Chinese police have detained dozens of young women, authors of a genre of gay erotica, widely known in Asia as "boys' love", during a nationwide specialized operation against online pornography, Reuters reported, citing lawyers and activists familiar with the incident, BTA reported.
The detentions, which began in March, have sparked debates on social networks about the limits of freedom of speech and the obvious sexist nature of the repression by the authorities, while also evoking sympathy for the authors, many of whom come from low-income backgrounds.
"I just wanted to earn some money to ease the financial burden on my family," wrote one of the authors of such works in a post on the popular Chinese platform "Weibo" before it was deleted. "I never imagined that 300,000 clicks and 4,000 yuan ($557) in royalties accumulated from those vague words over time would become evidence of a crime," the post said.
Police detained the women in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, for violating a 2004 obscene behavior law that carries sentences of more than 10 years in prison or life in prison, although lawyers want it revised to reflect changes in internet usage.
The writers, all in their 20s and early 30s, have their works published on a niche paid online platform that specializes in the genre of erotic literature popular among women, which depicts relationships between men. The website is censored in China and is accessed through virtual private network (VPN) servers.
One of the authors detained in April received fees of less than 10,000 yuan ($1,400), which supplemented her income from several jobs, said her lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of police. If prosecutors decide to press charges, some of the authors could face trial as early as this fall, the lawyer added.
Reuters could not confirm the number of women detained, although lawyers said some were later released on bail. None of them were available for interview, and their families declined to comment, citing threats to their safety.