Beijing court approves book ban

A Beijing court rejected a lawsuit by veteran journalist Dai Huang challenging the banning of his book, A Narrow Escape From Death, describing his prison experiences. Dai was labeled a righist for criticizing totatalitarian rule and the deification of Mao and sent to labor camp in 1957, where he spent the next 21 years. His book was published by the Central Compilation and Translation Press in 1998 and Xuelin Publishing House in 2001. However when he sought to have it reprinted last year, the Writers Publishing House said it was impossible, following a June 7 order by the General Administration of Press and Publication and publication department which said it was "not suitable to be published". Huang's lawyer Zhang Sizhi said they will appeal the case.

Source: South China Morning Post, March 20.