Chinese Journalist Gao Yu’s Internet and Phone Cut Off by Authorities

Beijing, China – August 29: Independent journalist Gao Yu’s internet, landline, and cellular connections were severed by Chinese authorities this week. This action followed her publication of an article analyzing an Al Jazeera interview with Victor Gao, vice president of the Chinese think tank Center for China and Globalization.

Iris Hsu, the China representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), criticized the move and called for the restoration of Gao Yu’s communication services and an end to the harassment through physical and digital surveillance. Hsu stated, “Chinese authorities must reinstate journalist Gao Yu’s internet and phone services and cease their harassment. Beijing’s overreach in controlling dissent reflects its insecurity and fear of critical reporting.”

According to the CPJ report, Gao Yu revealed that authorities have been pressuring her to close her account on X for years. She believes her posts, including those sharing her articles, are the reason behind the disruption of her internet and phone access. Gao now has to use the internet from a friend’s house or a restaurant.

The report also noted that Beijing police instructed Gao to leave the capital from August 29 to September 9, coinciding with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, a major state-level economic conference. When Gao refused, the police informed her that they would take turns monitoring her home to prevent her from leaving, a tactic commonly used against dissidents in China.

Notably, Gao was sentenced to six years in prison in 1994 for “leaking state secrets” and was released on medical parole in 1999 after serving part of her sentence. In 2015, she was sentenced to seven years on the same charge, but this was later reduced to five years due to her deteriorating health, and she served the remainder outside of prison.

China’s repression of journalists involves arbitrary detentions, extensive surveillance, harsh penalties, forced self-censorship, severe reporting restrictions, and intimidation tactics that often extend to journalists’ families and associates. Physical violence and harassment are also used to control information and silence dissent.