China's Internet users exert growing influence on policy

• Source: Global Times
• [19:35 December 30 2009]
• Comments

In 2009, China's 33.8 million Internet users have played an increasing role in helping solve many social problems and improve the legal system, according to statistics from the China Internet Network Information Center's website in June.

Cases like “playing hidden cat”, the Deng Yujiao murder case, and the Liang Li case were resolved with the help of Chinese Internet users. Here are some stories and how they were solved by well-known Internet users.

Internet user: “Butcher”

With the user name Butcher, this Internet user was famous in helping solve the Deng Yujiao murder case, which happened on May 10, 2009.

Deng, 21, was a female hotel employee in the Xiongfeng Hotel in central Hubei Province, who was arrested for murder, but was actually acting in self-defense when a male official tried to rape her after she refused to have sex with him for money. The case has sparked public anger over the issue of violence against women.

This case gained national attention through Internet forums and chat rooms, as people were angered by her treatment. Following public protests and online petitions, prosecutors dropped murder charges, granted her bail, and charged her with a lesser offense of “intentional assault.” She was found guilty, but was not handed a sentence due to her mental state. The other surviving official involved in the incident was sacked, also ostensibly in response to public pressure.

As one of important online protestors, Butcher went to Hubei with other Internet users to help Deng find a lawyer for her and donated 2,000 yuan to her family. He said he knew how powerful the Internet could be and he pledged to help more people through the Internet.