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Chinese Blogger Becomes Celebrity Exposing Corruption

Posted by samzenpus on from the you-can't-handle-the-truth dept.

hackingbear writes "The New York Times reports the story of a Chinese blogger named Zhu Ruifeng who has become an overnight celebrity in China. He posted a secretly recorded video of an 18-year-old woman having sex with a 57-year-old official from the southwestern municipality of Chongqing. The official, along with 10 others, lost their jobs and are now under investigation. Mr. Zhu says ordinary citizens have come to rely on the Internet for retribution, even if it often amounts to mob justice. 'We used to say that when you have a problem, go to the police,' he said. 'Now we say when you have a problem, go to the netizens.' He has become a litmus test of how committed China's new leaders are in their battle against corruption — and whether they can tolerate populist crusaders like Mr. Zhu."

4 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. you won't ever hear what happens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    to the blogger, though... some day (soon if he keeps it up), he'll simply "disappear".....

  2. Stay low by kcelery · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a whistle blower, keeping his head low is mandatory in China.

    The guy who reported the milk factory misuse of melamine was murdered.
    Rumor said there was a bounty of 1/2 million RMB on his life.

    http://ntdtv.org/en/news/china/2012-11-23/china-s-toxic-milk-whistleblower-murdered.html

    1. Re:Stay low by Calibax · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Almost certainly the guy who posed the video is being used by someone who passed him the tape.

      The real whistle blower is probably a higher level functionary who wanted the tape released to discredit a political enemy and able to protect this guy, for now. How long the poster will continue to be protected is anyone's guess.

  3. Re:you won't ever hear what happens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That was 40 years ago. China changed a lot since then. Disappearing anyone too famous is asking for trouble. Character assassination works much better.