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

April 1, 2005

Top news of the day

Prison
Top Guangzhou Hospital Does Roaring Trade in Executed Prisoner Organs
Radio Free Asia, March 31, 2005
Guangzhou Hospitals sold executed prisoner organs for organ transplant operations. Rights groups condemned the practice a violation of prisoners’ rights as families of the prisons are not often informed.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2005/03/31/china_organs/

Religion – Christianity
China Arrests Catholic Priest in Crackdown on Underground Churches
Voice of America, March 31, 2005
Chinese authorities have arrested a Catholic priest Zhao Kesun (趙克勛), in Hebei this week. Zhao, believed to be in his mid-70s, was amongst more than 30 priests and other religious practitioners who have been detained in Hebei recently for worshiping in churches that are not sanctioned by the State.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-03-31-voa20.cfm



News

Death penalty
The challenges of returning death penalty review to the Supreme Court
收回死刑复核权难在哪里
Nangfang Weekend, March 31, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20050331/xw/fz/200503
310009.asp

Education - compulsory
PARENTS PAY TOO MUCH FOR EDUCATION
China Daily, 1 April 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-04/01/content_
430102.htm

Government – elections
Village self-governance in village as compared to that in the old days
从比较中谈村民自治
Nanfang Weekend, March 31, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20050331/xw/sd/2005
03310030.asp

Human rights
Freedom House condemned the world’s six most repressive regimes in the UN Human Rights meeting in Geneva
“自由之家”：联合国人权委包括世界上六个最具压迫性政权
Radio Free Asia, March 31, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/03/31/unhr/


June 4th - arms embargo

Chasing the dragon: It should not have taken American pressure to keep Europe from selling arms to China
The Guardian, 1 April 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,7369,1444661,00.html

Law
34 new laws in effect on April 1
34部新法今日起开始实施 与百姓生活息息相关
Xinhuanet.com, April 1, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-04/01/content_
2770940.htm

Law – legal rights
Huo Qimen’s long march to defend his rights through legal process
霍其民的诉讼人生
Nanfang Weekend, March 31, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20050331/xw/zmxwzt/
200503310017.asp


Media – Press freedom
Nanfang City News ‘advised’ not to publish sensitive financial news
《南方都市报》禁刊敏感财经消息
Chinesenewsnet.com, April 1, 2005
http://www4.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Forums/Back
Stage/2005_3_31_17_24_12_476.html

Media - Internet censorship
Muzzled on Campus; Beijing cracks down on unruly student Web sites.
Newsweek International, 4 April 2005
It was a quiet protest. Over three hours, several hundred students gathered around a monument at the center of Beijing's prestigious Tsing-hua University. They left paper cranes, handwritten notes and flower wreaths.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7305061/site/newsweek/

Virtual Possibilities: China and the Internet: The Genie Is Out of the Chinese Bottle
The Asian Wall Street Journal, April 01, 2005
The fact that millions of Chinese have gathered online to protest Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council will come as no surprise to anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes on the mainland. Anti-Japanese sentiment permeates all levels of society.
http://www.howardwfrench.com/archives/2005/04/01/virtual_
possibilities_china_and_the_internet_the_genie_is_out_of_the_
chinese_bottle/

Natural resources and energies – Water
Experts petition the government to revise national standards for drinking waters which has yet to be changed for 20 years
国家饮水标准二十年未变　专家联名上书宜尽早修订
Nanfang Weekend, March 31, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20050331/xw/kx/200503
310020.asp

Politics
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/

Population – urbanization
More than 300m set to make urban move in 15 years
The Standard, April 1, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/China/GD01Ad06.html

Public health - HIV/AIDS
China to launch nationwide AIDS reporting system via Internet
People's Daily, April 1, 2005
http://english.people.com.cn/200503/31/eng20050331_178839.
html

Society - race
True colours; Reaction to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's Beijing visit suggests judgments based on race and sex are an entrenched part of mainland life
South China Morning Post, 1 April 2005
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZ3ATTOY6E.html