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, October 25, 2004

DAILY NEWS BRIEF FOR October 22-25, 2004

Top news of the day

Detention – Zhao Yan

Zhao Yan’s lawyer comments on the case
律师莫少平谈赵岩案件
Voice of America, October 23, 2004
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/10/22/n697475.htm

NY Times researcher formally arrested
SCMP, October 22, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZKYKE2I0E.html

Media - censorship
Two Guangzhou magazines suppressed for publishing article advocating for political reforms
广州两杂志刊文吁政改遭整肃
Chinesenewsnet.com, October 25, 2004
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/2004_10_24_16_57_38_918.html

Guangzhou magazines suppressed for publishing former party secretary’s article on political reforms
刊前省委書記文章籲政改廣州最大膽雜誌遭整肅

Apple Daily, October 25, 2004
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?sec_id=15335&showdate=20041025&art_id=4394227


News

CCP

Communist Party rights now in black and white
SCMP, October 25, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZSUG73I0E.html

Environment
Smog all around, but who's to blame?
SCMP, October 25, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZZHPE2I0E.html

'Most houses, trees and roads are blanketed in dust'
SCMP, October 25, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZNUG73I0E.html

Human Rights
Chinese companies’ take-over raises concerns on security and human rights
中国企业收购外国公司 引发安全与人权争议
Dajiyuan.com, October 23, 2004-10-25
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/10/23/n698042.htm

Labour – Industrial accidents
Hopes fade for missing miners
SCMP, October 22, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ5AD73I0E.html

Operator's other coal mines shut after blast
SCMP, October 23, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZXW2Z2I0E.html

'If there was any information, I could at least be a bit comforted'
SCMP, October 23, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZS6NE2I0E.html

42 pitmen die in two other accidents
SCMP, October 23, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZPINE2I0E.html

Labour – safety and working conditions
Safety standards ignored in the pursuit of profits
SCMP, October 22, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZWCLE2I0E.html

Workplace carnage claims 15 lives an hour
SCMP, October 22, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZXRC73I0E.html

Labour – union
Labour union says violation of labour union regulations are serious and common amongst muilt-national corporation
全国总工会:部分跨国企业违反工会法现象严重
Eastday.com, October 25, 2004
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/news/news/node4938/node37621/userobject1ai603862.html

Law
Property rights law likely to go ahead
SCMP, October 25, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZPYOE2I0E.html

Law – legal reform
Draft revisions of criminal laws may incorporate new charges
刑法修正案(五)草案拟新增数罪
Legal Daily, October 25, 2004
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/xwzx/2004-10/25/content_143777.htm

Media – censorship
Families, media kept from mine
SCMP, October 25, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ8WG73I0E.html

Media – internet
Asia Weekly interviews professor He Weifang: registration requirement for internet sites is a bad law
亚洲周刊专访北大教授贺卫方:网站须注册就是恶法
Chinesenewnet.com, October 24, 2004
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Forums/BackStage/2004_10_24_9_52_8_320.html

Asia Weekly interviews website owner: who counter-balance government’s abuse of power?
亚洲周刊专访学术批评网主持人杨玉圣:谁来制衡政府滥权?
Chinesenewnet.com, October 24, 2004
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/2004_10_24_9_53_15_127.html

Police / law
China attempts to revise law to regulate police’s use of authority
中国修法规范警察权力行使 减少警察自由裁量权
Chinesenewsnet.com, October 23, 2004
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/zxs_2004-10-23_497750.shtml

Population
Sexual ratio increase and HIV aids spread amongst the major problems of China’s population
出生性别比攀升艾滋病蔓延 中国人口面临五难题
Eastday.com, October 23, 2004
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/news/news/node4938/node37459/userobject1ai601975.html

300 million babies would not be born in 30 years, current net population increased by 10 million
中国30年少生3亿人 现在全国年净增人口约1000万
Chinesenewsnet.com, October 25, 2004
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/zxs_2004-10-25_498131.shtml

UN official says China is capable of controlling the issue of sex ratio of the new births
联合国官员:中国能有效控制“出生人口性别比”
Chinesenewsnet.com, October 23, 2004
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/zxs_2004-10-23_497896.shtml

Protests and Petitions
The consequence of fighting for rights – a case of Hebei migrant Li FengChun
张耀杰来稿:河北移民李丰春一家的维权灾难
Chinesenewsnet.com, October 24, 2004
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Forums/BackStage/2004_10_24_20_43_46_958.html

Petitioners beaten to death by police and a petitioner arrested
访民连续被警察打死 郑明芳被逮捕定罪
Dajiyuan.com, October 24, 2004
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/10/24/n698250.htm

Thousands of retired workers protests in Anhui
张林:安徽蚌埠万名退休工人集会示威
Chinesenewsnet.com, October 22, 2004
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/2004_10_22_8_26_56_270.html

Farmers got charged for fighting for rights
维权获“罪”的农民
Nanfang weekend, October 21, 2004
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20041021/xw/fz/200410210101.asp

Public health – HIV aids
Letting light into an Aids 'black hole'
SCMP, October 23, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZFINE2I0E.html

Religion
'Stability the key' to new rules on religion
SCMP, October 23, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZLINE2I0E.html


Rural issues – employment
A deadly harvest for farmers
SCMP, October 23, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZU2OE2I0E.html

Rural issues - taxation
Taxation reforms continue in effort to help farmers
SCMP, October 23, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ8XE73I0E.html

SOEs
SOE reforms, social discontent and analysis
中国国企改革、民怨和评论
Voice of America, October 25, 2004
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/10/25/n698876.htm

Other - Hong Kong
Beijing rules out any referendum on suffrage
SCMP, October 25, 2004
http://hongkong.scmp.com/hknews/ZZZB1PE2I0E.html