Chinese police have detained two Internet users for allegedly starting online rumors that tried to defame government groups and a cultural icon in the nation.
30-year-old Qin Zhihui and 40-year-old Yang Xiuyu both worked at a company "that deliberately fabricated rumors over the Internet," China's Ministry of Public Security said in a posting on Wednesday. The rumors were created as a way to drum up a greater online following and "illegally obtain benefits" for the two, the ministry added, without elaborating.
Both Qin and Yang have accounts listed on China's Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like service with over 500 million users in the country. The two were arrested for allegedly posting comments defaming Lei Feng, a former soldier in China's People's Liberation Army, who has figured in propaganda campaigns in the country since his death in 1962.
Lei is partly celebrated for his modesty and selflessness. But the online posts from Qin and Yang claimed Lei lived a life of luxury, prompting Chinese Internet users to complain to authorities.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon