In the run-up to the Olympic Games, Chinese authorities are cracking down on certain internet users, especially on bloggers who say anything critical about the event.

Ironically, other sites have been unblocked for the first time in years.

All this has led to a debate in China as to whether the Olympic Games is bringing greater openness in cyberspace or an assault on free speech.

Isaac Mao is a young venture capitalist based in Shanghai and he was one of the first bloggers there and knows what you can and cannot look at on the internet in China.

"If you really count the number of websites here, have been blocked here, it's a long list especially those grassroots publishing websites; human rights, pro-human rights, pro-democracy websites," he said.

He says for example when you try and type in Wikipedia, your browser will suddenly get cut off.

While Wikipedia, Flickr and YouTube remain blocked or restricted in the run up to the Games, the BBC site in English has just been unblocked for the first time in years.

This is done by tweaking what is called the "Great Firewall of China".

It is a series of eight or nine routers which controls what comes into China on the internet by filtering key words.

Hong Kong University's Rebecca MacKinnon says the local web hosting companies are also key to preventing online discussion which is critical of the Olympics.

"When it comes to most internet users, their speech is actually being controlled by private businesses," she said.

"Anything about the Olympics is going to cause the post to get flagged, or to get checked before it can get published or anything about the Olympics has a much higher chance of getting taken down."

Brave blogger

Zhang Shihe is a blogger who has had his articles about the Olympics blocked by his hosting company.

But that has not stopped him writing about other controversial subjects, like China's poor rural workers.

"I control my limit. I am talking about reasonable things. I am speaking the truth. My speciality is the people at bottom," he said.

One of those people at the bottom is Shi Shenghuo, a farmer in his 70s.

"The Government is mean and dirty. It is worse than a beast," he said.

"The official came and said that I was dirty and I made him feel sick. I am dirty because I am poor. If I wasn't poor, I wouldn't be dirty."

A few years ago, comments like that would never be able to published in China.

But Zhang Shihe has posted them on his blog and he has not got into major trouble yet.

"When I write my blog, I rely on my instinct. Am I telling truth or lies? Am I evilly attacking something? Or am I trying to help to improve the situation?" he said.

"I know if I can control this, I'll be fine. If I am thrown into jail or something, I don't really care, because I am not wrong."

The pre-Olympic climate which has frustrated Mr Zhang's writing, might also be giving him more writer's freedom than he's ever had before.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008 ... 230082.htm