Crackdowns in China often unfold without explanation, carried out by officials acting on directives that never see the light of day. A veteran journalist, Gao Yu, was jailed last month for seven years for revealing the existence of a campaign against the discussion of Western political ideas. The Communist Party document that ordered it was a state secret, the court ruled. Rock musicians, at least those of a more rebellious stripe, therefore have had cause to worry of late. Even at the best of times their concerts are prone to cancellation by officials for unclear reasons. In recent weeks, however, this has been happening more often than usual. Many suspect the party of losing patience with rock music's more rebellious fringe.
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