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, July 17, 2009

July 17, 2009

Top News of the Day
Human Rights Defender -- Sun Xiaodi (孫小弟)
China Jails Environment Activists: Rights Group
Reuters, July 17, 2009
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE56G0WZ20090717

Anti-nuclear activist Sun Xiaodi (孙小弟) and his daughter Sun Dunbai (孙敦白), a.k.a. Sun Haiyan (孙海燕), were sentenced on July 16 to Reeducation-Through-Labor by authorities in Gansu. Sun Xiaodi was sentenced to two years, and Sun Dunbai to one-and-a-half years. Authorities assert that Sun Xiaodi stole information on a state-owned uranium mine and gave it to his daughter to supply to overseas organizations.

Related information:
HRIC Press Release: Environmental Activist Sun Xiaodi Sentenced to Two Years of Reeducation-Through-Labor; Daughter to Year-and-a-Half
Human Rights in China, July 16, 2009
http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/170256


News
Bilateral Ties
Lawmakers Want Investigation into Uighurs at Gitmo
Associated Press (via Yahoo! News), July 16, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_go_co/us_us_china_uighurs
Civil Society
NGO Fined Heavily for Tax Breaches
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2009
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=e95c9ccde7482210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD
Corruption
9,000 Officials Guilty of Graft: SPP
China Daily, July 17, 2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/17/content_8438856.htm
Environment
Six-month Drought Leads to Big Water Shortage in Ningxia
Xinhua News Agency (via Shanghai Daily), July 17, 2009
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200907/20090717/article_407713.htm
Human Rights Defender
福州严晓玲案:发帖网友被拘 记者无权求证 (Six Netizens Detained for Posting about Yan Xiaoling Case Online)
Xin Kuai Bao (via Net Ease), July 17, 2009
http://news.163.com/09/0717/02/5ED3A7MI00011229.html

Protests and Petitions

宁波出动武警连夜强征土地打伤村民 (Police Dispatched to Forcibly Evict Villagers in Zhejiang)
Radio Free Asia, July 16, 2009

http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/clash_land-07162009121000.html?encoding=simplified

北京周三晚再度扫荡上访村(视频) (Beijing Authorities Sweep Petitioning Village Again)
Radio Free Asia, July 16, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shangfang-07162009122517.html

State Security
China's Rio Investigation Ongoing Says Australia
Reuters (via Yahoo! News), July 16, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090716/wl_nm/us_china_australia

Taiwan
China Snubs World Games Opening
British Broadcasting Corporation, July 16, 2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/17/content_8440661.htm

XUAR
Official Defends Closure As 'in Step with Islamic Doctrine'
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2009 http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=442d9ccde7482210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

China to Issue Arrest Warrants for Xinjiang Riots
Associated Press (via Yahoo! News), July 16, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_re_as/as_china_protest

China Scales Back Paramilitary Forces in Urumqi
Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo! News), July 16, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090716/wl_afp/chinaunrestxinjiangsecurity