Man sentenced to 3.5 years for inciting ethnic hatred, discrimination

A court in Yueyang, Hunan province, has sentenced a man to three years and six months in prison for inciting ethnic hatred and discrimination.

The Yunxi District People's Court disclosed the ruling on its official website Friday, saying that Song Jianren was convicted and sentenced on Aug 26.

The court found that Song, from 2020 to 2025, created multiple online accounts and groups with the intent of inciting ethnic hatred and discrimination. He exploited differences in ethnic origins, history and customs, using insults, rumors and other means to spread a large volume of inflammatory remarks that fueled ethnic discord and discrimination.

Song also used his online influence to harass, pester and maliciously report others, spreading such activities across the internet, the court said.

Despite repeated warnings and educational interventions from public security authorities, Song persisted in his behavior, according to the court. It said his actions had a prolonged and widespread impact, causing significant harm.

The court determined that Song's actions constituted the crime of inciting ethnic hatred and discrimination and deemed the circumstances "extremely serious." However, considering his guilty plea, the court opted for a lenient sentence.

The Buddhist Association of China on Friday issued a statement on its WeChat account, referring to Song's case and emphasizing that using the internet to incite ethnic hatred will lead to punishment.

The statement stressed the importance of not stirring up trouble, spreading rumors or crossing legal boundaries online. It warned against undermining ethnic unity and misleading public perceptions, saying that some individuals have promoted historical nihilism and distorted interpretations of China's ethnic policies.

Such actions create ethnic estrangement, pollute the online environment and generate social conflict, the association said.

It also said the international community generally uses legislative and judicial measures to prohibit incitement of ethnic hatred and discrimination, while China's laws clearly define the boundaries for online speech and conduct.

The Song case serves as a warning that those who break the law will be held accountable, the statement said. Actions that undermine ethnic unity or create ethnic division contradict core socialist values, harm the interests of all ethnic groups, and threaten social harmony and stability, it concluded.