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, June 24, 2009

June 24, 2009

Top News
Human Rights Defender – Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波)
刘晓波被捕 被控煽动颠覆国家政权 (Liu Xiaobo Formally Arrested, Accused of “Inciting Subversion of State Power”)
British Broadcasting News, June 24, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_8110000/newsid_8116000/8116019.stm

Xinhua News Agency announced on June 24, 2009, that the formal arrest of independent intellectual and Independent Chinese PEN Center president Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波) on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” [煽动颠覆国家政权罪] was approved by the Beijing procuratorate on June 23. Liu has been detained since he was subpoenaed by the Beijing police on December 8, 2008, in connection with his signing of Charter 08. The Beijing Public Security Bureau claims that Liu has incited the subversion of state power and the overturn of the socialist system through the fabrication of rumors and slander. They also state that Liu has “fully confessed.”

Related news:
刘晓波因涉嫌煽动颠覆国家政权罪被依法逮捕 (Liu Xiaobo Formally Arrested on
“Suspicion Inciting Subversion of State Power” Charges)
China Review News, June 24, 2009
http://cn.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1010/0/3/6/101003632.html?coluid=0&kindid=0&docid=101003632
News
Environment
China Suspends Reforestation Project over Food Shortage Fears
Guardian, June 23, 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/23/china-food-shortage

Green Dam
Tension Rises with US over Spyware
South China Morning Post, June 24, 2009
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=5b897316f0e02210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

政府执意推行绿坝 民众罢网翻墙抗封锁 (As the Government Pushes On with the "Green Dam," Masses Choose to Protest through Internet Boycott and Use of Anonymous Browsing Software and Proxies)
Radio Free Asia, June 23, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/luba-06232009152847.html

Human Rights Defender – Zheng Enchong (郑恩宠)
China Rights Lawyer Beaten, Stripped By Police
Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo! News), June 23, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090623/wl_asia_afp/chinarightslawyer

Law
Changes Proposed to Law on Compensation
South China Morning Post, June 22, 2009
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=3ca97316f0e02210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

国家保密局:缩小国家秘密范围 实现科学定密 (NAPSS: Reduce Scope of State Secrets through Scientific Classification of Secrets)
Xinhua News Agency, June 24, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-06/24/content_11592171.htm

Media
西安:经营黑网吧情节严重者将被追究刑事责任 (Xi'an: Operators of Underground Internet Cafes to Be Investigated for Criminally Charges)
Xinhua News Agency, June 24, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-06/24/content_11590770.htm

Migrant Workers
Baby Boom to Migrant Mothers’ Gloom
China Daily, June 24, 2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-06/24/content_8317188.htm

Olympics
Age-old Question: Chinese Gymnasts under Review
Associated Press (via Google News), June 24, 2009
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jWs0W-T06pfophXmt9DRQV9BLYEQD990GSPO0

Police
最高检:重点纠正刑讯逼供、暴力取证、违法拘留 (Supreme People's Procuratorate: Focus on Rectifying Forced Confessions, Violent Extortion of Evidence, and Illegal Detentions)
Xinhua News Agency, June 24, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-06/24/content_11591880.htm

Protests and Petitions
川震死難學生家長 赴京上訪再受阻 (Parents Who Lost Children in Sichuan Earthquake again Prevented from Petitioning in Beijing)
Ming Pao, June 24, 2009
http://news.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show.cgi/94/1/1/1177836/1.html

Public Health
Birth Defects Show Human Price of Coal
Reuters, June 23, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090623/wl_nm/us_china_coal_birthdefects

Tibet
Foreign Reporters Allowed Scripted Trip to Tibet
Associated Press (via Yahoo! News), June 23, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090623/ap_on_re_as/as_china_tibet

XUAR
Palau President: Uygur Detainees Still Fear China
Associated Press (via South China Morning Post), June 23, 2009
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=f89d1317c5b02210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD