The HRIC Daily Brief is a daily selection of news stories and commentary related to human rights in China, drawn from Chinese- and English-language news and online media sources that we monitor daily. In addition to headlines and source links, HRIC also provides English translation of Chinese headlines.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

August 31, 2005

Top news of the day

Police – Abuse / Human Rights - Human rights defenders
Activist group shut before envoy's visit
SCMP, 31/08/2005
Rights activist Hou Wenzhuo was virtually putting house arrest as police surrounded her home in Beijing, after police raided her office yesterday.
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZP0M0GZCE.html

Police – RTL / Protests and Petitions
Petitioner Wang Qiaojuan Sentenced to RTL
Human Rights in China Press Release, 30/08/2005
Shanghai petitioner Wang Qiaojuan (王巧娟) was sentenced to one year of Reeducation Through Labor (RTL) on a charge of “obstructing the execution of public duty. ”She was attacked by public securities on June 24 and formally detained on July 7, as she and some 30 petitioners attempted to make way to petition to Beijing authority.
http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/press?revision%5fid
=24481&item%5fid=24478


Protests and Petitions / Corruption - Cases
Villagers starting hunger strike to remove leader
SCMP, 31/08/2005
Residents of Taishi village in Guangzhou's Panyu district would stage a hunger strike today to
pressure the local government to remove their corrupted village chief, who had been accused of embezzling village funds.
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ50M0GZCE.html

Xinjiang
Xinjiang Police Form Special Unit for Exile Dissident's Family
Radio Free Asia, 31/08/2005
Xinjiang police have set up a special unit, known as "the number 307 office", to investigate the relatives and business interests of exiled Uyghur dissident Rebiya Kadeer.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/politics/2005/08/30/
uyghur_kadeer/



News

Corruption
China Youth Daily: How many people have been sentenced for corruption?
中国青年报:有多少人因为行贿而判刑
People's Daily, 30/08/2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42731/3652783.html

Death Penalty / Law
Interview with NPC members and Supreme People's Court on the proposal of scrapping death penalty on non-violent crimes
关注非暴力犯罪死刑问题 专访全国人大和高法
EastDay.com, 31/08/2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/node
83476/userobject1ai1398691.html


Detention – Zhao Yan (趙岩) / State Security - State secrets
Secrecy Veils China's Jailing of a Journalist
New York Times, 31/08/2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/international/asia/3
1secret.html?ex=1283140800&en=4e50d6e
91e1a4cdf&ei=5
088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


Detention – Yao Fushan (姚福善) / Human Rights - Human rights defenders
Jailed labor rights activist Yao Fushan suffers from heart attack in prison
辽阳工运领袖姚福信狱中发心脏病
Voice of America, 30/08/2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-08-30-voa14.cfm

Education - Basic education / Law
Clear definition on free education needed before any law amendments
中国经济时报:修订义务教育法应先正名义务教育
People's Daily, 30/08/2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42731/3653087.html

Gender - Sexual harassment
Expert anxious the blurred sexual harassment definition to make people getting uneasy about socializing activities
專家稱若不對性騷擾進行界定將會引發交往恐慌
CRI Online, 31/08/2005
http://big5.chinabroadcast.cn/gate/big5/gb.chinabroadcast.cn/
3821/2005/08/31/107@680600.htm


Beijing court to receive the first sexual harassment case
北京将有首起性骚扰诉讼
Chinesenewsnet.com, 30/08/2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/cna_2005_08_30_05_00_31
_843.html

Gender - Gender equality / Law
Law should also protect male's sexual rights
男性性权利法律也该保护
Legal Daily, 31/08/2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-08/31/content_1885
50.htm


Gender - Women trafficking / UN
Top UN Human Rights Official Urges Ratification of Anti-Trafficking Agreements
Voice of America, 30/08/2005
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-08-30-voa9.cfm

Human Rights / UN
Back off on human rights, Beijing says
SCMP, 31/08/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZT0M0GZCE.html

Human Rights - Human rights defenders / UN
Right activists monitored during the UN Human Rights Commissioner's visit
联合国官员到访中国监控异议人士
Voice of America, 31/08/2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-08-30-voa15.cfm

Land
Ministry of Land and Resources urged to crackdown on illegal land confiscation in the name of "renting"
國土資源部緊急通知 阻擊“以租代徵”圈地運動
CRI Online, 31/08/2005
http://big5.chinabroadcast.cn/gate/big5/gb.chinabroadcast.cn/
3821/2005/08/31/107@680646.htm


Legal reform in China: many ideas, yet too many challenges
中国司法改革头绪繁多落实遇挑战
Voice of America, 30/08/2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/2005-08-30-voa30.cfm

Media - Press freedom/censorship
Media monitoring should not be treated as media censorship
舆论监督不应成为“媒体审判”
People's Daily, 31/08/2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42731/3651372.html

Police – Abuse / Human Rights - Human rights defenders
Hu Jia beaten up by Public Security on the day when UN High Commissioner started the China visit
【专访】联合国专员访华 胡佳遭毒打
Dajiyuan.com, 31/08/2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/8/31/n1036010.htm

Protests and Petitions / Rural Issues
Activist speaks about a tidal wave of protests in rural areas upcoming
韩东方:中国新一轮农民起义揭开序幕?
Chinesenewsnet.com, 31/08/2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Opinion/2005
_8_30_20_23_19_651.html


Public Health - HIV AIDS /STDs / Rural Issues
AIDS campaign to focus on remote rural regions
Xinhuanet.com, 31/08/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/31/content_342
4750.htm


Public Health / Government
More funding on the public health sector so hospitals no need to sell drugs to make a budget balance
“以医养医”取代“以药养医”效果如何?
Radio Free Asia, 30/08/2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2005/08/30/yiyao/

An insight into sky-high medical expenses
Sinofile.net via China Digital News, 28/08/2005
http://www.sinofile.net/Saiweng/swsite.nsf/FullStory?readform&
25BF5756334CF2554825704C001
DE2DA

Society - Ethnic minority / Economic Development
China to formulate development policy in favor of the ethnic minorities
中國將採取措施加快人口較少民族發展
CRI Online, 31/08/2005
http://big5.chinabroadcast.cn/gate/big5/gb.chinabroadcast.cn/
3821/2005/08/30/107@680509.htm


Xinjiang / State Security - Terrorism
Xinjiang police set up anti-terrorism training school to crackdown terrorism and separatism in the region
新疆警方兴建"中亚反恐学校"打击"三股势力"
EastDay.com, 31/08/2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/node83
476/userobject1ai1398461.html


Hong Kong
June 4 democrats invited by Beijing
The Standard, 31/08/2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=
12&art_id=606&sid=4349075&con_type=1