, Mao Yushi, Ye Fu, Zhang Qianfan and Chen Ziming — whose works could not be published inside China.

18 bans in 2014




David Bandurski

CMP Director

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