Chinese Man Detained for Comments on Military Parade

Beijing, Sep 5 (PTI) Chinese authorities have detained a 47-year-old man identified as Meng for making "inappropriate comments" regarding the recent military parade in Beijing and allegedly spreading rumors.

According to the cyber police in Xiangyang city, Meng allegedly made slanderous and derogatory remarks on a social media platform this past Wednesday. His comments were in response to posts celebrating the military parade held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China's victory over Japan in World War II.

When other users expressed patriotic sentiments, Meng reportedly "insulted them and spread rumors," leading to "strong anger among netizens," according to a police statement issued on Thursday.

The police investigated the matter, and Meng, who hails from the central province of Hubei, confessed to his "unlawful behavior," as reported by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Friday, citing the police statement.

He was detained in Zaoyang city under the charge of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," a broad criminal offense frequently applied in China.

Authorities stated that Meng's comments "hurt people's patriotic sentiments and caused severe negative social impact," yet they withheld the specific remarks.

"Any attempts to distort or smear history, defame military personnel participating in commemorative events, or harm patriotic sentiments will be severely punished by public security authorities," the Xiangyang cyber police warned.

The recent military parade was one of China's most significant events of the year, featuring the display of advanced weapons, including nuclear missiles, attack drones, and stealth fighters by The People's Liberation Army.

President Xi Jinping, alongside 26 world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, attended the parade.

In 2018, China enacted a law banning the slander of individuals officially recognized as heroes and martyrs, followed by a 2021 regulation against the defamation of military personnel.

Several individuals have faced punishment under these laws. In 2021, popular blogger Qiu Ziming was jailed for "slandering" Chinese troops killed in the Galwan clash between India and China in Eastern Ladakh the previous year. Qiu had questioned the official account of the incident, including the reported number of Chinese casualties.

China has officially acknowledged the death of four soldiers and the injury of a regiment commander in this clash.

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