Death of a Briton Is Thrust to Center of China Scandal

[Valin]

NY Times:

SHARON LAFRANIERE, JOHN F. BURNS and JONATHAN ANSFIELD

April 10, 2012

 

Bo Xilai last month. He was suspended Tuesday from the Politburo, the body that runs China, and from the Central Committee.

 

BEIJING — The mysterious death of a 41-year-old British businessman in a Chongqing hotel room late last year was thrust to the center of the biggest political scandal to hit China’s Communist Party in a generation on Tuesday, as the authorities declared the death a murder and named the wife of one of China’s most powerful men the leading suspect.

 

The death of the businessman, Neil Heywood, initially attributed to alcohol poisoning, is now considered an “intentional homicide,” the Xinhua news agency announced. That made the case the most sensational in a series of charges against the family of Bo Xilai, who was until March the Chongqing party chief and seen as one of the handful of rising leaders slated to run China.

 

On Tuesday, Mr. Bo was suspended from his post on the Politburo, the 25-member body that runs China, and from the larger Central Committee, on suspicion of serious disciplinary infractions, the government announced. His wife, Gu Kailai, who is a lawyer, was being investigated in the killing of Mr. Heywood.

 

(Snip)

 

Do yourself a favor.....

New York Times London Bureau Chief John Burns on a story of China, corruption, intrigue, murder, and an English businessman

[Valin]

Mystery Blocks Put China Internet on Edge

4/12/12

 

So what was that?

 

At around 11 a.m. local time Thursday, China’s Internet suddenly began behaving very strangely. People inside China reported being unable to access some Chinese web sites like Sina’s Corp’s portals as well as popular foreign web sites not normally blocked by China’s firewall.

 

Simultaneously, Internet users outside China, including in Hong Kong, reported difficulties accessing key Chinese sites, like search engine Baidu and the website of the People’s Bank of China.

 

(Snip)

 

Gosh. You think this might have a little to do with it?

 

China Arrests Over 1,000 Accused of Spreading ‘Dangerous’ Rumors

 

China's state media say more than 1,000 people have been arrested since mid-February in an intense, nation-wide crackdown on what have been called “Internet-related crimes.”

 

The official Xinhua news agency had reported in late March that six people had been arrested in a campaign against the spreading of supposedly “harmful” online rumors, which was linked to widespread speculation about political unrest in China.

 

But in a new report this week, Xinhua says 1,065 suspects have now been arrested. It also said 16 websites have been shut down and more than 208,000 “harmful” online messages deleted.

 

The figures were released in an editorial entitled, “Freedom of speech does not protect rumors.” The report said the crackdown was necessary to ensure social stability, specifically mentioning online rumors that spread in March of a possible coup.

 

(Snip)

 

NAH! Just a coincidence.