China clips wings of rights activist

Beijing

YE Haiyan, one of China's most prominent women's rights activists, huddled in her unheated apartment on the outskirts of Beijing, waiting to learn if the documentary that propelled her to international fame would receive an Oscar nod.

Last month, Hooligan Sparrow, a documentary following her activism on behalf of sexually abused children, made a short list for the Academy Awards. Last week, local authorities killed her gas, water, electricity and Internet.

When she learnt that the film was not included among the final five nominees announced last Tuesday, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"If many people started paying attention to me because of the film, I suspect I wouldn't be able to stay in Chi…