Society

Internet bars face forced closure before exam

By Jia Xu (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-05-31 16:53

Many Internet bars are forced to close their doors in order to create a better environment for students preparing for the upcoming National College Entrance Exam, people.com.cn reported Monday.

The government of Linxian county in Shanxi province announced that from May 10 to June 9, Internet bars should temporarily cease operations. Fines would be given if bars refuse to comply, according to a post on the Chinese social portal tianya.cn on May 30. Such bans were also enforced in Linchuan district, Fuzhou city, East China's Jiangxi province，according to the Southern Metropolis Daily.

This is the first time Linxian county has banned Internet bars from operating before the college entrance exam. But in Linchuan, this enforcement has been carried out for many years.

"What we're doing is reasonable, although it's illegal, as it does override the Internet manager's administrative power," Xiong Guanghui, an official at the Linchuan Culture Bureau told a reporter. "But we're doing this for the sake of Linchuan's education."