China: Internet Publisher is Detained

The police detained the publisher of an online political journal, adding to a growing list of people picked up for using the Internet to spread information that the Communist government finds threatening, rights groups said yesterday.

Human Rights in China, a New York-based group, said the man, Li Yibin, who published an online journal called "Democracy and Freedom," was picked up in Beijing a month ago and has not had contact with his relatives since then. Amnesty International recently said the government had detained at least 33 people for posting opinions that the government considered unfavorable.