The Portrait of a Crime Ridden and Crackbrained "Olympic Host" -- China
cracks down on violent online games

International Herald Tribune

China cracks down on violent online games

The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

BEIJING: Seeking to ferret out online games considered overly violent or
unhealthy, China has targeted illegal Web sites, computer markets and
Internet cafes as part of a campaign to rein in juvenile crime.

The crackdown, christened "Operation For Tomorrow," is also aimed at Web
sites offering unregistered playing platforms or services for gamers
that can be downloaded, the official Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday.

The plan will "use the law to attack, investigate and prosecute ... to
cleanse the environment in which young people are raised and prevent and
reduce juvenile crime and illegal activity," the report said.

China strictly monitors the Internet for anti-government speech and
uncensored news reports, but the report made no mention of such content.

Xinhua said the plan especially targets school dropouts, runaways,
children of inmates, and children left behind by parents who have
migrated for work.

Unlicensed Internet cafes, known as "black Web bars," will be closed
down and supervision will be tightened over legal cafes, the report said.

Internet cafes have been repeatedly targeted for breeding juvenile crime
and promoting truancy, despite widely ignored rules barring anyone under
18 from admission. Located in towns and small cities throughout China,
internet cafes mainly offer online games that are popular among young
people. Authorities have blamed the cafes for Internet addiction and for
encouraging juvenile crime as a way to earn money to play online games.

Online pornography will also be attacked under the crackdown, the report
said.

Government offices were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday Tuesday,
and spokesmen were unavailable for comment.

The report carried the authority of an official announcement because it
was posted on the Web site of the Central Committee for Comprehensive
Management of Public Security. Xinhua is state-owned and often serves
the function of proclaiming official policies.

The committee is a high level coordination and advisory body for public
security departments under the central cabinet and Communist Party
Central Committee.

Enforcers will act under guidelines adopted last year by 14 government
departments, including the Culture Ministry, State Administration for
Industry and Commerce, Public Security Ministry, and Information
Industry Ministry, the report said.

Like most such measures, the crackdown seeks to increase government
supervision and control over services for vulnerable groups.

While promoting government shelters and other official services, it will
step-up supervision over domestic and foreign charity groups and other
non-governmental organizations, the report said.

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