Any "infringement of the legitimate rights and interests" of military personnel seriously affecting their performance of their duties is also covered by the new legislation. Honors obtained by a soldier are to be enjoyed for life, while schools are required to teach "the glorious history of the PLA and the heroic and exemplary deeds of soldiers."
The law comes after blogger Qiu Ziming, who had more than 2.5 million followers on social media, was jailed for eight months for "defaming martyrs," the first case since changes to the law earlier this year banning insults or defamation of revolutionary heroes and martyrs. In September 2016, a blogger was asked to make a public apology after he challenged the story of Qiu Shaoyun, a soldier in the Korean War (1950-53).
