The text of the verdict in the case of journalist Shi Tao – sentenced in April to 10 years in prison for “divulging state secrets abroad” – shows that Yahoo! Holdings (Hong Kong) Ltd. provided China’s state security authorities with details that helped to identify and convict him.
“We already knew that Yahoo! collaborates enthusiastically with the Chinese regime in questions of censorship, and now we know it is a Chinese police informant as well,” the press freedom organisation said.
It was revealed in June that Microsoft had developed a blogging tool for China that restricted the use of words such as “democracy”, “freedom” and “human rights”.
Western multinationals are increasingly talking the language of human rights while busy acquiescing to repressive measures in China.