Police in eastern China have targeted authors who posted gay-themed erotic novels online, issuing hefty fines and sentencing authors to prison terms, as part of an ongoing crackdown on pornography. There is.
According to South China Morning PostMany of those arrested had posted articles on the Taiwan-based fiction website Haitang Culture. They are charged with producing, selling and distributing pornographic material.
Users of the website can earn income from tips and subscriptions from fans, and one of the most popular genres is: Danmei — A style focused on gay romance and sex. It originated from Japanese manga and became popular in China.
Police in Anhui province are carrying out a crackdown while reportedly investigating and detaining people from other provinces, leading some to question whether they are abusing their authority. voices are also rising.
Earlier this month, news outlets reported that Horizontal garden Police in Anhui province have reportedly detained more than 50 writers, mostly women in their 20s, from across China since June. The harshest sentence handed down to date was four and a half years in prison.
Under Chinese law, writers who earn more than 250,000 yuan ($34,500) from selling erotic material can be sentenced to life in prison, but in reality they must cooperate with investigators and repay the money. If they agree to do so, they may receive a lighter sentence.
A woman said in a social media post in October that her sister, who had been posting articles under the pseudonym “Yunjiang” for nearly 10 years, went missing in June. The woman asked readers if they could donate money to pay off the fine and reduce her sister’s sentence.
Two months later, a man who identified himself as Yunjiang’s husband said his wife had been sentenced to four and a half years in prison and thanked readers for supporting her.
“She said, ‘I’m going to work hard in prison and try to get out soon.’ In the meantime, I’d like to thank my readers in person,” he wrote.
Other writers have had to forego medical interventions such as surgeries and cancer treatments, while also facing steep fines that they struggle to pay.
Authorities have not publicly commented on the case, but public records from the People’s Court of Jixi County in Anhui Province show that 10 people were convicted of posting gay-themed erotica online. has been done.
Sentencing guidelines for people convicted of posting graphic content online have been criticized as too harsh, with some critics saying that sharing erotic content is more dangerous than crimes such as sexual assault or fraud. It has been pointed out that they will be severely punished.
Under a 2020 ruling, erotic content that is viewed online more than 50,000 times or generates more than 50,000 yuan ($6,850) in revenue could be considered a criminal offense. In 2018, a woman using the pen name “Tianyi” was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for writing a novel that sold 7,000 copies, but which contained “graphic depictions of male homosexuality.” authorities claimed that it was.
Wang Zhenyu, a Beijing-based lawyer, said: morning post That the sentence is too harsh. Wang also said that obscenity laws are vague and open to interpretation, effectively allowing local law enforcement authorities to decide the extent to which such violations are prosecuted, and that the scope can vary widely from place to place. He said that there is a sex.
He said an age-appropriate rating system similar to the one that exists for movies should be introduced to allow erotic literature to exist in some form, even if the audience is limited to adults. Ta.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
