eoin parker gctofuidgmgmailcom yahoo forced apologise chinese dissidents crackdown journalists ewen macaskill washington guardian wednesday november 14 2007 image jerry yang yahoo founder jerry yang yahoo founder gao qin sheng mother one journalists imprisoned result yahoos actions china internet giant yahoo settled lawsuit yesterday relation allegations helped china crackdown two journalists yahoos decision settle came week company criticised congress one congressman accusing company moral pygmies terms settlement disclosed yahoo admit fault company agreed pay legal costs apologise journalists families yahoo earlier denied cooperating chinese government prosecution dissidents helping identify company claimed choice comply request beijing share information online activities journalists yahoo handed email records chinese government journalists wang xiaoning shi tao serving 10year jail sentences wang accused incitement subvert state power emailed electronic journals advocating democratic reform establishment multiparty system replace present authoritarian state shi charged passing information designated state secret sued yahoo april wangs wife yu ling claimed yahoo turned information helped identify husband others subjected torture cruel inhuman degrading treatment including arbitrary prolonged indefinite detention expressing free speech rights using internet communicate democracy human rights matters congress last week tom lantos chairman house foreign affairs committee told yahoo technologically financially giants morally pygmies informed settlement lantos said yesterday took tonguelashing congress hitech titans right thing said disgrace case behalf journalists dissidents arrested brought washingtonbased world organisation human rights usa congressional hearing jerry yang chief executive yahoo met members journalists families apologised shis mother yang said yesterday meeting families clear make right yahoo future committed making sure actions match values around world yang joint founder californiabased company 1994 said establishing human rights fund provide humanitarian legal aid online dissidents journalists lawyer morton sklar said yahoos fight lawsuit evaporated congressional hearing sklar said dramatic change position strong incentive settle want wrong side issue world organisation human rights said settlement journalists serving 10year prison sentences direct result information yahoo provided chinese authorities identities arrested made public suspected hundreds similarly affected alibabacom chinas biggest online commerce firm run yahoos mainland china operations since yahoo bought 40 stake alibaba 2005 yahoo says stake doesnt give control firm shi former writer financial publication contemporary business news jailed state secrecy laws allegedly providing email contained notes government memo media restrictions foreigners fri 08 aug 2008 044447 0000 ierant fwd yahoo gets belated attack conscience