Wednesday, March 23, 2005

March 23, 2005


Top news of the day

Children – child labour / industrial accidents
Retribution Feared in Shijiazhuang Case
HRIC Press release, March 22, 2005
It is reported that Premier Wen Jiabao had ordered a full investigation into the sources of reports of the deaths of five female child labour in a factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. This generates fears of retributions from local authorities as families of the victims are set to sue the Ministry of Labour.
http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/press?revision%5fid=2
1054&item%5fid=21053

Media – press freedom
Rules tighten the leash on reporters
SCMP, March 23, 2005
The Chinese government has announced a new set of regulations to tighten control of the management of journalists, claiming to prevent fabrication of news stories and corruption.
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZZRFE1M6E.html

News

Corruption
Ex-party chief admits taking cash for careers
SCMP, March 22, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ3SFE1M6E.html

Death penalty
Death penalty debate 10 years too late for Nie Shubin
Financial Times, March 23, 2005
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/f77b9508-9b41-11d9-af0f-00000e2511c8.html

Detention – Jiang Yanyong (蔣彥永)
Dr Jiang Yanyong freed from "double regulations"
China Information Centre via ChinaDigitalNews.com, March 22, 2005
http://www.cicus.org/news/newsdetail.php?id=4249

Government – governance and accountability
Only 50 out of 5,000 yuan poverty relief funds reach the hands of poor farmers
扶 貧 5000 元 　 農 民 到 手 僅 50
Apple Daily, March 23, 2005
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?sec_
id=15335&showdate=20050323&art_id=4757725

June 4th – EU arms ban
Solana to mediate in China arms ban dispute
Financial Times, March 23, 2005
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/5a4b817c-9b40-11d9-af0f-00000e25
11c8.html

Natural resources / energies – Water
300 mln rural Chinese lack clean drinking water
Xinhuanet.com, March 22, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/22/content_2731
005.htm

China to step up water resource protection
People’s Daily, March 22, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200503/22/eng20050322_
177791.html

Protests and petitions
Massive Upheaval Likely in China: Veteran Dissident Liu Binyan
SCMP, March 21, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2005/03/21/china_liubinyan/

Public health – HIV Aids
Provinces' mandatory HIV tests worry UN
SCMP, March 23, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ7SFE1M6E.html