'Local WikiLeaks' targets graft
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The government in an east China city is fighting corruption by looking for clues on an online forum dubbed the local version of WikiLeaks.
Whistleblowers use the site, 703804.com, to expose officials' alleged criminal violations and wrongdoings.
With several thousand posts revealing political and social wellbeing issues every day and 150,000 daily visits, the site in Wenzhou City in Zhejiang Province attracts not only local residents, but also officials from government agencies, who browse the website looking for disciplinary violations, Oriental Outlook magazine reported.
Online posts published on 703804.com -which is pronounced like the Wenzhou dialect word for chitchat - have exposed a string of local government scandals since it was set up in 2001. Some posts have rocked the Wenzhou government, leading to reprimands for incriminated officials and personnel reshuffles.
Last November, a post claiming that seven elderly people representing 60 households were beaten up for accusing a real estate developer of infringing their rights was published on the website. The Wenzhou government ordered a thorough investigation and four people have been detained, according to the magazine.
However, relations between the website and the government have not always been so cordial. In fact, 703804.com was a thorn in the side of the government for many years, the report said.
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