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, October 06, 2004

DAILY NEWS BRIEF FOR October 6, 2004

Top news of the day

Prisons
US Congress urges China’s permission for UN investigation on torture of prisoners
美国国会报告促中国允许酷刑调查
Peacehall.com, October 6, 2004
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2004/10/200410061236.shtml

Population
China plans to relax family planning policy
中國正考慮調整計劃生育政策
Radio Free Asia, October 5, 2004
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/xinwen/2004/10/05/china_population/

News

Corruption
Top officials fail to show remorse for corruption
SCMP, October 6, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=SCMP/Printacopy&aid=ZZZ14145OXD

HRIC in the media
China protester tortured: report
The Australian, October 6, 2004
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10988947^1702,00.html

Labour – Law
Guangdong attempts to setup labour tribunal system
广东拟设新劳动仲裁机构
BeijingNews.com, October 6, 2004
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2004-10-6/200410621546.htm

Labour – Industrial accidents
31 died in an explosion in a fireworks factory in Guangxi
广西浦北爆竹厂爆炸死亡人数升至31人57人伤
China Youth net, October 6, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2004-10/05/content_2053895.htm

Blast shuts province’s fireworks industry
SCMP, October 6, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=SCMP/Printacopy&aid=ZZZ94145OXD

Coal mine gas blast kills nine in east China Coal mine gas blast kills nine in east China
China Daily, October 5, 2004
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/05/content_379897.htm

Two died in a fire at LG factory in Guangdong
LG廣東惠州新廠突發大火,兩名工人燒死在電梯
Chinanews.com, October 6, 2004
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/news/2004/2004-10-06/26/491105.shtml

Migrant workers
Millions of migrant workers suffered from sexual repression
性壓抑困逾億民工
WenWeiPo, October 6, 2004
http://www.wenweipo.com/news_print.phtml?news_id=CH0410060009

Population
Woman campaigning against one-child policy tortured: report
SCMP, October 6, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=SCMP/Printacopy&aid=ZZZ83Z35OXD

Free family planning service extended to 5 million floating population in Guangdong
广州流动人口超500万 手续齐全可享免费计生服务
Chinanews.com, October 6, 2004
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/news/2004/2004-10-06/26/491098.shtml

Public health – HIV aids
Nation's Media Urged to Promote Safe Sex
China.org.cn, October 6, 2004
http://www.china.org.cn/english/government/108700.htm#

Rural issues – Agricultural policies and reform
Food production increased
多予少取 一号文件立竿见影 中国粮食恢复增长
Xinhua, October 6, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2004-10/06/content_2056607.htm

Rural issues – Land / Petitions
China's Land Grabs Raise Specter of Popular Unrest
Washingtonpost.com, October 5, 2004
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6968-2004Oct4.html?nav=rss_topnews

Other – Tibet
Dalai Lama says Beijing's fears holding back talks
SCMP, October 6, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ54145OXD.html

DAILY NEWS BRIEF FOR October 4-5, 2004


Top news of the day

UN
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention condemns China for failing to treat detainees according to international standard
Radio Free Asia, October 3, 2004
联合国谴责中国在对待被拘禁人士方面不符合国际惯例
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2004/10/04/qianze/

News

Accountability
Too many carders for too few people
窮 縣 3 萬 人 供 養 2300 官
Apple Daily, October 5, 2004
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?sec_id=15335&showdate=20041005&art_id=4351121

Children – Education
Textbook fee exemptions for 30% of rural children in Nanchong and free education for poverty-stricken students in Guangan
南昌三成農村娃免書費,廣安貧困生免費義務教育
Xinhuanet.com, October 5, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/edu/2004-10/05/content_2053757.htm

Corruption
Anti-corruption departments urge to build up experienced and quality staff
反貪部門急需4類人才,檢察機關將建立高級人才庫
China.com.cn, October 5, 2004
http://www.china.org.cn/chinese/law/673080.htm

Economic Development
Government announces four sets of macroeconomic reform policies
四改革措施隨宏調出台
Wenweipo, October 4, 2004
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id=CH0410040004&cat=002CH

Development is the prime task of the government
發展是黨執政興國第一要務
Beijingnews, September 27, 2004
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2004-9-27/200492722345.htm

Environment
How Erin Brockovich inspired an activist to her cause
SCMP, October 5, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=SCMP/Printacopy&aid=ZZZZFD35OXD

Hukou – Identification Documents
“Residential Identification” needed for residing for more than 3 days in Shanghai
上海将实施居住证制 来沪3天以上办居住证
Beijing Youth Daily, September 29, 2004
http://china.ynet.com/view.jsp?oid=3836932

Shanghai couple witness the change of Hukou system: from hukou book to resident identification 從戶口簿到居住証 上海夫婦見証20年制度變革
Eastday.com, October 5, 2004
http://sh.eastday.com/eastday/shnews/fenleixinwen/shehui/userobject1ai559507.html

HRIC in the media

Hu ordered investigation on leaking information on Jiang’s resignation
胡錦濤親自下令調查江澤民辭職消息泄露事件
Radio Free Asia, October 1 2004
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/xinwen/2004/10/01/zhaoyan/

Labour
People’s Supreme Court: mental compensation could be claimed over occupational illnesses
最高法规定劳动者患职业病可以要求精神赔偿
Beijing Youth Daily, September 29, 2004
http://china.ynet.com/view.jsp?oid=3842264

Labour – Income level

Hopes to raise minimum wage in Zhejiang by 15-20% for labour shortages
浙江提高最低工资标准应对民工荒 上调幅度15-20%
Xinhua, October 5, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2004-10/05/content_2053893.htm

Labour – Industrial accidents
9 died in a coalmine accident in Jiangxi
江西一煤矿发生瓦斯突出事故 9人死亡20多人受伤
Xinhua, October 5, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2004-10/05/content_2053895.htm

Explosion in firework factory in Guangxi killed 24 people
煙花爆竹廠爆炸,事發廣西,24人死
NanFang Daily, October 5, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/edu/2004-10/05/content_2053757.htmhttp://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/dd/nfrb/A04/200410050104.asp

Legal – Reforms
China legal departments attempt to establish people’s procuratorate system across China
中國檢察機關在全國範圍內推行人民監督員制度
CRI online, October 4, 2004
http://big5.chinabroadcast.cn/gate/big5/gb.chinabroadcast.cn/3821/2004/10/04/146@317402.htm

Migrant Workers
Moving Millions Rebuild a Nation
China.org.cn, October 4, 2004
http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/108570.htm

Politics
16th CCP 4th panel session reveals new political style: democracy, practicality and creative
CRI online, October 4, 2004
http://big5.chinabroadcast.cn/gate/big5/gb.chinabroadcast.cn/3821/2004/10/04/146@317298.htm

Population
China faces 10-million population increase in 20 years
大陸廿年內年增千萬人
Mingpao, October 5, 2004
http://full.mingpaonews.com/20041005/t_cca1h.htm

Public Health – AIDS
Intervention teams to curb AIDS transmission
Xinhau, September 29, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-09/29/content_2039138.htm

China takes active measures to control HIV/AIDS
Xinhau, October 4, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-10/04/content_2050475.htm

Class spreads knowledge to fight HIV
Chinadaily, October 5, 2004
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/05/content_379859.htm

6 ministries supported non-profit making condom ad
6部门明确支持公益广告在大众媒体推广使用安全套
Xinhua, October 5, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2004-10/05/content_2053303.htm

Trafficking
Women and child sellers get death in China
Reuters, October 3, 2004
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041003/3/1p80g.html

Others – North Korea
Canada stalls China on refugees
BBC, October 4, 2004
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3702770.stm

Others – Tibet
Tibetan Monk Shot Dead in Qinghai, Officials Appeal for Calm
Radio Free Asia, October 1, 2004
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/politics/2004/10/01/tibet_monk/