Like President Bush, Yahoo admits its relationship with China is “complex.” So many millions of wired Chinese, so many government restrictions, and so much money on the table.
Already wearing scarlet letters for voluntarily censoring its Chinese search results and aiding Chinese authorities in identifying journalist Shi Tao (who was jailed for 10 years in 2005 for “divulging state secrets”), the search giant now stands accused of posting some 19 photos of Tibetan protesters on its website, essentially identifying rioters for Chinese authorities eager to punish the opposition.
On Friday, the homepage of Yahoo China – which is operated by the privately held e-commerce Alibaba Group, which Yahoo owns 40 percent of – ran a “most wanted” poster that promised rewards for anyone who could help officials track down protesters. (Other sites, including MSN’s Chinese page, are said to have published similar content.) But that notice disappeared once French news outlet Observers fired off a mass email blast about it.
But now Yahoo says it did not post the photos of the Tibetan crowd, which were distributed by Chinese officials. (The photo here is of a protest in Rome.)
In a statement, Yahoo claims, “We are a company founded on the principle that promoting access to information can fundamentally improve people’s lives and enhance their relationship with the world around them.” The 13 Tibetans who have so far died the upheaval would have to agree.
Editorial Director
Following our report “Yahoo and MSN helping to root out Tibetan rioters”, Yahoo! sent us the following statement :”Contrary to media reports, Yahoo! Inc. is not displaying images on its web sites of individuals wanted by Chinese authorities in connection with the recent unrest in Tibet.”
In this statement, Yahoo! explains that the parent company Yahoo Inc hasn’t published these images. It does not deny that Yahoo! China has published the “wanted posters”. This is a common line of defence by Yahoo!, which tries to put the entire responsibility of its Chinese operations on its Chinese partner Alibaba.
See the home page of Yahoo China on the 21st:
http://observers.france24.com/.....ters-china
Bush the Manchurian candidate has deliberately laid the country low.
Bush delivered a one two punch. First he sold out our energy
independence to Saudi Arabia. Second he got us in to a protracted
and costly and needless war which necessitated our selling debt
to China. On top of all tha Bush created the largest entitlement
program in history. He has been pissing away our money, our
freedoms and our sovereignty. Even though we were attacked
on Sept 11th by Saudis, Osama is Saudi, and the homicide bombers
in Iraq are Saudis, Bush’s only response is to get on his
knees and beg the Saudi princes to have mercy. And now that
China is brutalizing Tibet, Bush who was so quick to
criticize a worthless dictator in Iraq and begin a war
over things such has Hussein’s civil right record, is
scared crapless to say “boo” to China. Why? Well the
fall of Bear Stearn nearly toppled the economy. If threatened
to boycott the Olympics over Tibet, China could threaten to
call in all their markers on our debt. There would
literally be a run on the bank as other nations followed
Chinese lead, and we would have the great depression. In
my personal opinion Bush and Cheney can assert Mission
Accomplished in two areas. One: their oil and corporate
buddies have record profits. Two: the foreign masters
who have purchased Bush and Cheney’s souls have the US on the brink
of ruin. Heckuva job W. In my opinion.