Jailed Chinese dissident's wife to sue Yahoo for ratting him out

Chinese 'net dissident Wang Xianoning was sentenced to 10 years in prison back in 2003 for publishing what authorities claimed were "subversive" articles on the internet.

His wife, Yu Ling, flew to the US this week. She told the US government radio outlet Voice of America that she came here to sue Yahoo for damages and an apology because its Hong Kong division uncloaked her husband's identity to Chinese government investigators:

“We in the United States feel strongly about allowing the free flow of ideas and discussion on the Internet and elsewhere,” said VOA Director Dan Austin. “Our interview with Mrs. Yu will be heard in China on our Mandarin Service as well as on our broadcasts worldwide.”
Human rights groups have, in recent years, accused Yahoo of providing Chinese authorities with information that has led to the imprisonment of several dissidents, and the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders says that Wang Xianoning is one of 50 individuals who have been imprisoned by China for their activities on the Internet.

So -- the US government's own federally-funded radio network is slamming an internet company for kowtowing to an undemocratic regime? There's a first.

VOA’s English language report is here. Here's the VOA's Chinese service: Link. (via 27B Stroke 6, thanks Ryan Singel!)

Previous posts on BoingBoing:

Yahoo rats out Chinese reporter to Beijing, writer gets 10 years in jail

Report: Yahoo helped jail another Chinese 'net dissident, Li Zhi

Journalism school won't return Yahoo's controversial $1M grant

Report: Yahoo implicated in 3rd China dissident case

Yahoo could stay in China and stop sending its users to jail

Harsh words for US tech firms from House at China 'net hearings

Report: verdict confirms Yahoo helped jail China dissident #2

Xeni's LAT op-ed: war, blogs, news, and profit.

Amnesty Int'l. confronts Yahoo over jailed Chinese reporter

NPR "Xeni Tech": Yahoo may have aided in jailing of second China writer