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.

Monday, December 08, 2008

December 6-8, 2008

News
Corruption
县委书记称收“年礼”不算受贿 五年收近两百万 (Hunan County Party Secretary Sentenced to 13 Years for Corruption)
Legal Daily (via China News), December 8, 2008
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/sh/news/2008/12-08/1477629.shtml

Disasters
Overzealous Cadres Overwhelm China Quake Victims
Reuters (via Yahoo! News), December 5, 2008
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081205/wl_nm/us_china_earthquake

Environment
Pollution Delays Huge Water Scheme
South China Morning Post, December 7, 2008
http://www.scmp.com/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e78ddde2a2d0e110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

Hong Kong
香港民间组织促更多关注人权问题 (Hong Kong NGOs Urge More Attention Be Paid to Human Rights on Human Rights Day)
Voice of America, December 7, 2008
http://voanews.com/chinese/w2008-12-07-voa26.cfm

Human Rights Defenders
贵阳公安向家属证实 三异见人士遭软禁 (Three Guizhou Dissidents Placed under House Arrest before Human Rights Day)
Radio Free Asia, December 7, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gui-12072008162527.html

Government
村民600袋面贿选被拘 (Villager Detained after Using Flour to Bribe Voters)
The Beijing News, December 7, 2008
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/guonei/2008/12-07/008@022138.htm

Labor
1000度鋼水噴出5死傷 (Two Dead, Three Severely Injured in Guangdong Molten Steel Accident)
Ming Pao, December 8, 2008
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20081208/ccc1.htm

Media
Mainland Moves to Reign in Internet
South China Morning Post, December 6, 2008
http://www.scmp.com/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=782de7791180e110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

Politics
Officials Held over Fatal Beating
South China Morning Post, December 6, 2008
http://www.scmp.com/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=8c5fe7791180e110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

山东村民举报村官后遇害 警方敷衍 (Shandong Villagers Killed after Reporting Corruption)
Radio Free Asia, December 7, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shan-12072008170028.html

Protests & Petitions
China City Locks Up 'Petitioners' in Mental Asylum: State Media
Agence Free Presse (via Yahoo! News), December 8, 2008
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081208/wl_asia_afp/chinarightspetitionershospitalpsychology

Related news:
上访者被强送精神病院 (Petitioners Sent to Psychiatric Hospital)
The Beijing News, December 8, 2008
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/deep/2008/12-08/008@021055.htm
皖太湖县拆祠堂暴力执法 数千村民聚集三人被捕 (Three Anhui Villagers Arrested after 1000+ Protest over Demolished Housing)
Radio Free Asia, December 5, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/taihu-12052008090416.html

Society
China Stimulus Slights Human Capital
Wall Street Journal, December 8, 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122867986546386127.html