Culture

China Blocks Access to YouTube Over Tibet Footage

by Jarrett Martineau | March 24, 2009 at 11:49 am

466 views | 47 Recommendations | 5 comments

When it comes to Tibet, there are no limits to China's censorship.

China reportedly blocked access to YouTube on Tuesady after discovering video footage uploaded to the site that shows Chinese soldiers beating monks and Tibetan people.

China is reported to have blocked the YouTube video-sharing website because it has been carrying video of soldiers beating monks and other Tibetans.

The date and location of the footage, posted by a Tibetan exile group, cannot be ascertained.

A Chinese government spokesman would not confirm whether YouTube had indeed been blocked.

Although this is not the first time China has denied public access to a website over "politically unacceptable" content, this instance follows much recent criticism of China for its handling of the current political situation in Tibet, and the video footage shows physical violence being enacted against the Tibetan people.

The site has been carrying a graphic video released by Tibetan exiles, which shows hundreds of uniformed Chinese troops swarming through a Tibetan monastery - a group of troops beat a man with batons.

In another scene a group of men, including a monk, are beaten, kicked and choked, while they lie on the ground. Some have their hands tied others appear to be unconscious.

As China has not confirmed the claim, it is not clear when access to YouTube will be restored in the country.

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René

at 13:17 on March 24th, 2009

But China, so far, cannot block the rest of the world.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Jarrett.

I had no clue these protests were still going on.

peter.reardon

at 16:14 on March 24th, 2009

China's paranoia make it an unreliable country with whom to do business; thanks for sharing the event.

Blue Crush

at 08:19 on March 25th, 2009

Today's follow up story: China says Tibet video is 'a lie.'

Roy C

at 08:34 on March 25th, 2009

Proxify is a free service on the internet that allows you to hide your identity as you look at things.

For example, if you have been banned, you can go and read everything and you will be seen as a guest. You do this by putting the URL into the proxy browser and the site thinks you are the proxy server and not the ISP that you really are. You can look at stuff at work that your bosses don't want you to look at .

Sometimes when I want to look at a site ( I got banned at the Ann Coulter site for wising off to an idiot with power), I can't get in because the site itself picks up the proxy server and does not allow it.

I assume that something like this might help the Chinese to look at YouTube anyhow, but I am not sure.