China punishes 17 for rumour mongering

By Xinhua,

Beijing : China has punished 17 rumour mongers in the wake of the disastrous earthquake, the ministry of public security said Thursday.

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The public security bureau in 11 provinces and municipalities, including Hebei, Liaoning and Anhui, found more than 40 messages that circulated malicious rumours about the earthquake on Internet and found 17 people were responsible.

The ministry did not mention what exactly the rumours were, but claimed these people “spread false information, made sensational statements and sapped public confidence.”