A Beijing-based publisher says it will defy a municipal
government ban on its horror tale and continue to ship copies of
Death Note, one of eight books the city has ordered off
the shelves.
The Beijing municipal government blacklisted the horror stories
calling them "illegal terrifying publications".
Hualing Publishing House says Death Note is not an
illegal publication. "I want to make it clear that we have official
approval to publish and we will continue to do so," a man with the
publishing house who declined to give his name told Xinhua over the
phone.
Described by some readers as "exciting and interesting", the
books, which are mainly about ghosts, have a lot of followers on
the Internet. The municipal administration of industry and
commerce, however, says many young people are reading the books
which it claims are "harmful to the psychological health of
teenagers".
The administration, which has been ordered to confiscate the
publications, has sent teams to hunt down the books in bookstores
and street vendors.
"We have received notice from a higher department to check the
sales of books and book stores near schools are the main targets,
"said an official with administration's publicity office who also
refused to give his name.
"Citizens are also welcome to report to us if they find the
books," he said, adding the administration has so far confiscated
more than 500 copies.
The municipal government has received numerous complains from
parents and educators who says students are spending too munch time
reading the horror stories and not enough time studying, said the
official.
"The books are not suitable for young students. Death
Note for example, elaborates on different scaring ways of
dieing -- it will even make adults feel uneasy, let alone children
who are still psychologically immature," he said.
Hualing Publishing House, which distributes Death Note
nationwide, saying the book is not specifically designed for young
readers. The publisher's spokesperson said he doubts the scary
stories will cause psychological damage to readers and that people
should have the right to choose to read the book or not.
Repeated calls to the Beijing city government office responsible
for issuing the ban went unanswered on Tuesday.
(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2007)