The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) - a Washington, D. C. based advocacy group that works to promote liberal values and constitutional liberties in the digital age, yesterday "harshly" criticized the Chinese government's action of blocking the access to the Google's video sharing website.

"China's actions fail to live up to international norms. China's apparent blocking of YouTube is at odds with the rule of law and the right to freedom of expression. Anytime a country limits or takes down content online, it must be forthright and specific about its actions and do so only in narrowly defined circumstances consistent with international human rights and the rule of law," said Leslie Harris, the president of the CDT, condemning the decision of the Chinese government.

Google's YouTube was blocked gradually on Monday afternoon, but Google declined to criticize the Chinese move, saying they "had no idea why the Chinese government had taken this action". Google spokesperson Scott Rubin said, "We don't know the reason for the block and are working to restore access to users in China as quickly as possible."

In a blog post yesterday, Brock N. Meeks, the director of communications at the Center for Democracy and Technology, stated China has offered no reason for blocking YouTube, "instead, Chinese officials are engaged in their own fanciful brand of obfuscation". Meeks wrote, "While Beijing may be operating with blinders on, the rest of the world is watching this game of geopolitical charades in crystal-clear, high-def. The 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre is fast approaching, and the Chinese aren't taking any chances that subversive digital propaganda will trickle into their country on the bit stream."

The blockage of YouTube isn't the first time, but China has done that several times when it finds some unacceptable content on any source of media. The communist regime blocked YouTube temporarily in March of last year, and it blocked Blip. TV, a New York based online television network, for over a year.

Meeks wrote, "There is a long history of China violating the international right of free expression. On Monday, they flipped some switches, monitored some blinking LEDs on a console and choked off YouTube's air supply."

The Chinese action against YouTube was also denounced by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The CPJ called on China to explain the logical reason for blocking YouTube and demanded to lift the blockage immediately. Robert Mahoney, the CPJ Deputy Director, said, "We are deeply concerned that millions of Chinese Internet users have been deprived of an important information resource without being told why. The blocking of YouTube is a sign of escalating restrictions on media freedom that we have witnessed this month in China. Authorities must explain why YouTube is inaccessible."

The Global Network Initiative also criticized the Chinese vicious move against YouTube, violating freedom of expression. In a statement, the Global Network Initiative said, "Freedom of opinion and expression is a human right and guarantor of human dignity. The right to freedom of opinion and expression includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Broad public access to information and the freedom to create and communicate ideas online are critical to the advancement of knowledge, economic opportunity, and human potential."