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.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

April 30 - May 3, 2005

Top news of the day

Detention / Protests and petitions
Human rights group says China detains hundreds in advance of new petition law
AP via YahooNews.com, April 29, 2005
Human Rights in China reported that China had arrested more than 800 people who were heading to Beijing to file complaints at the Petitions Bureau in the wake of the new petitions regulation to be taken effective on May 1, 2005. The move appeared to be a "nationwide crackdown on petitioners."
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050429/ap/d89ota0o2.html

Detention – Shi Tao (師濤)
Editor gets 10 years for 'secrets' leak
Shi Tao (師濤), former news editor for Contemporary Business News, was convicted of leaking state secrets to overseas media. Shi was given a 10 year imprisonment by the Intermediate People's Court in Changsha, Hunan yesterday.
SCMP, May 1, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ6090GZ7E.html

June 4th – imprisonment - Chen Yanbin (陳晏彬 ) and Zhang Yafei (張亞飛)
Dissident journalists freed after 14 years
SCMP, April 30, 2005
Two prominent journalists Chen Yanbin (陳晏彬 ) and Zhang Yafei (張亞飛)were freed by the mainland Government after serving 14-year jail terms for for incitement to rebellion and "spreading counter-revolutionary propaganda around the time of the Tiananmen Square Democracy Movement in 1989.
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZTB80GZ7E.html

Media – Press freedom
Editor Cheng Yizhong (程益中) not allowed to accept UN press prize
SCMP, May 2, 2005
Cheng Yizhong (程益中), former editor of the Southern Metropolis News, were told not to receive the 2005 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize award at Dakar. Cheng refused to comment on the ban, but believed that he had been under surveillance.
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZLAA0GZ7E.html

Religion – Christainity
China Detains Seven Catholic Priests
Radio Free Asia, April 29, 2005
Seven unofficial Catholic priests were arrested by the Hebei authority on the way to a religion retreat conducted by Bishop Jia Zhiguo. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2005/04/29/china_catholics/


News

Environment – Water
China maps massive problem of water contamination
SciDev.net, April 29, 2005
http://www.scidev.net/content/news/eng/china-maps-massive-
problem-of-water-contamination.cfm

Food Security-GM Food
Growing and eating GM crops, a good idea?
种植食用转基因食物是否明智？
Voice of America, May 2, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-05-02-voa56.cfm

Gender issues
Sexually active teens groping in the dark
SCMP, May 2, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZOCUYFZ7E.html

Gender issues - Law
Legal experts suggest relax the definition of bigamy and live-in couples
法律專家建議放寬重婚及婚後與人同居認定標準
CRI Online, April 30, 2005
http://big5.chinabroadcast.cn/gate/big5/gb.chinabroadcast.cn/38
21/2005/04/30/107@533476.htm

June 4th – EU arms ban
Japan lobbies EU to retain arms ban
SCMP, May 3, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZKZUYFZ7E.html

Labour – Industrial accidents
All mine sites in Shaanxi ordered to halt production as 20 died in Shaanxi coal mine tradgedy
陕西韩城矿难20人遇难 全省高瓦斯矿井全部停产
EastDay.com, May 2, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/01/content_290
2783.htm

Land policy
Land rights are the prerequisite to solve existing rural problems
农民要有稳定的地权
Nanfang Weekend, April 28, 2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20050428/xw/sd/200504
280027.asp
Law
Shenzhen police sued for prejudice
SCMP, May 3, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ25E9HZ7E.html

Ordinary citizens should be considered in the selection of People’s Juror so as to avoid abuse of power of the elite groups
絕對權力導致絕對腐敗 陪審員選拔應走向平民化
CRI Online, May 2, 2005
http://big5.chinabroadcast.cn/gate/big5/gb.chinabroadcast.cn/
3821/2005/05/02/107@535402.htm

Protests and petitions
Six major areas for attentions in the new Petitions Regulations
新修订的《信访条例》呈现六大亮点
People's Daily, May 1, 2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42731/3364217.html

Beijing police sent SMS to millions of mobile phone users warning them not to participate illegal protests on the May 1
北京以高新科技控制民众
Voice of America, May 2, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-05-02-voa51.cfm

Public Health-HIV-Aids
SW China to extend free treatment for HIV infected
China Daily, May 2, 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-05/02/content
_439134.htm

Rural Issues
Rural citizens fighting back
CNN.com, May 2, 2005
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/05/02/eyeonchina
.rural/index.html


Government vows to establish a minimum living allowance system in rural areas
我国着手在农村建立最低生活保障制度
EastDay.com, May 3, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node59792/userobject1ai1068328.html

No well-off farmers, no well-off China
Asia Times Online, April 29, 2005
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GD29Ad03.html

Hong Kong
Wanted: a whole new political system
SCMP, May 3, 2005
http://www.scidev.net/content/news/eng/china-maps-massive
-problem-of-water-contamination.cfm