Censura no fórum da CTM

Why you can't say 'chief executive'

Fox Yi Hu
South China Morning Post
October 25, 2009

"Chief executive" is the latest phrase to fall foul of censors overseeing Macau's most popular Net forum.

The Chinese for "chief executive", the title of Macau's most important politician, has joined phrases such as "gang leader" in being screened out by cyberctm.com.

Messages containing the words were automatically modified last week, although the ban was lifted after the Sunday Morning Post asked forum operator Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau (CTM), a public utility and the provider of Macau's internet services, to explain why the phrase was being censored.

But the Chinese for "gang leader" remains banned. For example, a message reading "Are there gang leaders in Macau?" would be modified to say, "Are there in Macau?"

Political commentator Professor Larry So Man-yum, of Macau Polytechnic Institute, said CTM had a responsibility to uphold freedom of speech since it was a public utility.

"It is irresponsible to ban words that may be unpleasant to the ears of the government," he said.

A CTM spokeswoman said the company's technicians had tested the forum and found the phrase "chief executive" was being displayed correctly. The company was aware that some users had posted online messages saying the phrase was banned. But other users, she said, had been able to write the phrase in posts.

The forum began screening out "gang leader" and "shameless Ho" last year, after critics used them to describe outgoing Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah. Internet users said the ban on using "chief executive" was enforced after the publication of messages criticising the conduct of July's election for the post.

Dr Fernando Chui Sai-on was the only candidate put forward to the circle of 300 voters eligible to take part in the poll. Cyberctm.com users voiced strong opposition to Chui.