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, April 30, 2014

Consumer Product Safety (消费品安全)

After “cadmium rice,” now “lead” and “arsenic rice”
中国稻米产区重金属污染严重
The New York Times, April 30, 2014
cn.nytimes.com/china/20140430/c30soil/dual/

Corruption (腐败)

China party expels ex-Politburo member's associate
Daily Mail, April 29, 2014
www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-2615855/China-party-expels-ex-Politburo-members-associate.html

Disasters (灾难)

Food meant for Sichuan quake victims found rotting in storeroom - six years later
South China Morning Post, April 30, 2014
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1500617/relief-goods-sichuan-quake-victims-found-rotting-countys-storeroom-six

Environment (环境)

最严格《环保法》该如何执行?(How will the tougher environmental protection law be implemented?)
Deutsche Welle, April 29, 2014
dw.de/p/1Bqpn

Hukou (户口)

Can hukou reform save Chinese property?
Macrobusiness, April 30, 2014
www.macrobusiness.com.au/2014/04/can-hukou-reform-save-chinese-property/

China city eases property rules, fuelling speculation others may follow
Reuters, April 29, 2014
www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/29/us-china-property-idUSBREA3S04N20140429

State Council urged to halt “illegal” extra permits required to secure hukou for babies
South China Morning Post, April 30, 2014
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1500708/lawyers-urge-state-council-halt-illegal-extra-permits-babies-hukou

Human Rights Defenders (人权卫士)

Chinese activist Xu Wanping freed amid clampdown
British Broadcasting Corporation, April 30, 2014
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-27219194

For more information on Xu Wanping, see:
Xu Wanping freed after nine years in prison
许万平服刑9年后获释
Human Rights in China, April 29, 2014
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/xu-wanping-freed-after-nine-years-prison
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/xin-wen-gong-zuo/xu-mo-ping-fu-xing-9nian-hou-huo-shi

June Fourth (六四)

Chinese journalist missing ahead of Tiananmen commemoration
中国记者六四纪念日前夕失踪
The New York Times, April 30, 2014
cn.nytimes.com/china/20140430/c30gao/dual/

Related:
六四敏感日前夕高瑜失踪已六日 母子俩疑同遭官方软禁 (Veteran journalist Gao Yu and son believed to be under house arrest ahead of June Fourth anniversary)
Radio Free Asia, April 29, 2014
www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/64-04292014102305.html

Tiananmen Square: Chinese police try to silence 25th anniversary
The Telegraph, April 29, 2014
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10794880/Tiananmen-Square-Chinese-police-try-to-silence-25th-anniversary.html

Society (社会)

China is hiding how bad income inequality is in the country
Quartz, April 29, 2014
qz.com/204180/china-is-hiding-how-bad-income-inequality-is-in-the-country/

See report:
Income inequality in today’s China
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, April 24, 2014
www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/04/24/1403158111.abstract?sid=3ef61cf9-2820-4854-82ea-a42e17add18d&_ga=1.252535369.1384716248.1396920628

Women(妇女)

Over 27? Unmarried? Female? You'd be on the scrapheap in China
The Telegraph, April 30, 2014
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10786321/Leftover-women-Over-27-Unmarried-Female-Youd-be-on-the-scrapheap-in-China.html

XUAR (新疆维吾尔自治区)

China's president says Xinjiang is front line on terrorism, hails police
Reuters, April 29, 2014
www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/29/us-china-xinjiang-idUSBREA3S0BM20140429

Dozens injured as explosion rocks train station in Xinjiang capital Urumqi
South China Morning Post, April 30, 2014
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1501108/dozens-injured-explosion-rocks-train-station-xinjiang-capital-urumqi

Vietnam border shoot-out raises Uighur questions
British Broadcasting Corporation, April 29, 2014
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27200562