Government and Policy

Copying services in Lhasa tightened

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-19 07:17
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BEIJING - Those using services to reproduce printed or written material in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, will have to show their ID cards and have their ID numbers registered under a new rule to prevent illegal activities.

The rule was announced at a meeting of the management of the city's reprography sector held on May 10, the Lhasa Evening News reported.

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Copy service providers are required to strictly adopt a real-name registration system, the report said.

The name and address of the company or the organization and the name and number of copies, as well as the name of the person who handles such services, should be taken down.

For individual users, the relevant name, address, ID card type and number should be registered, according to the new rule.

The report cited officials as saying that the new measures are meant to "prevent law offenders or criminals from making use of reprography facilities to conduct illegal activities".

Police are also required to strictly examine companies' and individuals' qualifications in operating reprography services, according to the report.

Company applicants need to get permission from the relevant authorities.

Individual applicants must be permanent residents in the city or those who have acquired temporary residence.

Local police will regularly check how effective the new measures are being implemented.

Those who are found to be involved in illegal activities will be asked to shut down their businesses and be held accountable under the law, it said.

The Lhasa police bureau did not give any further details on the new regulations.

Xin Yuanming, deputy police chief of the Lhasa police bureau, said at a press conference after the March 14 riot in Lhasa in 2008 that some separatists constantly hand out banners and pamphlets with illegal content in Tibet.

The March 14 riot killed 18 people and injured hundreds of others, official figures showed.