【新唐人2012年8月8日訊】早前因報導大陸鐵道體制改革，將啟動「政企分開」方案，而導致記者被除名的《經濟觀察報》，日前疑因報導「北京洪災」的真實傷亡情況，遭到當局查封。評論認為，中共當局為了在十八大前營造一個「穩定局面」，用這種殺雞儆猴的作法消除民間雜音，讓民怨末消的慘劇，再次成了輿論的焦點。
6號上午，《經濟觀察報》位於北京市東城區安德路的社址，遭到北京市文化局「掃黃打非辦」執法隊的查封，報社大門被貼上封條，報社牌子被摘下，從4號開始，北京市報攤上的《經濟觀察報》也被收繳。
據了解，《經濟觀察報》是由山東省「新聞出版局」和山東省委「宣傳部」主辦。北京當局查禁的理由是「異地辦報，非法出版」。同時，《經濟觀察報》成了微博禁止搜索的敏感詞，搜索時顯示：根據相關法律法規和政策，搜索結果未予顯示。
《經濟觀察報》在官方微博語帶雙關的留言說：「阻力是一定有的，可是我們必須奮鬥到底，決不要灰心。」
《農產品市場週刊》主編黃良天指出，大陸沒有《新聞法》，都是依照主管部門的規章制度或中宣部的口頭指令行事。
《農產品市場週刊》主編黃良天：「他們（經濟觀察報）這邊設立了一個編輯中心，這是其他各個報刊都有的，包括《南華報》在北京也都有，但是它被查封肯定是對北京這個水災有所批評吧。這在中國大陸很平常的事情，經常不是毀你的報紙，就是撤你的版，撤你的領導人。」
香港作家、自由撰稿人張成覺指出，當局查封《經濟觀察報》的作法，就是殺雞儆猴，恫嚇別的媒體不要再對北京洪災說三道四，想掩蓋這次暴雨引起的慘劇，但是，卻造成了反效果。
香港作家、自由撰稿人張成覺：「像這樣的事情，最好不要再作聲，或者是別有甚麼別的毛病被人抓住，你這樣一來，人家很明顯看出你這個意圖，越引起人家的注目，成為一個焦點了，輿論的熱點了，所以我覺得這是一個很愚蠢的行為。」
張成覺認為，這與中共十八大召開前夕，當局有意營造一個穩定的局面有關。
張成覺：「十八大它就不希望搞出甚麼新的麻煩，所以它就盡量的平息一下，底下不要有那麼多的雜音干擾它，就這樣，它有時候明知道這樣做可能有反彈，它也會這樣做，它們的邏輯就是一句話，我是流氓我怕誰。」
7月21號，北京遭遇特大暴雨，城區一片汪洋，許多汽車和房屋被大水淹沒，「南方報業」旗下的《南方週末》，曾調集了十多名記者與實習生，奔走2000公里，採訪了24位死難者家屬，並記錄下25位遇難者的名字和故事，但八個報導水災實情的版面，在26號全部被撤；在此之前，《南方都市報》深度週刊四個深入報導水災的版面也被撤下。
22號，中共當局已率先公布水災死亡人數為37人，而在民怨沸騰下，死難者人數26號升到77人。但民怨末消，問責聲仍不絕於耳。8月6號當局再次公布北京洪災遇難者人數為79名。
但民眾指稱，北京暴雨死亡人數至少過萬。大陸民眾強烈要求北京市委書記郭金龍引咎下臺。
採訪編輯/李韻 後製/朱娣
Economic Observer Closure: 『Killing A Chicken To Warn The Monkey』?
Due to a reform in the rail system, efforts will be made
to keep politics and business separate.
Yet, an office of the Economic Observer in Beijing has been
closed due to its factual report on Beijing flood’s casualties.
Critics believe, in order to create a façade of “stability,”
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses this approach to reduce public dissention.
However, this seem to produce the opposite effect,
becoming a focus of public outcry.
On August 6, the Economic Observer’ (EO) office in Beijing
was shut down by China’s Ministry of Culture.
The news agency’s door was sealed and its sign taken off.
Its’ paper newsstands have also been collected.
According to sources, EO is overseen by Shandong Bureau
of Press & Publication and CCP’s Propaganda Department.
The reason for this was said to be EO’s illegal publishing,
and the need to open a newspaper office in a new location.
However, another reason could be that EO became
a sensitive search word on China’s Weibo.
Economic Observer’s message on
Weibo’s official website says,
“There is absolutely resistance, but we have to fight
until the end, and must not get discouraged.”
Market Weekly Editor in Chief Huang Liangtian points out,
Mainland China does not have the press law.
Everything is done according to the department in charge,
or verbal orders by the Central Propaganda Department.
Huang Liangtian: “They [EO] established an editing center
here, which every other news agency has, including South China Morning Post.
But the reason it [EO] was sealed must be
because it criticized the flood in Beijing.
This is very common in China. It will destroy your paper,
or revoke your registration, or remove your leaders.”
Hong Kong free lance writer Zhang Chengjue points out
the way Chinese regime sealed EO is a warning.
It’s killing a chicken to warn the monkey,’ to scare
other media to not talk and criticize the flood in Beijing.
The regime wanted to cover up the tragedy from this flood.
However, it achieved the opposite results.
Zhang Chengjue: “It is better to not make noise again
on things like this, to not let others see your flaws.
Otherwise people can clearly see your motive. The more
attention it gets, the more it becomes a topic of interest.
So I think it was a very moronic move.”
Zhang believes this is due to Chinese regime trying
to create a façade of stability before the 18 CCP congress.
Zhang Chengjue: “The 18 congress hopes to avoid any new
troubles, so it tries its best to suppress, so there isn’t so much dissent distracting it.
It knows that doing this may bring problems, but it still will
act this way. Their logic is, I’m the mafia, I’m not afraid of anyone.”
On July 21, unusually great rainstorm hit Beijing, the city
became like a sea, many cars and houses were submerged.
Afterwards, Infzm.com mobilized more than a dozen interns
traveling 2,000 km and interviewing relatives of victims.
They recorded 25 victims’ names and stories, however
8 of these truthful accounts were removed before the 26th.
Prior to this incident, four other in depth daily stories
on the flood were also removed.
On July 22, the Chinese regime have already announced
the number of flood victims to be 37.
Yet , due to pressure from the public for the real figure,
on the 26th the number of victims was announced to be 77.
This however did not appease citizens. Criticism,
questions and blames towards CCP authorities continued.
On August 6, the regime announced again
that the number of flood victims is 79.
Yet citizens are still unhappy. They say, tens of thousands
died in the rainstorm, and demand Beijing’ CCP Secretary Guo Jinlong to step down.
