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.

Friday, February 04, 2005

February 4, 2005

Top news of the day

Detention – Hu Jia (胡佳)
Hu Jia (胡佳) informed house arrest removed
胡佳：安全部的警察电话通知我解除软禁
Chinesenewsnet.com, February 4, 2005
Rights activist Hu Jia has been informed by the police on Tuesday that he would no longer be on house arrest. Hu was not allowed to leave his home for 10 days to stop him mourning Zhao.
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/2005_2_2_12_0_13_757.html

Detention – Yang Tianshui (楊天水) and Dai Xue (戴學)
Yang Tianshui (楊天水), Dai Xue (戴學) and other dissidents released from house arrest
杨天水、戴学武等人的软禁刚刚解除
Dajiyuan.com, February 4, 2005
Yang Tianshui, Dai Xue and other dissidents are free after being put in house arrest more than 10 days during Zhao’s funeral arrangement.
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/2/3/n802959.htm

Gender – law
Draft revisions of women rights law submitted including suggestions of outlawing sexual harassment
妇女权益法修正案已报送国务院 明确禁止性骚扰
Chinesenewsnet.com, February 4, 2005
All-China Women Federation has submitted draft revisions of the Women Rights Law to the State Council. Ares for revision includes outlawing domestic violence against women and sexual harassment. Special attentions are also given to women rights in rural areas.
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/zxs_2005-02-04_537127.shtml

Media – press freedom
China tops world list for journalists jailed
Kyodo News via Yahoo.com, February 3, 2005
China persecuted the highest number of journalists (or a total of 42) than any country in the world in 2004, according a report released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York based rights group yesterday.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050204/kyodo/d881boj81.html



News

Death penalty
Migrant sentenced to death for killing spree
SCMP, February 4, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ7PABHJ3E.html

Government – governance and accountability / Media
Chief auditor commends media’s role in publicizing the auditing report
审计长李金华谈公开审计报告和媒体作用
EastDay.com, February 4, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node49115/userobject1ai848303.html

Government - elections
Government’s responsibility in the development of grassroots democracy
草根民主发展的政府责任
Nangfang Weekend, February 2, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20050202/xw/tb/20050
2030042.asp

June 4th – EU arms bans
US opposition to EU plan of lifting arms ban on China "unnecessary"
Xinhuanet.com, February 3, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/03/content_25
44303.htm

Arms sales to China a likely topic in Europe
Associated Press, February 4, 2005
The thorny issue of European weapons sales to China is likely to resurface in talks Friday between Foreign Secretary Jack Straw of Britain and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/03/news/arms.html

Labour – protests
A thousand Shenzhen workers clash with police in getting delay wage payment
深圳一台资工厂 千人抗争爆警民冲突
Dajiyuan.com, February 4, 2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/2/3/n802708.htm

Law – judicial system
The controversy of the role of Judicial Committee
审委会存废之辩
Nanfang Weekend, February 2, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20050202/xw/fz/20050
2030057.asp


Law – commercial
GSK's chief calls for ban on East's counterfeit drugs
The Times, 4 February 2005
THE head of Europe's biggest drugmaker is to demand that China and India ban copycat manufacturers, warning them that overseas investment will stall unless laws enforcing intellectual property rights are reformed.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1469931,00.html

Migrant workers
Guangzhou to regulate floating population, companies require to register their workers with the authorities
广州将出台流动人口管理规定 企业用工须登记
EastDay.com, February 4, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node49115/userobject1ai848219.html

Police – crime
Bombings, arson and rape cases on the dive
Xinhanet.com, February 4, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/04/content_2545
294.htm


Police – administrative detention (custody and education)
Democrat denies hiring vice girl
SCMP, February 4, 2005
http://www.scmp.com/topnews/ZZZXIS9HJ3E.html

Politics – political reform
People’s Daily article urges Communist Party to adopt democratic politics
人民网文章呼吁中共实行民主政治
Chinesenewsnet.com, February 4, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/2005_2_3_19_12_51_918.html

Protests and Petitions
Solving complaints allays conflict
Xinhuanet.com, February 4, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/04/content_254
5102.htm

Petitioners say more police guarded at Tiananmen
访民：天安门五倍警力聚集 气氛异常
Dajiyuan.com, February 4, 2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/2/3/n802698.htm

Public health – HIV aids (blood-selling)
Bad blood in Xingtai as scandal's grim legacy emerges
SCMP, February 4, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ1JS9HJ3E.html


Public health – meningitis
China: Meningitis Outbreak Under Control
Associated Press Newswires, 4 February 2005
Health experts in Shanghai are testing to determine if a baby diagnosed by doctors as having meningitis actually died from the disease.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/health/10816642.htm

Public health – other
Beijing citizens' life expectancy reaches 79.87 years
Xinhua's China Economic Information Service, 4 February 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/03/content_2543956.htm

Rural issues / protests and petitions
China Promises Farmers Higher Subsidies
AP via YahooNews.com, February 3, 2005
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&ncid
=731&e=10&u=/ap/20050203/ap_on_re_as/china_agriculture

Society
Survey: most people feel safe
Xinhuanet.com, February 3, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/03/content_2544
181.htm

Women -trafficking
ILO-backed program aimed to stop kidnapping of Chinese girls launched
Xinhua News Agency, 4 February 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/04/content_2547796.htm

Tibet
Panchen Lama urged to be patriotic
SCMP, February 4, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ1KS9HJ3E.html