01-23-08

中国说去年关闭四万四千多个色情网站 (China Says it Shut Down 44-Thousand Pornographic Web sites Last Year)

中国国营媒体说，当局去年关闭了4万4千多个网站，作为全国范围打击网络色情的一部分。官方新华通讯社说，800多人在这次严打中被捕，大约2000人受到惩处。当局说，打击网络色情的活动将继续到2008年北京举办奥运会之后。

人权组织说，当局利用打击网络色情活动作为借口，在2008年北京奥运到来之前压制异见，逮捕异议人士。中国的网民人数2007年增加到2亿1千万，今年可能超过美国，成为世界上网民人数最多的国家。报导说，政府将加强管制刊载音像、博客以及向手机发送信息的网站。

Chinese state media say authorities shut down more than 44-thousand Web sites last year as part of a nationwide crackdown on Internet porn. The official Xinhua news agency says more than 800 people have been arrested and about two-thousand penalized in connection with the effort. Authorities say the crackdown will continue until after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Rights groups have said the campaign is being used as an excuse to crackdown on dissent and round up dissidents ahead of the 2008 Games. China's Internet population soared to 210-million people in 2007 and it could surpass the United States this year to become the world's largest. The report says the government will increasingly concentrate on Web sites that have audio or video, blogging or send information to cell phones.

法国总统与新加坡总理讨论缅甸问题 (French President and Singaporean Prime Minister Discuss Burma)

法国总统萨尔科齐本星期在新加坡总理李显龙访问法国期间，讨论了缅甸的政治危机。萨尔科齐在会谈中说，缅甸人民不能被遗忘。他还对李显龙说，他相信缅甸是东盟团结的一个障碍。

李显龙表达了新加坡对联合国化解缅甸危机努力的支持，强调外交的重要性。李显龙星期三结束了对法国的访问。缅甸去年血腥镇压支持民主的抗议人士之后，欧洲国家敦促东盟对缅甸采取更加强硬的立场。但是包括缅甸为成员国的东盟迄今为止不愿对缅甸采取制裁或者其它强硬措施。

French President Nicolas Sarkozy discussed Burma's political crisis during a visit by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to France this week. During their talks, Mr. Sarkozy said the Burmese people must not be forgotten. He also told Mr. Lee he believes Burma is an obstacle to the cohesion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN.

Mr. Lee voiced Singapore's support for United Nations efforts to resolve the crisis, stressing the importance of diplomacy. Mr. Lee concludes his visit to France today (Wednesday). After Burma's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters last year, European nations urged ASEAN to take a tougher stance on Burma. But so far, the group -- which includes Burma -- has been unwilling to use sanctions or other tough measures.