For those who think that it's ok for US companies to help the Chinese government, police and courts crack down on dissidents, here's a reality check. This excellent NYT article describes what complying with local law means in China.
ANYANG, China - For three days and three nights, the police wrenched Qin Yanhong's arms high above his back, jammed his knees into a sharp metal frame, and kicked his gut whenever he fell asleep. The pain was so intense that he watched sweat pour off his face and form puddles on the floor.
On the fourth day, he broke down. "What color were her pants?" they demanded. "Black," he gasped, and felt a whack on the back of his head. "Red," he cried, and got another punch. "Blue," he ventured. The beating stopped.
This is how Mr. Qin, a 35-year-old steel mill worker in Henan Province in central China, recalled groping in the darkness of a interrogation room to deduce the "correct" details of a rape and murder, end his torture and give the police the confession they required to close a nettlesome case.
Now obviously US companies are not torturing dissidents, but when we're talking about complying with local law and processes of law in China, we're not talking about principles of due process and fairness that we associate with the US legal system. So the conversation cannot take place as though complying with local law in China is the same as complying with local law in Canada, or France, or Japan.
I know some perceive my writings on this topic too one-sided. But after spending some time in China this summer and meeting with people there who are hoping that the Internet, and blogs, and email, and search will empower civic discourse, it's extremely frustrating to see US companies run by people I like and respect helping the Chinese government smother that hope.
Check out Rebecca MacKinnon's excellent coverage of the Yahoo case, and her response to Robert Scoble's defense of MSN Spaces censorship of certain words in the China version is a classic.