Prof claims account suspended over tweets mocking Xi

A New Zealand academic says Twitter temporarily restricted her account after she mocked Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Last week, University of Canterbury Professor Anne-Marie Brady sent tweets poking fun at the Chinese Communist Party's 100th anniversary celebrations.

She said two of those tweets were temporarily marked "unavailable'' by Twitter and her account was temporarily restricted over the weekend.

Edward Lucas, a columnist for The Times, wrote that it probably resulted from complaints by Communist Party agents which would have triggered an automatic response from Twitter while it investigated.

In a statement, Twitter said that when it detects unusual activity, it can add temporary notices. "The assertion that Twitter is in coordination with any government to suppress speech has no basis," Twitter said.

Brady's tweets made fun of the lack of international validation of the centenary.

In one tweet, Brady suggested a news headline: "Xi: its my Party and I'll cry if I want to."

In 2017, Brady wrote a groundbreaking paper "Magic Weapons,'' which detailed what she said were the Communist Party's efforts to exert political influence in New Zealand. Subsequent burglaries and break-ins at her home and office remain unsolved.