Since January 2000, when the Chinese newspaper People's Daily published new Internet regulations from the State Secrecy Bureau, the Chinese government has cracked down on Internet use that it considers dangerous, arresting several individuals, shutting down sites, and passing tough new laws that codify existing practice. Below is a list of individuals in China currently detained for online activity.

Chen Shaowen, author of several essays published on overseas Chinese-language Web sites, was arrested, the official Hunan Daily reported on September 14, 2002. The online news service Boxun reported that Chen was arrested on August 6. Chen was accused of browsing "reactionary Web sites," distorting relevant facts, and criticizing the Communist Party. Chen, who lives in Lianyuan in Hunan Province, reportedly wrote essays covering such topics as social inequality and unemployment in China. (See also "China: CPJ Condemns Arrest of Internet Essayist," Committee to Protect Journalists, September 24, 2002.)

Chi Shouzhu, a veteran Chinese activist, was detained on April 18, 2001 shortly after printing online pro-democracy material from a Web site using a friend's computer, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. The center said he was carrying the material when he was detained at a train station in the northeastern city of Changchun. Chi was released in June after serving a 10-year prison term for taking part in 1989 pro-democracy protests. Leng Wanbao, a dissident living in the northeastern province of Jilin, was interrogated for more than two hours by police on April 18, 2001, according to the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without Borders). Police accused him of publishing "subversive articles" on the Internet. Some of Leng's writings were allegedly found on Chi Shouzhu, who was arrested a short time before. (See also "China Cracks Down on Cyber-Dissent," Associated Press, April 19, 2001; Reporters sans frontières protest letter, April 20, 2001.)

Dong Yanhong, a staff member at Tsinghua University, was sentenced on December 13, 2001 to five years in prison for spreading information on the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement over the Internet, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. In addition to Dong, five others were sentenced by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court on December 13: Liu Wenyu, a professor of electric power at Tsinghua University; Liu's wife Yao Yue, a microelectronics researcher at Tsinghua University; Wang Xin, an academic at Tsinghua University; Tsinghua electronics professor Meng Jun; and Wang Xuefei, graduate student at a Shanghai university. ("6 Convicted in China Falun Gong Case," Associated Press, December 24, 2001, "China Jails Six for Falun Gong Web Activity — Group," Reuters, December 23, 2001.)

Du Daobin, a civil servant born in 1964(?), was arrested on October 28, 2003 and brought to the public security bureau in Xiaogan District, Yingcheng, Hubei Province, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), quoting Liu Xiaobo, a writer who first published news of Du's arrest online. Du's wife, Huang Chunrong, has not been allowed to visit Du or communicate with him, according to CPJ. Police also confiscated his computer and several books. Du had written several essays about official policies or social issues in China and had published several of them online. In one essay, "Media Discipline Is Greater than the Constitution," he called on Chinese citizens to "disobey arbitrary power" and "reject the voices of the Party's 'mouthpieces.'" In other essays, he had also criticized government repression of the Falun Gong spiritual movement and called for the release of jailed psychology student Liu Di. According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Du had also organized a campaign to call attention to Liu Di's situation by urging people to shut themselves in the dark during the day to simulate her detention. On February 17, 2004, a spokesman for the Hubei Provincial Public Security Bureau said that Du was formally charged with subversion in November 2003, according to the official Xinhua news agency. On June 11, 2004, Du was sentenced to four years of probation, a denial of his political rights for two years, and a ban on leaving his home province of Hubei. The sentence was upheld by an appeals court on August 11, 2004. (See also "CHINA: CPJ Condemns Arrest of Internet Essayist," Committee to Protect Journalists, November 3, 2003; "Call for Release of Du Daobin, Arrested on 28 October," Reporters sans frontières, October 31, 2003; "China Internet Dissident Arrested," BBC, February 17, 2004; "Man Arrested for Posting Subversive Messages on Internet," Xinhua, February 17, 2004; "Chinese Internet Essayist's Sentence Upheld on Appeal," Bobson Wong, August 13, 2004.)

Guo Qinghai, a friend of dissident Qi Yanchen and also a freelance writer, was arrested in September 2000 for "subverting state power." Guo published articles on the Internet that discussed Qi's case and frequently put on overseas online bulletin boards essays promoting political reforms in China. On April 24, 2001, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy reported that a court in Cangzhou, in the northern province of Hebei, tried Guo on April 3 for subversion. According to the center, the court did not inform Guo's family of the hearing, the group said. On April 26, 2001, he was sentenced to four years in prison. (See also "China Charges, Tries Internet Dissidents: Group," Reuters, April 25, 2001.)

He Depu (born in 1956), a longtime democracy activist and co-founder of the banned China Democracy Party, was arrested on November 4, 2002. He, along with Jiang Lijun, Zhao Changqing, Ouyang Yi, and Dai Xuezhong, had signed an open letter that month calling on Chinese authorities to introduce political reforms. On October 14, 2003, he was tried for collaborating with the China Democracy Party and posting an essay that encouraged "subversion." On November 6, 2003, a Beijing court sentenced He to eight years in prison. He's wife, Jia Jianying, said that when his sentence was read, the judge did not ask him if he wanted to appeal, although this question was required. According to the Paris-based Reporters without Borders, He has a serious liver ailment for which he has received no treatment since his arrest. On December 20, 2003, Beijing's Number One Court dismissed an application for an appeal by He. (See also "Dissident He Depu Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison," Reporters sans frontières, November 6, 2003; "Crackdown Deepens on the Internet," Reporters sans frontières, December 23, 2003.)

Hu Dalin was detained on May 18, 2001 by police in the southeastern city of Shaoyang after he published articles online that were written by his father, retired Beijing strategy scholar Lu Jiaping, according to the U.S.-based Chinese dissident e-mail publication V.I.P. Reference. No formal charges have been filed against Hu, but police told family members that he was arrested because of "subversive" activities online, according to the publication. Lu remains free in Beijing. (See also "Denial and Detentions," Digital Freedom Network, May 24, 2001.)

Huang Qi (born in 1964), an Internet entrepreneur from Chengdu who ran a missing persons site that published information about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, was detained on June 3, 2000 on the eve of the massacre's eleventh anniversary. One of the items on Huang's Web site (http://6-4tianwang.com), which was originally a Web site about missing persons, was a letter from the mother of a young student killed during the demonstrations. The letter accused police of beating her son to death. On July 14, 2000, Huang's wife Zeng Li was officially notified that her husband was being charged with "subversion." Huang's trial began on February 13, 2001. It was suspended after Huang Qi collapsed in court on the afternoon of the trial's first day. On June 25, 2001, a relative of Huang's was notified that his trial was rescheduled for June 27. On June 26, the Chengdu Intermediate Court announced that the trial was again postponed indefinitely. On August 14, 2001, Huang was tried secretly. No family members were allowed to attend. An intermediate court in Chongqing municipality convicted Huang on May 9, 2003 and sentenced him to five years in prison another year without "political rights." According to friends of Huang, his sentence was upheld on appeal during the week of August 10, 2003. He was reportedly moved to Chuan Zhong prison (200 kilometres east of the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu, where he was held previously) in September 2003. He is scheduled to be released on June 4, 2005. In December 2003, the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without Borders) reported that Huang was placed in solitary confinement after its two-person delegation visited the prison where he was being held on October 26 that year. (See also "Trial of Chinese Website Creator to Reopen This Week," Agence France-Presse, June 26, 2001; "CHINA: Jailed Internet publisher tried in secret," Committee to Protect Journalists, August 16, 2001; "CHINA: Internet publisher sentenced to five years in prison," Committee to Protect Journalists, May 19, 2003; "Five-Year Jail Sentence Against Internet Publisher Huang Qi Upheld on Appeal," Reporters sans frontières, October 8, 2003; "Webmaster Huang Qi Put in Solitary Confinement after Visit from Reporters Without Borders," Reporters sans frontières, December 5, 2003.)

Jiang Lijun was detained on November 6, 2002 and placed in Beijing's Qincheng Prison, according to the New York-based Human Rights in China. On March 25, 2003, the Beijing Public Security Bureau notified Jiang's wife that he had been formally charged on December 14, 2002 with "incitement to subvert state power." Jiang reportedly has ties to Liu Di and Li Yibin, publisher of the online magazine Democracy and Freedom. On November 28, 2003, a Beijing court sentenced Jiang to four years in prison.("Internet Activist Jiang Lijun Formally Arrested," Human Rights in China, March 25, 2003; "Chinese Police Detain Four Individuals for Posting Online Articles," Digital Freedom Network, March 31, 2003; "Cyber-Dissident Jiang Lijun Sentenced to Four Years in Prison," World Association of Newspapers, December 2, 2003.)

Jin Haike, a geological engineer, was one of four intellectuals detained in Beijing on March 13, 2001 and charged with subversion on April 20, 2001. Jin, along with Consumer Daily reporter Xu Wei, software developer Yang Zili, and freelance writer Zhang Honghai — had co-founded the "New Youth Study Group," a discussion group that discussed Chinese political reform, particularly in rural areas. The center said that university students participated in the study group's events and that members posted material on a Web site and sent e-mails to each other. A fifth intellectual, Zhang Yanhua, was also detained with the four but was later released. Jin, Xu, Yang, and Zhang were tried on September 28, 2001. On May 28, 2003, the Beijing Intermediate Court sentenced Jin and Xu to 10 years in prison while Yang and Zhang Honghai received eight-year prison sentences, according to the New York-based Human Rights in China. All were convicted on charges of inciting subversion of state power. On November 10, 2003, the Beijing Intermediate Court upheld the 10-year sentence against Jin and Xu Wei and also upheld the eight-year sentences given to Yang Zili and Zhang Honghai, according to the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without Borders). (See also "China Said to Charge Four of Subversion," Associated Press, May 21, 2001; "China Charges Four with Subversion: Rights Group," Reuters, May 21, 2001; "Four Chinese Intellectuals Tried for Subversion," Digital Freedom Network, September 28, 2001; "Four Internet Activists Tried for Subversion," Human Rights in China, May 28, 2003; "Heavy Jail Sentences for Pro-Democracy Cyber-Dissidents," Reporters sans frontières, November 12, 2003.)

Kong Youping (48 years old in 2003), a factory employee in the northeastern city of Anshan, was arrested on December 13, 2003 for posting five articles and seven poems on an overseas Web site, according to the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without Borders). In his postings, Kong called for a review of government actions in the months before the June 4, 1989 crackdown on peaceful demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. In his postings, Kong also called for an end to corruption among political officials and the release of Liu Di, a psychology student at Beijing Normal University who was detained in 2002 after she published essays on a Web site criticizing Chinese restrictions on the Internet. (See also "Crackdown Deepens on the Internet," Reporters sans frontières, December 23, 2003.)

Li Dawei, a former police officer from Gansu province in northern China, was arrested in April 2001 and later charged with using the Internet to overthrow the Chinese government, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. Li was accused of downloading 500 "reactionary" articles from the Internet and publishing them in 10 books. He was also accused of communicating with overseas "reactionaries" by phone and e-mail. In August 2002, the Center reported that on July 24, 2002, the Tianshui Intermediate People's Court sentenced Li to 11 years in prison. The Associated Press reported that a court in Gansu had accepted an appeal from Li but had not set a hearing date. (See also "China Convicts Man in Internet Case," Associated Press, August 5, 2002; "First Dissident Jailed for Online 'Violation,'" Agence France-Presse, August 5, 2002.)

Li Hongmin was arrested around June 10, 2001 and sent to a detention center in his hometown of Shaoyang (Hunan Province). Sources for the U.S.-based dissident publication VIP Reference and the Hong Kong-based Information Center of Human Rights and Democracy said that he was arrested after e-mailing copies of the Chinese version of The Tiananmen Papers to friends. The Tiananmen Papers are a collection of documents allegedly smuggled out of China that reveal the decisions of China's top leaders before, during, and after the bloody June 4, 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations. (See also "Chinese Held for Distributing 'Tiananmen Papers' on the Internet, Agence France-Presse, July 2, 2001; E-mail with Richard Long, June 27, 2001.)

Li Zhi, a former worker in the finance department of Dazhou city, in Sichuan province, was arrested in August 2003 after he posted an essay on an overseas Web site accusing officials in Sichuan province of corruption, according to the World Association of Newspapers. He was also accused of posting messages in Internet chatrooms about corruption among officials. On December 11, 2003, the Dazhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to eight years in prison for "subversion." (See also "Cyber-Dissident Li Zhi Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison," World Association of Newspapers, December 11, 2003.)

Liu Wenyu, a professor of electric power at Tsinghua University, was sentenced on December 13, 2001 to three years in prison for spreading information on the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement over the Internet, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. In addition to Liu, five others were sentenced by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court on December 13: Liu's wife Yao Yue, a microelectronics researcher at Tsinghua University; Tsinghua staff member Dong Yanhong; Wang Xin, an academic at Tsinghua University; Tsinghua electronics professor Meng Jun; and Wang Xuefei, graduate student at a Shanghai university. ("6 Convicted in China Falun Gong Case," Associated Press, December 24, 2001, "China Jails Six for Falun Gong Web Activity — Group," Reuters, December 23, 2001.)

Liu Weifang was sentenced in northwestern China for posting articles on Internet chatrooms that criticized the Communist Party, the Xinjiang Daily reported on June 15, 2001. The paper said that the small business owner was convicted of inciting subversion against state power. Liu had posted several articles in 1999 and 2000 that criticized both the Party and China's top leaders. Although he used the Internet name "Lgwf," Chinese officials determined that he posted the articles. (See also "Chinese Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Cyber Writings," Agence France-Presse, June 18, 2001.)

Lu Xinhua was detained on March 11, 2001 in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province, according to the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. On April 20, 2001, he was formally charged with inciting to subvert state power. The group said that Lu was the most active dissident on the Internet in Wuhan. He often posted on overseas Web sites essays promoting democracy in China and reports on human rights violations in Wuhan. On January 14, 2002, the Wuhan Municipal Intermediate People's Court convicted him and sentenced him to four years in prison. Lu was convicted for an article of his in which he attacked Chinese President Jiang Zemin. The article said that only a system of "mutual supervision" and a more stable system of laws would reduce corruption in China, according to Agence France-Presse. (See also "China Charges, Tries Internet Dissidents: Group," Reuters, April 25, 2001; "Two More Chinese Fall Afoul of Internet Laws: Report," Agence France-Presse, April 25, 2001; "Two Chinese political dissidents jailed for airing views on Internet," Agence France-Presse, January 14, 2002.)

Luo Changfu, 40, was detained by police at his home in Chongqing city on March 13, 2003. He was later charged with subversion, or trying to overthrow the government. Luo published articles on the Boxun.com Web site asking for the immediate release of Liu Di and signed a petition asking for Liu Di's release, according to China Labor Watch. ("Chinese Government Arrests Internet Activists Again with the Charge of 'Subversion,'" China Labor Watch, March 19, 2003; "Chinese Police Detain Four Individuals for Posting Online Articles," Digital Freedom Network, March 31, 2003.)

Luo Yongzhong was detained by police on June 14, 2003 in Changchun, Jilin Province, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. He was formally arrested on July 7. On October 14, 2003, the Changchun Intermediate Court sentenced him to three years in prison and two years without political rights upon his scheduled release on June 13, 2006. According to his sentencing papers, the court said that Luo had written several essays that were published on online forums such as Shuijing Luntan. These essays included "At Last We See the Danger of the Three Represents!," (a reference to former President Jiang Zemin's political theory) and "Tell Today's Youth the Truth About June Fourth," referring to the government crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations on June 4, 1989. (See also "Internet Essayist Sentenced," Committee to Protect Journalists, October 21, 2003.)

Meng Jun, an electronics professor at Tsinghua University, was sentenced on December 13, 2001 to 10 years in prison for spreading information on the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement over the Internet, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. In addition to Meng, five others were sentenced by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court on December 13: Yao Yue, a microelectronics researcher at Tsinghua University; Yao's husband Liu Wenyu, a professor of electric power at Tsinghua University; Wang Xin, an academic at Tsinghua University; Tsinghua staff member Dong Yanhong; and Wang Xin, graduate student at a Shanghai university. ("6 Convicted in China Falun Gong Case," Associated Press, December 24, 2001, "China Jails Six for Falun Gong Web Activity — Group," Reuters, December 23, 2001.)

Ouyang Yi, a member of the banned China Democracy Party, was detained on December 4, 2002 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, according to the New York-based organization China Labor Watch. The reasons for his detention were not known for certain, but Ouyang had published several articles on the Internet calling for more political reform. Along with 192 other dissidents, Ouyang signed an open letter to the 16th Communist Party Congress in November asking for more reform, including a reassessment of the crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations and a release of all prisoners of conscience. (See also "Police Arrest 33rd Cyber-Dissident," Reporters sans frontières, December 13, 2002; "Open Letter Signatory Han Lifa Detained," Human Rights in China, January 8, 2003.)

Tao Haidong, 45, who edited a book called Imaginings of a New Human Race and subsequently participated in online discussion groups, was arrested by officers of the Public Security Bureau in the northwestern city of Urumqi, in Xinjiang Province, on July 9, 2002, according to the New York-based Human Rights in China. Tao's trial took place in secret on January 8, 2003 at the Urumqi People's Intermediate Court. An Urumqi newspaper article from January 2003 accused Tao of posting material on various Web sites from two of his books that said that China's economy was near collapse. In February 2003, the People's Court Daily reported that Tao was convicted of inciting to subvert state power and sentenced to seven years in prison. The conviction was based on three articles which allegedly slandered the Chinese Communist Party and leaders from 1981 to 2001. ("Internet Activist Tao Haidong Goes on Trial," Human Rights in China, January 14, 2003; "Internet activist sentenced to seven years in prison in China," ABC Radio Australia News, February 17, 2003.)

Wang Jinbo (born in 1972) was arrested on May 12, 2001 for "defaming" police on the Internet, according to the Information Center on Human Rights and Democracy. He was arrested in Junan town in eastern China's Shandong province. When Wang's father asked for more information about the charges against his son, police threatened to arrest him as well. On December 13, 2001, the Intermediate People's Court in Linyi, Shandong, found Wang guilty of subversion for publishing foreign news articles on the Internet and posting an online message that urged the government to re-evaluate the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations at Tiananmen Square. He began a hunger strike on January 9, 2002 because prison guards did not allow his family to see him. (See also "Chinese dissident arrested for defaming police online," Agence France-Presse, May 12, 2001, "Outlawed party member jailed," Reuters, December 14, 2001, "Rights activist sentenced to four years in jail," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, December 14, 2001; "CHINA: China jails dissident for subversion — HK group," Reuters, January 14, 2002.)

Wang Sen, a member of the banned China Democracy Party, was arrested on April 30, 2001 for seeking to usurp power according to the Information Center on Human Rights and Democracy. Wang had posted an allegation that the southwestern Chinese city of Dachuan's medical center had sold tuberculosis medicine, which was donated by the Red Cross, at inflated prices. He was arrested in Dachuan, located in Sichuan province. (See also "Chinese dissident arrested for defaming police online," Agence France-Presse, May 12, 2001.)

Wang Xin, an academic at Tsinghua University, was sentenced on December 13, 2001 to nine years in prison for spreading information on the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement over the Internet, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. In addition to Wang, five others were sentenced by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court on December 13: Yao Yue, a microelectronics researcher at Tsinghua University; Yao's husband Liu Wenyu, a professor of electric power at Tsinghua University; Tsinghua staff member Dong Yanhong; Tsinghua electronics professor Meng Jun; and Wang Xuefei, graduate student at a Shanghai university. ("6 Convicted in China Falun Gong Case," Associated Press, December 24, 2001, "China Jails Six for Falun Gong Web Activity — Group," Reuters, December 23, 2001.)

Wang Xuefei, graduate student at a Shanghai university, was sentenced on December 13, 2001 to 11 years in prison for spreading information on the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement over the Internet, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. In addition to Wang, five others were sentenced by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court on December 13: Yao Yue, a microelectronics researcher at Tsinghua University; Yao's husband Liu Wenyu, a professor of electric power at Tsinghua University; Wang Xin, an academic at Tsinghua University; Tsinghua staff member Dong Yanhong; and Tsinghua electronics professor Meng Jun. ("6 Convicted in China Falun Gong Case," Associated Press, December 24, 2001, "China Jails Six for Falun Gong Web Activity — Group," Reuters, December 23, 2001.)

Wang Zhenyong (born in 1971), a former assistant professor in psychology at Southwestern Normal University, was arrested in China for e-mailing four articles about the Falun Gong spiritual group to a colleague, according to the Chongqing Daily seen by Agence France-Presse on June 2, 2001. He downloaded the articles from an overseas Web site in December 2000 and forwarded the articles to a colleague, who then distributed the articles over the Internet. (See also "Academic Arrested in China for Spreading Falungong Views Via Internet," Agence France-Presse, June 2, 2001.)

Xu Wei, reporter for Consumer Daily, was one of four intellectuals detained in Beijing on March 13, 2001 and later accused of unspecified charges. Xu, along with geological engineer Jin Haike, software developer Yang Zili, and freelance writer Zhang Honghai, had co-founded the "New Youth Study Group," a discussion group that discussed Chinese political reform, particularly in rural areas. Members posted material on a Web site and sent e-mails to each other. Xu was tried on September 28, 2001. On May 28, 2003, the Beijing Intermediate Court sentenced Jin and Xu to 10 years in prison while Yang and Zhang received eight-year prison sentences, according to the New York-based Human Rights in China (HRIC). All were convicted on charges of inciting subversion of state power. According to HRIC, Xu Wei told the court that while in custody he had been tortured with electric shock to his genitals, causing long-term numbness in his lower body. HRIC also reported that Xu has refused all food since his May 28 sentencing. On November 10, 2003, the Beijing Intermediate Court upheld the 10-year sentence against Xu and Jin Haike and also upheld the eight-year sentences given to Yang Zili and Zhang Honghai, according to the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without Borders). (See also "China Said to Charge Four of Subversion," Associated Press, May 21, 2001; "China Charges Four with Subversion: Rights Group," Reuters, May 21, 2001; "Four Chinese Intellectuals Tried for Subversion," Digital Freedom Network, September 28, 2001; "Four Internet Activists Tried for Subversion," Human Rights in China, May 28, 2003; "Imprisoned Internet Dissident on Hunger Strike," Human Rights in China, June 2, 2003; "Heavy Jail Sentences for Pro-Democracy Cyber-Dissidents," Reporters sans frontières, November 12, 2003.)

Yan Jun (32 years old in 2003), a biology professor, was arrested in 2003 after publishing several essays on the Internet. In one essay, he called for a reassessment of the trials of students arrested after the June 4, 1989 government crackdown on demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. In another, he called for the release of Zhao Ziyang, the former general secretary of the communist party who was put under house arrest after advocating a moderate approach to the 1989 demonstrations. Yan criticized the lack of press freedom in China in a third essay. On December 8, 2003, a court in Xian sentenced Yan to two years in prison. (See also "A Cyberdissident Jailed for Two Years," Reporters sans frontières, December 8, 2003.)

Yang Zili, a software developer known for his outspoken criticism of communism and a grass-roots activist at Beijing University, and his wife Lu Kun were detained by security agents on March 13, 2001. Lu was released two days later, but Yang remains in custody. Yang, along with geological engineer Jin Haike, Consumer Daily reporter Xu Wei, and freelance writer Zhang Honghai, had co-founded the "New Youth Study Group," a discussion group that discussed Chinese political reform, particularly in rural areas. Members posted material on a Web site and sent e-mails to each other. Yang ran the Web sites http://thought.home.sohu.com, http://yangzi.00books.com, and "Yang Zi's Garden of Ideas" (http://lib.126.com). Yang received a master's degree in geophysics in 1998 at Beijing University. Yang was tried on September 28, 2001. On May 28, 2003, the Beijing Intermediate Court sentenced Jin and Xu to 10 years in prison while Yang and Zhang received eight-year prison sentences, according to the New York-based Human Rights in China. All were convicted on charges of inciting subversion of state power. On November 10, 2003, the Beijing Intermediate Court upheld eight-year sentences given to Yang Zili and Zhang Honghai as well as the 10-year sentence against Xu Wei and Jin Haike, according to the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without Borders). (See also "Dissident Web Writer Arrested in Beijing," Free China Movement press release, March 24, 2001; "Some Supplementary Information About Yang Zili," Lu Kun; "China Said to Charge Four of Subversion," Associated Press, May 21, 2001; "China Charges Four with Subversion: Rights Group," Reuters, May 21, 2001; "Four Chinese Intellectuals Tried for Subversion," Digital Freedom Network, September 28, 2001; "Four Internet Activists Tried for Subversion," Human Rights in China, May 28, 2003; "Heavy Jail Sentences for Pro-Democracy Cyber-Dissidents," Reporters sans frontières, November 12, 2003.)

Yao Yue, a microelectronics researcher at Tsinghua University, was sentenced on December 13, 2001 to 12 years in prison for spreading information on the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement over the Internet, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. In addition to Yao, five others were sentenced by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court on December 13: Yao's husband Liu Wenyu, a professor of electric power at Tsinghua University; Tsinghua staff member Dong Yanhong; Tsinghua electronics professor Meng Jun; Tsinghua academic Wang Xin; and Wang Xuefei, graduate student at a Shanghai university. ("6 Convicted in China Falun Gong Case," Associated Press, December 24, 2001, "China Jails Six for Falun Gong Web Activity — Group," Reuters, December 23, 2001.)

Zhang Haitao (born in 1972), creator of the only China-based Web site on the outlawed Falun Gong, was charged with subversion on October 11, 2000 in Changchun, Jilin Province. Zhang, a computer engineer in the Xu Ri Computer Company, is accused of establishing a site promoting Falun Gong in May and of posting an online petition urging followers to protest the government ban on the group. Authorities shut down his site on July 24, 2000; Zhang was detained on July 29. ("News Update," China Rights Forum [Winter 2000/1].)

Zhang Honghai, a freelance writer, was one of four intellectuals detained in Beijing on March 13, 2001 and later accused of unspecified charges. Zhang, along with geological engineer Jin Haike, Consumer Daily reporter Xu Wei, and software developer Yang Zili, had co-founded the "New Youth Study Group," a discussion group that discussed Chinese political reform, particularly in rural areas. Members posted material on a Web site and sent e-mails to each other. Zhang was tried on September 28, 2001. On May 28, 2003, the Beijing Intermediate Court sentenced Jin and Xu to 10 years in prison while Yang and Zhang received eight-year prison sentences, according to the New York-based Human Rights in China. All were convicted on charges of inciting subversion of state power. On November 10, 2003, the Beijing Intermediate Court upheld eight-year sentences given to Yang Zili and Zhang Honghai as well as the 10-year sentence against Xu Wei and Jin Haike, according to the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without Borders). (See also "China Said to Charge Four of Subversion," Associated Press, May 21, 2001; "China Charges Four with Subversion: Rights Group," Reuters, May 21, 2001; "Four Chinese Intellectuals Tried for Subversion," Digital Freedom Network, September 28, 2001; "Four Internet Activists Tried for Subversion," Human Rights in China, May 28, 2003; "Heavy Jail Sentences for Pro-Democracy Cyber-Dissidents," Reporters sans frontières, November 12, 2003.)

Zhang Ji, a college student in Heilongjiang Province, was charged on November 8, 2000 with "disseminating reactionary documents via the Internet." Authorities say Zhang had e-mailed information to U.S.- and Canada-based Web sites of the Falun Gong religious group. They say he also downloaded news about the group and shared it with others in China. ("News Update," China Rights Forum [Winter 2000/1].)

Zhang Shengqi (23 years old in 2003), an employee of a computer company, was detained in the town of Jilin on November 26, 2003, according to the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without Borders). Zhang reportedly published articles by Liu Fenggang, a historian of the banned Christian church in China. Zhang's fiancé, Ye Jifei, was also questioned by police on November 28 and 29, 2003 but was not detained. According to the China Aid Association, Zhang has been transferred to the Hangzou prison. (See also "Arrest of a Cyberdissident from the Clandestine Christian Church," Reporters sans frontières, December 17, 2003.)

Zhang Yuxiang was detained on March 12, 2003 at his home in Nanjing and taken to a guest house in Jiangsu Province, according to Human Rights in China (HRIC). HRIC reported that Zhang is being interrogated about articles he posted online and that Zhang's wife has not received any notice about formal charges filed against him. ("Internet Activist Zhang Yuxiang Detained," Human Rights in China, March 14, 2003; "Chinese Police Detain Four Individuals for Posting Online Articles," Digital Freedom Network, March 31, 2003.)

Individuals Released since January 2000

Jiang Shihua, a high school computer teacher in Nanchong, was arrested on August 16, 2000 after publishing articles online that criticized the Chinese government. Using the pen name Shumin, which means "common citizen," Jiang started writing and posting articles on August 11, 2000 from the Silicon Valley Internet Café, which he owns. Jiang was immediately charged with "subverting the state power." According to the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, a court in Nanchong sentenced Jiang to two years in jail in December 2000. On May 18, 2001, the Higher People's Court in the southwestern province of Sichuan upheld his conviction. He is presumed to have been released in 2002, when his sentenced was scheduled to end. (See also "Web dissident sentenced to two years imprisonment," Reporters sans frontières Action Alert, March 14, 2001, "Chinese Court Turns Down Internet Dissident's Appeal: Rights Center," Agence France-Presse, May 23, 2001.)

Li Yibin, publisher of the online magazine Democracy and Freedom, was secretly detained around the same time as Liu Di in November 2002, according to the New York-based organization Human Rights in China (HRIC). HRIC said that Li posted on the Internet under the pseudonyms "Yangchun" or "Yangchun Baixue." (Yangchun refers to a time of enlightened rule. Yangchun Baixue is a phrase that refers to highbrow music or literature.) Li graduated with a degree in computer science before working in Beijing. Li was freed on November 28, 2003, the same day as Liu Di and Wu Yiran, according to the Paris-based Reporters sans frontières. (See also "Internet Activist Li Yibin Detained," Human Rights in China, December 17, 2002; "Young Internet User Liu Di Released on Bail," Reporters sans frontières, November 30, 2003.)

Liu Di, a psychology student at Beijing Normal University born in 1980(?), was detained on November 7, 2002 in Beijing after she published essays on a Web site criticizing Chinese restrictions on the Internet. Liu had published several articles on the Xizi Tribune Web site bulletin board that criticized the government's restrictions on the Internet. Using the name "Stainless Steel Mouse," one of Liu's articles expressed sympathy for Huang Qi, a Webmaster who was jailed in June 2000 after the Tianwang site, an online bulletin board for missing persons that he used to run, published articles relating to several taboo topics, including the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations. Liu also criticized the June 2002 shutdown of Internet cafes. On October 31, 2003, the Prosecutor's Office in Beijing returned the case against Liu to police investigators, sayiing that there was not enough evidence to convict her and that further investigation was needed before she could be prosecuted. On November 28, 2003, Liu Di was released on bail and she returned to her Beijing home, according to the Paris-based Reporters without Borders. Wu Yiran, 34, and Li Yibin, 29, were also freed the same day. (See also "Chinese Student Detained for Publishing Articles Online," Digital Freedom Network, December 10, 2002; V.I.P. Reference, December 2, 2002; "China Detains Student Over Internet Postings," Wall Street Journal, December 9, 2002; "China Nabs Student for Internet Use," Reuters, December 8, 2002; "CHINA: CPJ Condemns Arrest of Internet Essayist," Committee to Protect Journalists, November 3, 2003; "Young Internet User Liu Di Released on Bail," Reporters sans frontières, November 30, 2003.)

Qi Yanchen, sentenced to four years in prison on September 19, 2000, is the first Chinese convicted of subversion for material he wrote that was published on the Internet. The charges stem from articles that Qi wrote for the November 1998 and January 1999 issues of Open magazine in Hong Kong and published under the pen name Ji Li. Qi was also officially charged for writing articles in the May 6, 1999 and May 17, 1999 articles of the U.S.-based Chinese dissident e-mail publication Dacankao (V.I.P. Reference). Qi was arrested on September 2, 1999 in the northeastern Chinese city of Botou. According to V.I.P. Reference, who spoke to Qi's wife Mi Hongwu, Qi Yanchen's right to appeal his conviction expired on September 29, 2000. Although Mi wanted to appeal the conviction, Qi's lawyer decided not to help him due to pressure from the National Security Bureau at Cangzhou. On October 1, 2003, the Paris-based organization Reporters sans frontières announced that it had confirmed that Qi had been released from prison on May 1, 2003. RSF said that Qi had returned to his home in Cangzhou to rest and receive treatment for his health problems, which include a middle-ear infection, colitis, and gallstones. RSF said that Qi now lives in Beijing, where he works at a private firm in Beijing. (See also "Cyberdissident Qi Yanchen Freed Early," Reporters sans frontières, October 1, 2003.)

Wan Yanhai, an HIV/AIDS activist and founder of the Aizhi (AIDS) Action Project, was detained sometime between August 24 and September 4, 2002, according to the New York-based Human Rights in China (HRIC). An official from the Ministry of State Security said that Wan was under examination for leaking "state secrets." Wan established the Aizhi Project, which focuses on promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention within Chinese society, protecting the rights of HIV/AIDS patients, and supporting equal rights for gays and lesbians. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Wan published reports on the Project's Web site (www.aizhi.org) about peasants in Henan province in eastern China who were infected with HIV after selling their blood at government-supported clinics. Wan was one of 18 individuals who signed a "Declaration of Internet Citizens' Rights" in July 2002, which called for freedom of expression on the Internet. Wan was released in September 2002 after confessing to revealing state secrets. (See also "China releases AIDS activist," BBC, September 20, 2002; "HIV/AIDS Activist Wan Yanhai Detained," Human Rights in China press release, September 5, 2002; "China: Authorities Confirm Detention of Wan Yanhai," Committee to Protect Journalists press release, September 5, 2002.)

Yuan Langsheng, a male in his thirties, was detained on March 25, 2003 in Hunan province. Yuan signed an online petition asking for the release of Liu Di, who published articles online criticizing Chinese restrictions on the Internet. He also announced on his Web site that Luo Changfu and Cai Lujun (who also signed the Liu Di petition) were arrested. He was released on April 6, 2003, according to the New York-based China Labor Watch. (See also "China Mounts Fresh Round Up of Internet Dissidents," Agence France-Presse, March 28, 2003; "Chinese Police Detain Four Individuals for Posting Online Articles," Digital Freedom Network, March 31, 2003; "Jailed Internet Petition Signer Freed in China," Digital Freedom Network, May 16, 2003.)

Zhu Ruixiang, a lawyer and former producer of the Shaoyang Radio Station, was charged with subversion and sentenced to three years in prison on September 14, 2001 after he forwarded e-mail messages to 12 people inside China. The messages, deemed "reactionary" by a court in Shaoyang in the southern province of Hunan, contained copies of V.I.P. Reference (Dacankao), a daily e-mail publication based in the U.S. consisting of articles and essays related to democracy in China. Zhu was arrested on May 8, 2001, and Public Security Bureau officials confiscated his computer, according to the U.S.-based Free China Movement. According to V.I.P. Reference, Zhu was released before his prison term expired. (See also "China hands three-year jail term for relaying e-mail," Agence France-Presse, September 15, 2001; "Official Verdict of Judgment of Zhu Ruixiang," Digital Freedom Network, September 25, 2001.)

Individuals Harassed but Not Arrested since January 2000

Liao Yiwu, a writer born in 1959, had his home searched and his computer confiscated by police in Chengdu in the central Chinese province of Sichuan on December 18, 2002 after articles that he published appeared on the Internet, according to the New York-based organization China Labor Watch and other sources. Although police read charges to Liao and instructed him not to leave Chengdu, they did not detain him, as news services incorrectly reported. In addition to posting articles online, Liao also signed an open letter addressed to the 16th Party Congress in November 2002 calling for more reform. Liao began posting articles on Chinese-language Web sites run from outside China after authorities banned his articles from appearing in print. (See "China Detains Poet for Internet Articles," Reuters, December 19, 2002; "Banned Author Held After Work Goes Online," South China Morning Post, December 20, 2002; "An Introduction to Liao Yiwu," Michael Day.)