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.

Thursday, March 31, 2005

March 31, 2005

Top news of the day

Religion - Christianity
Exiled Chinese Christians complain to UN over religion persecutions and torture in China
中國逃亡基督徒在聯合國控訴虐待
Voice of America, March 30, 2005
Chairman of Christian Society in China testified before UN Human Rights Committee that Christians in China were tortured by the authority for their religious belief. Activists of religious right in China were put under arrests and beat-up by police.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-03-30-voa58.cfm



News

Children
Air Pollution Presents Health Challenge for China's Children
Voice of America, March 30, 2005
Health expert warned that severe air pollution in Beijing might posed threats on children’s health as pollution was the major cause to the growing number of infected acute respiratory patients in the city.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-03-30-voa21.cfm

Death penalty
Humanize death penalty
为死刑注入人道基因
Legal Daily, March 31, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-03/31/content_2009
72.htm

Food security – food safety
Food waste repackaged for unwary consumers
SCMP, March 31, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZZ4WE1M6E.html

Environment
Pollution effort lacking despite no shortage of cash
AFP via the Standard, March 31, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/China/GC31Ad02.html

Gender
Abortion illegal after 14 weeks of pregnancy
正常怀孕超14周禁止人流
Beijingnews.com, March 31, 2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005/0331/09@0142
25.html

Gender – sexual harassment
 71% of Chinese women sexually harassed?
China Daily, March 31, 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/31/content
_429924.htm

Gender - marriage
Students in no hurry to marry after ban is lifted
SCMP, March 31, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ6UX50W6E.html

Gender – reproductive health / Public health
Fertility industry takes off in China; doctors concerned about abuses
AFP via YahooNews.com, March 31, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050331/hl_
afp/healthchinafertility_050331024054

Government – governance and accountability
State media clarifies office to citizen ratio should be 1:197.69
《中国人事报》：我国官民比是1：197.69
Sina.com, March 28, 2005
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2005-03-28/13285486084s.shtml

Human Rights - Human right defenders
China Turns Back Clock Under New Leaders: Veteran Dissident Liu Binyan
Radio Free Asia, March 30, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2005/03/30/china_liubinyan/

Human rights – freedom of speech (intellectuals)
Zheng Yichun explains his dismissal
焦國標談他為何被北大解職
Voice of America, March 30, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/2005-03-30-voa99.cfm

June 4th –EU arms ban
Anti-Session Bill gives EU an excuse for not lifting the arm ban, Expert says
專家：中國送給歐盟不解禁藉口
Chinesenewsnet.com, March 31, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Topics/2005_3
_30_20_7_6_184.html

Schroeder may defy MPs on ban
SCMP, March 31, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZB6WE1M6E.html

Law – legal reform
“Numbers and quotas” in Chinese Criminal Law
我国刑法中的犯罪数额问题
Legal Daily, March 31, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-03/31/content_2009
66.htm

Migrant workers
Interpretation of legal protection to rural migrant workers
解读农民工的法律保护
Legal Daily, March 31, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-03/31/content_2009
67.htm

Public Health- HIV-AIDS
HIV rate soars in southern China city
China National News, March 31, 2005
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/cid/9366300fc9319e
9b/id/7d28957831ff7112/

China to gather AIDS information on-line
Xinhuanet, March 30, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/30/content_2765
639.htm

Rural issues
Causes and preventional measures against rural crimes
农村犯罪成因及预防对策研究
Legal Daily, March 31, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-03/31/content_2009
63.htm

Society
A harmonious society is a society ruling by law
和谐社会就是法治社会
Legal Daily, March 31, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-03/31/content_2009
62.htm