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, January 03, 2005

December 31, 2004 – January 3, 2005

Top news of the day

Labour – protests
Workers jailed over pay protest released
SCMP, January, 3, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZJ6K7SC3E.html

Political dissidents – imprisonment – Yang Tinshui (楊天水)
Dissident writer sentenced for subversion
異 見 作 家 被 控 顛 覆 政 權
Apple Daily, January 3, 2005
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?sec_id=15335&showdate=20050103&art_id=4557724



News

Corruption
21 billion yuan recovered since graft revelations
SCMP, December 31, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ8IH7SC3E.html

Disaster
China offers extra US$60.5m aid to tsunami victims
SCMP, December 31, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ0UI7SC3E.html

Food security / land policy
Searching for pieces of land for farming
寻找可以耕种的土地
Nanfang Weekend, December 30, 2004
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/zt/2004zmnztk/2004zggs/200412300108.asp

Gender / poverty
A gender study shows women the majority of the poverty population
从中国妇女研究会了解 贫困人口女性占“多数”
Xinhuanet.com, January 3, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-01/03/content_2409985.htm

Gender – status
Struggling conditions of rural women
中国农村妇女处境艰难
Voice of America, January 1, 2005
http://www1.voanews.com/Chinese/article.cfm?objectID=6E3159DA-9408-4CB7-925B48F2747A5718&title=%D6%D0%B9%FA%C5%A9%B4%E5%B8%BE%C5%AE%B4%A6%BE%B3%BC%E8%C4%D1%2805%C4%EA1%D4%C22%C8%D5%29&catOID=C283D8A3-4AB3-11D5-8EC2009027ACC5C2&categoryname=National%20News

Government – governance and accountability
Nanfang Weekend’s People of the year - Li Jinhua(李金華)
李金华——二00四南方周末年度人物
Nanfang Weekend, December 30, 2004
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/zt/2004zmnztk/2004zgrw/200412300043.asp

Government – fiscal / poverty
Fiscal reform to favor the poor in China
People’s Daily, December 31, 2004
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200412/31/eng20041231_169289.html

Labour
Survey on living conditions of rural migrant labour in Pearl River Delta region: when will machine finish eating up human jobs?
珠三角农民工生存状况调查:机器吃人何时了?
Eastday.com, January 3, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/node37979/node45365/userobject1ai767129.html

Labour – industrial accidents
10 died in coal mine blast in Hunan
湖南煤矿爆炸10人死亡
Radio Free Asia, January 1, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/01/01/meikuang/

Land policy
2004 - The “storm” sweeping across China’s land
2004,土地风暴
Nanfang Weekend, December 30, 2004
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/zt/2004zmnztk/2004zggs/200412300109.asp

Law
88 laws, regulations take effect
Xinhuanet.com, January 2, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-01/02/content_2408076.htm

Media – press freedom
Lawyer in Chinese Libel Trial Slams Court's Conduct
Radio Free Asia, December 30, 2004
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2004/12/30/china_libel/

Population
Latest statistics show Chinese population reach 1.3 billion on January 6
统计局最新数据：到1月6日中国总人口将达13亿
Chinesenewsnet.com, January 3, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/zxs_2005-01-03_523740.shtml

Population – one-child policy / gender gap
Gender gap 'a critical national issue'
SCMP, December 31, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZQ5Y6SC3E.html

Politics
Pressing issues that will make 2005 a challenging year for leadership
SCMP, January 3, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZAE07SC3E.html

Protests and petitions
Petitions at Tiananmen Square on the New Year Day
元旦期间天安门广场出现多起上访事件
Radio Free Asia, January 2, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/01/02/shangfang/

Public health / environment
Pollution is taking a heavy toll on children
SCMP, January 3, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZTM17SC3E.html

Public health – HIV aids
Gui Xien (桂希恩): it is not difficult to discover aids village
桂希恩:发现艾滋村并不难……
Nanfang Weekend, December 30, 2004
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/zt/2004zmnztk/2004zgrw/200412300047.asp

Resettlement – forceful eviction
Cadres disciplined over university land scam
SCMP, December 31, 2004
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZVWG7SC3E.html

Religion – Falungong / Media - internet
China Arrests 11 Falun Gong Members for Posting Torture Photos on Internet
Voice of America, December 30, 2004
http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-12-30-voa17.cfm

Rural issue – credit and loans
Internal control of rural credit cooperatives to be improved
农村信用社内控机制应予完善
Legal Daily, December 30, 2004
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2004-12/30/content_173614.htm

Social security
National Civil Affairs conference emphasizes the establishment of a social security mechanism in urban areas
全国民政会议强调要初步建立城乡社会救助体系
EastDay.com, January 3, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/node37979/node45430/userobject1ai767457.html

Society
Harmonious society: sense of public and public adminstration
和谐社会：公共性与公共治理
China Youth On-line, January 3, 2005
http://zqb.cyol.com/gb/zqb/2005-01/03/content_1007742.htm

Three Gorges
Re-settlers of the Three Gorges reach a million
三峡移民“逼近”百万
Xinhuanet.com, January 3, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-01/03/content_2410238.htm

Other - Tibet
China may commute death sentence on Tibetan monk to life term
被判死缓西藏喇嘛可能改无期徒刑
Voice of America, December 30, 2004
http://www1.voanews.com/Chinese/article.cfm?ObjectID=AD4D0235-1D24-488E-B0623E6DB46F1050