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.

Monday, April 11, 2005

April 9-11, 2005


Top news of the day

Media – press freedom
Feted editor worries for imprisoned colleagues
SCMP, April 9, 2005
Former editor of Southern Metropolis News Cheng Yizhong (程益中) called for public attention to his imprisoned colleagues, who are serving jail terms on corruption charges, after receiving the UN World Press Freedom Prize 2005 for his commitment to serve the society with conscience. Cheng together with two senior staff at the newspapers were charged for corruption, though the allegations are widely believed to be a smoke screen of the authority’s discontent over the newspapers’ coverage on the SARs cover-up in 2003. Cheng was released after 5 months of detention, when his charge was cleared by court
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZBJGUOY6E.html

Protest and petitions
Anti-Japanese Protesters March in China
AP via YahooNews.com, April 10, 2005
Thousands of Chinese in Beijing and other major Chinese cities took to the streets on Sunday showing their discontent over the Japanese government.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&ncid=
731&e=9&u=/ap/20050410/ap_on_re_as/china_japan_protest


News

Death Penalty
The son of senior police official in Gansu sentenced to death with 2 year reprieve for murder
崇信公安局副局长之子被判死缓
BeijingNews.com, April 9, 2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005/0409/15@0152
22.html#

Government - elections
Self-governance brings prosperity to south China mountainous village
People’s Daily, April 8, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200504/08/eng20050408_
180165.html

Law
The controversy of She Xianglin (佘祥林) case put the rule of law in question
佘祥林案引出法学争议 法律如何面对冤假错案 (I, II 及 III)
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node56276/userobject1ai1002187.html (Part I)

http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node56276/userobject1ai1002190.html (Part II)

http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node56276/userobject1ai1002192.html (Part III)


China police under scrutiny for forcing murder confessions from the innocent
Knight Ridder Newspapers via YahooNews.com, April 8, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2270&u=/krwash
bureau/20050408/ts_krwashbureau/_bc_china_murders_wa_1
&printer=1

Law – legal aid
Courts exempt poor litigants from lawsuit fees
Xinhuanet.com, April 8, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/08/content_2804
187.htm

Law- Court System
10,606 People’s jurors elected in 90% of grassroots courts
九成基层法院确定人民陪审员共选任10606名
Legal Daily, April 11, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/xwzx/2005-04/11/content_2041
41.htm

Labour
Prevention of occupational diseases should be an item in auditing the government’s work performance, says expert
专家建议：职业病防治应纳入政府考核目标
Chinesenewsnet.com, April 11, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/xhw_2005_04_10_22_25_13_716.html

Police - Abuse
How rigid crowd control measures backfired
SCMP, April 10, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZAS5VOY6E.html

Public health – HIV Aids
Promiscuous young gays raise fresh Aids fears
SCMP, April 11, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ6V7VOY6E.html

China's Henan Sets Up Prison For AIDS Patients
Radio Free Asia, April 6, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2005/04/06/china_AIDS/

Religion - Christianity
Mainland worshippers unite in grief
SCMP, April 9, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ165VOY6E.html

Rural issues
Farmers rewarded for the family planning policy
Xinhuanet.com, April 9, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/09/content_280
6762.htm

Farmers go online to boost rural incomes
China Daily, April 11, 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-04/11/content
_432924.htm

Society
Housing price surge big concern
Xinhuanet.com, April 8, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/08/content_2803
650.htm

The cover-ups in China’ property market - When will people actually own their home?
中国地产“黑幕”重重 百姓何时“居者有其屋”？
People Daily, April 11, 2005
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1026/3308660.html#

Tibet
Tibetan protester arrested during visit by premier
AFP via SCMP, April 11, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZML7VOY6E.html

Trade, Tibet On Agenda As Chinese PM Visits India
China National News, April 9, 2005
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/id/bfb38c41b63f19
66/cid/9366300fc9319e9b/

Hong Kong-Basic Law
Basic Law interpretation absolutely essential for HK, nation, says Wen
SCMP, April 11, 2005
http://www.scmp.com/topnews/ZZZIOXXQY6E.html

China to Settle Constitutional Dispute
AP via YahooNews.com, April 10, 2005
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&ncid
=731&e=10&u=/ap/20050410/ap_on_re_as/china_hong_kong

Taiwan
Taiwan bans Chinese journalists
BBC news, April 11, 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4431461.stm