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Yahoo says no to Amnesty International on China

Elinor Mills Former Staff Writer
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service and the Associated Press.
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Elinor Mills
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Yahoo executives on Thursday found themselves once again defending their cooperation with the Chinese government's crackdown on freedom of expression. A representative from Amnesty International USA, which describes itself as an activist shareholder of Yahoo stock, called upon Yahoo executives to ask the Chinese government to release imprisoned Internet dissidents.

"You have asserted that the Internet is built on openness...the financial success of this company depends on openness," Anthony Cruz, AIUSA's Corporate Action Network Coordinator for California, said during a question-and-answer session with management after the shareholder meeting. "Companies like Yahoo also have a responsibility, and I speak for many shareholders in questioning whether Yahoo has met these responsibilities."

Yahoo executives said the arrests were unfortunate, but that greater good can be done for Chinese citizens by Yahoo doing business there than not being there at all. Companies and activist groups should try to convince the U.S. government to make it a priority to pressure China on human rights reform, said Yahoo Chief Executive Terry Semel.

"I don't think any one group and I don't think any one company can change the course of governments," he said. "The way I believe major change comes about is when those groups work together and also put certain pressure on our own government...Ultimately, governments do bring about change in other governments, particularly if they are trading partners."

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang said he knew of only one journalist who was imprisoned after Yahoo cooperated with Chinese authorities, but acknowledged that there may be other cases.

"It is very distressful for us that we see these things happen," he said. "Again, we don't have a lot of choice once we are in the country and complying with the local laws."

When Cruz asked Yang if he was denying Amnesty International's request to call upon China to release prisoners, Yang replied, "We are going to do it in the way we think is most appropriate."

Cruz again asked Yang if that was a "no" answer and Yang responded in the affirmative.

Yahoo has been accused of providing information on users that led to the arrest of several people in China, including a journalist who was sentenced to 10 years in prison.