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.

Friday, March 19, 2010

March 19, 2010

Top news
Human Rights Defender – Gao Zhisheng (高智晟)
高智晟哥哥:三月初接到高智晟来电报平安 (Gao Zhisheng's Brother: I Received Notice from Gao That He Is Well in Early March)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2010
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/China-Gao-03182010110348.html

News
Bilateral Ties
China Refutes British Report on Human Rights
China Daily, March 19, 2010
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/18/content_9611042.htm

Food Security
中國人年吃 300萬噸坑渠油 毒性是砒霜 100倍 外出食 10餐有 1餐中招 (3 Mil Tons of Carcinogenic Cooking Oil Injested by Chinese Each Year)
Apple Daily, March 19, 2010
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/template/apple/art_main.php?iss_id=20100319&sec_id=15335&subsec_id=15336&art_id=13836787
Related news:
Old Oil Used in '1 in 10 Meals'
China Daily, March 19, 2010
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/19/content_9611395.htm
Government
“代表选举不能丢了广泛代表性” (NPC Legislative Affairs Committee Deputy Director: Campaigns Would Make Elections a Thing for the Wealthy)
The Beijing News, March 19, 2010
http://news.bjnews.com.cn/2010/0319/66363.shtml

Hong Kong
17 Per Cent of Workers Earn Less than HK$33 an Hour
South China Morning Post, March 19, 2010
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=471ba5a83f177210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

Law
China Warns Australia Not to Politicize Rio Tinto Spying Case
Voice of America, March 19, 2010
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/China-Warns-Australia-Not-to-Politicize-Rio-Tinto-Spying-Case-88423782.html

Draft Law Highlights Ban on Cruelty to Animals
China Daily, March 19, 2010
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/19/content_9611306.htm

Human Rights Defender – Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波)
Supporters of Liu Xiaobo Plead Not Guilty to Unlawful Assembly
South China Morning Post, March 19, 2010
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=bdd3db00d7177210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

Human Rights Defender – Tan Zuoren (谭作人)
四川高法立案受理谭作人上诉申请 (Sichuan Court Accepts Tan Zuoren's Appeal Application)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2010
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/China-dissident-03182010114300.html

Labor
Hepatitis B Test is Not Vital for Civil Servants
China Daily, March 19, 2010
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/18/content_9610982.htm

Protests and Petitions
北京成立信访矛盾研究中心 (Beijing Establishes Country's First Petitioning Conflict Research Center)
Xinhua News Agency, March 18, 2010
http://www.bj.xinhuanet.com/bjpd_sdzx/2010-03/18/content_19284059.htm

Taiwan
Amnesty International Urges Taiwan to Scrap Death Penalty
Reuters, March 19, 2010
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62H11Q20100318

Tibet
Tibetans Take to the Streets to Mark Uprising
South China Morning Post, March 19, 2010
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=958da5a83f177210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD
Related news:
甘肅藏青示威 20人被捕 (20 Detained in Gansu Tibetan Student Protest Commemorating Anniversary of Unrest)
Sing Tao Daily, March 19, 2010
http://news.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show.cgi/94/1/1/1463002/1.html