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, March 04, 2005

March 4, 2005

Top news of the day

Media – press freedom / NPC
US photographer beat up by Beijing police
美国摄影记者在北京遭警察殴打
Radio Free Asia, March 3, 2005
A US photographer working for AFP was surrounded and had his camera taken away by Beijing police when he was taking pictures at State Bureau for letters and calls (國家信訪局), where he saw officials pushing petitioners.
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/03/03/afp/

Religion
At least 10 foreign church leaders expelled from China
中国驱逐至少十名外国教会领袖
Chinesenewsnet.com, March 4, 2005
More than 10 foreign church leaders in China, 8 of which were US citizens, were expelled by the authority in February, while 140 Chinese family church leaders had been detained for interrogation.
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/cna_2005_03_03_19_38_03_401.html




News


Death penalty
Regional offices to vet death penalties
SCMP, March 4, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ1VPJ985E.html

Supreme Court to review top penalty
Xinhuanet.com, March 4, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/04/content_2647
119.htm

Disaster / labour – industrial accidents
Blast next to school leaves students dead
SCMP, March 4, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ1XPJ985E.html

Economic Development
China's development plans to draw on CPPCC's ideas: Jia Qinglin
People’s Daily, March 4, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200503/03/eng20050303_175
436.html

Education
China experiences rising school dropout rate
China Daily, March 4, 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/04/content_
421520.htm

Environment
6,500 polluters punished
Xinhuanet.com, March 4, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/04/content_2647
514.htm

Government – taxation
Income tax threshold expected to rise
Xinhuanet.com, March 4, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/04/content_2647
281.htm

Human rights – bilateral ties
Senator McCain urges China to review human rights conditions
麦凯恩参议员促中国检讨人权状况
Voice of America, March 3, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-03-03-voa86.cfm

Human rights – human rights defender / Law – law profession
Focus: Current conditions of Chinese lawyers
專訪：中國律師處境現狀
BBC News, March 3, 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/trad/hi/newsid_4310000/newsid
_4316800/4316835.stm

Labour
NPC deputy proposes law against employment discrimination
Xinhuanet.com, March 4, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/04/content_2648
145.htm

Media – internet
Chinese Censors and Web Users Match Wits
New York Times, March 4, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/international/asia/04cen
sor.html

Natural resources / Energy
Stop building illegal power plants: Wen
SCMP, March 4, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZN08A585E.html

Politics – NPC & CPPCC
Beijing Clamps Down as Parliament Delegates Gather
Reuters via YahooNew.com, March 4, 2005
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=
731&e=2&u=/nm/20050304/wl_nm/china_parliament_dc

Dissidents watched closely by the authority during meeting times
北京两会丁子霖，蒋彦永，刘晓波等受监视
Boxun.com, March 3, 2005
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2005/03/2005030
30023.shtml

Population – urbanization
China's urban areas to be home to 1.1 billion people in 2050
AFP via YahooNews.com, March 4, 2005
http://au.news.yahoo.com/050304/19/tcez.html

Poverty
China Worries About Economic Surge That Skips the Poor
New York Times, March 4, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/international/asia/04
china.html

Prison – re-education through labour
Reforming the system of re-reduction through labour (RTL): two ways to go
劳教制度改革的两种路径选择
China Youth Daily, March 4, 2005
http://zqb.cyol.com/gb/zqb/2005-03/04/content_1042369.htm

Rural – agricultural development
$24 bln govt fund to support farmers
Xinhuanet.com, March 4, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/04/content_2647
217.htm

Society
Unbearable burden of housing
Xinhuanet.com, March 4, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/04/content_2648
164.htm