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.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

February 22, 2005

News

Death penalty
Chengdu corrupt official sentenced to death for taking bribes totaling 14 million yuan
成都贪官索受贿1400余万一审判死刑
Dajiyuan.com, February 22, 2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/2/22/n820445.htm

Food security – food safety
China strengthens food quality supervision
Xinhuanet.com, February 22, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/22/content_2602
733.htm

Gender – abuse
Abused woman got a reprieve after convicted of murdering her husband
包头一妇女抗虐杀夫获刑3年缓刑5年
ChinaYouthOnline.com, February 21, 2005
http://news.cyol.com/gb/news/2005-02/21/content_1034965.htm

Gender – discrimination
25 married daughter in Gansu get back land right after 10 years of lawsuit
甘肃:25名“出嫁女” 10年讨回土地权
People’s Daily, February 18, 2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42734/43193/3186101.html

June 4th – EU arms ban
Chirac, Bush discuss China arms embargo
SCMP, February 22, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZS8YI985E.html



Labour – industrial accidents (Fuxin Case)
Grief-stricken coal city's grim realities
SCMP, February 22, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chifeatures/ZZZSKYJ985E.html

Labour - industrial accidents
Body of final missing miner found after deadly Chinese coal disaster
AP, February 22, 2005
The body of the last missing miner from a Feb. 14 coal mine explosion in northeast China has been found, bringing the death toll from the disaster to 214, the government said Tuesday.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/cpress/2005
0222/ca_pr_on_wo/china_mine_explosions

The grim cost of China's 'economic miracle'
Telegraph, 20/02/2005
With the shock of the newly widowed, Xiao Zhang gabbles about school fees, rent and electricity bills and wonders aloud how she can pay them after yet another mining disaster in China.
http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/
02/20/wchin20.xml

State fails to allocate safety funds as China mine toll rises to 214
AFP, February 22, 2005
The government announced a glaring 50 billion yuan (six billion dollar) shortfall in coal mine safety funding as the death toll from a disaster in northeastern China rose to 214, state press said.
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/id/af415e67ee2e
266a/cid/9366300fc9319e9b/

Labour – union
Feasibility of forming trade union for rural migrant workers under study
中国政府研究建立农民工工会的可能性
Radio Free Asia, February 21, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/02/21/nongmingong/

Legal – legal aid
Voluntary legal aid seen to help poor
Xinhuanet.com, February 22, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/22/content_26023
79.htm

300,000 people benefited from legal aid last year
去年近30万人受益法律援助
BeijingNews.com, February 22, 2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005/0222/7@5100.html

Media – internet
Featured article from Wang Dan: bypassing internet blockage to get free access to political and news internet sites
王丹：绕过封锁，自由浏览境外时政网站
Chinesenewsnet.com, February 22, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Opinion/2005_
2_21_19_41_57_55.html

“Cyber assembly” opens the window for democratic politics in China
“网友议政”打开民主议政的“窗口”
People’s Daily, February 22, 2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42731/3192424.html

Politics
China relax control over democracy?
中共在民主上出现松动?
Voice of America, February 21, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-02-21-voa51.cfm

Public health
China sticks to its guns in clone wars
SCMP, February 22, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZKZH9585E.html



Reform - CCP

China Targets Corrupt Officials In a Battle Against Temptation
Communist Party Has Vowed to Wipe Out Gambling in 2005
Washington Post, February 20, 2005
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38448-2005
Feb19.html?nav=rss_world

Rural issues – taxation
Zero agricultural tax burden realized amongst Guangdong farmers
广东农民税费实现零负担
Nanfang Daily, February 22, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/dd/nfrb/A01/2005
02220041.asp

WTO / economic development
WTO entry worth US$40b a year, study says
SCMP, February 22, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ52G9585E.html

Taiwan
China expresses "serious concern" over US-Japan statement on Taiwan
AFP, Feb 20, 2005
BEIJING (AFP) - Beijing expressed "serious concern" about a US and Japanese statement which described Taiwan as a common security issue amid China's military build-up.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/2005
0220/wl_asia_afp/usjapantalkstaiwanchina