Yahoo office accused of betraying journalist

Yahoo's Hong Kong office gave mainland authorities information that helped them trace a journalist's e-mail about media restrictions, leading to the author being jailed, a media watchdog claimed yesterday.

"Does the fact that this corporation operates under Chinese law free it from all ethical considerations?" Reporters Without Borders said. "How far will it go to please Beijing?"

The media watchdog cited court documents to support its claim that Yahoo Holdings (Hong Kong) contributed to journalist Shi Tao being jailed for 10 years by a court in Hunan province .

Shi, 36, formerly a journalist for the financial publication Contemporary Business News, was sentenced in April after being convicted of illegally providing state secrets to foreigners. His conviction stemmed from an e-mail he sent containing his notes on a government circular that spelled out restrictions on the media.

"This probably would not have been possible without the co-operation of Yahoo," said Lucie Morillon, a Washington-based spokeswoman for Reporters Without Borders.

Pauline Wong, head of marketing for Yahoo's Hong Kong office, said the company had no comment on the claim. "We're still looking at it," she said.

This is not the first time a prominent internet company has faced accusations of co-operating with mainland authorities to gain favour in a market that is expected to become an Internet gold mine. Yahoo and two of its biggest rivals, Google and Microsoft's MSN, have previously come under attack for censoring online news sites and weblogs, or blogs, featuring content that mainland authorities want to suppress.

Still, Reporters Without Borders ridiculed Yahoo, saying it was becoming even cosier with the mainland government by allowing itself to become a police informant.

Reporters Without Borders described Shi as a "good journalist who has paid dearly for trying to get the news out".

Shi has published many essays, including political commentaries criticising China's social problems in overseas Chinese-language media. His arrest in November at his home in Taiyuan , Shanxi province , prompted calls for his release by activists, including international writers group PEN.

A number of Chinese journalists have faced similar charges of violating vague security laws as communist leaders struggle to maintain control of information.

Yahoo and its major rivals have been expanding their presence on the mainland. Last month Yahoo paid US$1 billion for a 40 per cent stake in China's biggest online commerce firm, Alibaba.com.