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, February 16, 2005

February 17, 2005

News

Corruption
Premier Wen urges intensified efforts to prevent corruption
Xinhuanet.com, February 17, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200502/17/eng20050217_173
765.html

Gender
Self-help group for Chinese mothers launched in Beijing
中国母亲援助行动在京启动
Legal Daily, February 17, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-02/17/content_1873
75.htm

Gender – law
Law not protects sexual offences of the same sex
男子遭同性性侵犯 施暴者无法被追究刑事责任
People’s Daily, February 17, 2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42732/3182611.html

Environment
Watchdog clears the way for power plant construction to restart
SCMP, February 17, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ6L49585E.html

Beijing likely to face more pressure to cut emissions
SCMP, February 17, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZBA59585E.html

Labour - Industrial accidents (Liaoning Fuxin case)
Little hope for missing pitmen
SCMP, February 17, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZI859585E.html

Labour – industrial accidents
Five die, 17 missing in Yunnan mine
SCMP, February 17, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZO859585E.html

Law – legal profession
10 major trends of the development of China’s lawyer industry
北京律师：未来十大发展趋势
Legal Daily, February 17, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-02/17/content_187
371.htm

Media
New regulations on press cards to be effective on March 1
Xinhuanet.com, February 17, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200502/17/eng20050217_
173766.html

Public health
Infectious diseases kill 382 on mainland
Xinhaunet.com, February 16, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200502/16/eng20050216_
173733.html

Public health – HIV aids
Aids prevention the key in Henan and school fee exemption for aids patients’ children
河南今年防艾重点确定 艾滋病病人子女免收学费
Chinesenewsnet.com, February 17, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/zxs_2005-02-17_540458.shtml

Legal protection to equal opportunities in employment – learning from international labour standard and Canadian legislation
艾滋病人就业的法律保护———国际劳工标准和加拿大立法借鉴
Legal Daily, February 17, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-02/17/content_1873
69.htm

Hong Kong – political party
Revamped DAB may find role as kingmaker
The Standard, February 17, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Metro/GB17Ak0
1.html

Taiwan
Handling of Mainland Dissidents Ties Taiwan in Knots; Pro-democracy activists were jailed upon arrival. Officials point to the...
Los Angeles Times, 17 February 2005
Taiwan is having trouble figuring out just what to do with two Chinese dissidents who sought refuge here after years of repression on the mainland.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-dissident
s17feb17,1,3021905.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=3&cset
=true

China military buildup threatens US forces: CIA chief
AFP, Feb 16, 2005
China's military buildup could tilt the strategic balance with Taiwan and also threaten US forces in Asia, CIA director Porter Goss warned.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/20050216/wl_asia_afp/usintelligencechina

China assails CIA report on weapons buildup
Reuters, February 18, 2005
China issued a denunciation Thursday of a U.S. assessment that its weapons buildup is tilting the balance of power in the Taiwan Straits, and it said the comments sent the wrong signal to Taiwan, the self-governing island Beijing claims as its own.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/17/news/beijing.html