Internet Blockade in Xinjiang Puts A Strain on Science.

TELECOMMUNICATION policy; SOCIAL unrest; UIGHUR (Turkic people); SOCIAL networks; HIV infections; SCIENTIFIC communication

The article discusses a communication blockade imposed by the Chinese government on July 2, 2009, following a riot in which some Han Chinese were killed. According to Chinese officials, the protest which was started by Uyghur separatists in Xinjiang, was orchestrated via the Internet social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. Topics include an overview of how the blockade is affecting Chinese scientists, including those involved in a U.S.-supported HIV-prevention trial in China.