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, March 09, 2005

March 10, 2005

News

Corruption

11 high-ranking officials investigated for criminal charges in 2004
Xinhuanet.com, March 9, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/09/content_267
2178.htm


Death penalty
China hints at death penalty reform
Xinhuanet.com, March 10, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/10/content_267
6138.htm


Death penalty / gender – domestic violence
Abused woman sentenced to death for killing husband
不 堪 毒 打 虐 待   婦 斬 夫 頭 分 屍 判 死
AppleDaily, March 10, 2005
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm
sec_id=15335&showdate=20050310&art_id=4724720


Gender – law / sexual harassment
Sexual harassment legislation to protect working women, but not limited to man to womnn sexual harassment violations
性骚扰立法重在保护职场妇女 不只是男性对女性
People’s Daily, March 9, 2005
http://society.people.com.cn/GB/41158/3229592.html

Government – governance and accountability
Top leaders should set example and reveal their bank balances
SCMP, March 10, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZARNA585E.html

NGOs to Gain Greater Influence
Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2005
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) member Wang Ming, who is also director of the Nongovernmental Organizations Research Institute of Tsinghua University, said on Thursday that China's NGOs can play a vital role in soothing the country's growing conflicts and discontent and in facilitating communications and understanding among people of various social strata.
http://china.org.cn/english/2005/Mar/122378.htm

Human rights – bilateral ties
Human rights top on agenda of Rice’s China visit
賴斯將出訪中國重點討論人權問題
Chinesenewsnet.com, March 10, 2005
http://www2.chinesenewsnet.com/MainNews/NorthAmerica/2005
_3_9_20_14_31_257.html


Labour – industrial accidents
Gas blast traps 29 Chinese miners
AFP via YahooNews.com, March 10, 2005
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&c
id=1530&ncid=731&e=4&u=/afp/20050310/wl_asia_afp/chinam
ineblast


Premier Pushes Shanxi on Coal Supply, Safety
Xinhua News Agency, March 10, 2005
Premier Wen Jiabao urged China's leading coal producer, the northern province of Shanxi, to increase production capacity to ensure a steady coal supply for the country while "resolutely preventing" the occurrence of any major accidents such as gas explosions.
http://china.org.cn/english/2005/Mar/122402.htm

Labour
Tianjin Center Benefits Laid-offs
Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2005
Li Yingguo, a 52-year-old woman in Tianjin, has an ambitious plan -- selling self-made frozen candied haws to neighboring Beijing and Hebei Province, even to faraway Shanghai.
http://china.org.cn/english/China/122379.htm

China's boom requires perspective
Newsday, 10 March 2005
Not so long ago, the big news about China was overpopulation. Times change. Now the news is overproduction. Everywhere one goes here, one sees cranes and construction.
http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-oppin104170226m
ar10,0,4100063.column?coll=ny-news-columnists


Foreign concern over China labour practices
Financial Times, 10 March 2005
China's increasing clout as a manufacturing hub is prompting some big foreign companies to take a closer look at its labour practices. Concerns about reputational risk have prompted some companies to increase their audits of Chinese ...
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/f0b1a0fe-910b-11d9-8bff-00000e251
1c8.html


Law – legal rights
Right of appeal emphasized
Xinhuanet.com, March 10, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/10/content_267
6673.htm


Media – internet
China tightens control on internet
中国互联网被管越来越严
Dajiyuan.com, March 10, 2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/3/10/n843632.htm

China's tight rein on online growth
BBC.com, March 9, 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4327067.stm

Media – press freedom
China bans BBC political program “Question Time”
中国停播BBC的政治讨论节目
Radio Free Asia, March 9, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/03/09/BBC/

Population – aging population
“421” population pyramid has big impacts on the future of China’s elderly
“421”家庭养得起老人吗?
Nanfang City News, March 10, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/dd/dsb/A07/20050
3100456.asp


Protests and petitions
China Continues Petitioner Round-up as Leaders Vow to Beat Graft
Radio Free Asia, March 9, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2005/03/09/china_NPC/

Society
Government urged to play greater roles to curb housing price
Xinhua News Agency, 10 March 2005
Government departments at various levels should resort to their regulative power for curbing the on- going rising housing prices from hiking further, said people attending the sessions of the top advisory body ...
http://english.people.com.cn/200503/10/eng20050310_176319
.html


Taiwan
Top advisor calls for "successful completion" of legislation against Taiwan's secession
Xinhua News Agency, 10 March 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/10/content_268
0339.htm