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.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

June 29, 2005

Top news of the day

Detention – Xu Zhengqing / June 4th
Petitioners Protest Attempted Prosecution
Human Rights In China, 28/06/2005
Rights activist Xu Zhengqing (許正清), who had been detained since April 22 on the way to pay tributes to former Party Secretary Zhao Zhiyang, was reportedly charged with "disturbing social order" by the Shanghai authority. A group of Shanghai petitioners sent an open letter protesting Xu’s persecution.
http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/press?revision%5fid=
23261&item%5fid=23260


News

Corruption
Chinese auditors find 9.06 billion yuan in misappropriated funds
People's Daily, 29/06/2005
http://english.people.com.cn/200506/29/eng20050629_192962
.html

Economic Issues
China annual "audit storm" uncovers billions lost to graft
AFP, June 29, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050629/ts_afp/chinagraftaudit_050629033217

Education
It's legal to hold books for Japanese school, says Chinese FM spokesman
Xinhua, June 29, 2005
http://english.people.com.cn/200506/29/text20050629_192949.html

Environment - Natural Resources
US lawmakers opposing China's CNOOC bid for Unocal under scrutiny
AFX News Limited, June 29, 2005
http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2005/06/29/afx2115
829.html

FM: CNOOC's Unocal bid is pure business
China Daily, June 29, 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-06/29/content_
455555.htm

Gender Issues - Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment legislation should not bias against men
别把立法禁止性骚扰读偏
China Youth Daily, 29/06/2005
http://zqb.cyol.com/gb/zqb/2005-06/29/content_24672.htm

Hukou
Guangdong to unify Hukou system of urban and rural areas
广东将实行城乡统一户籍制
The Beijing News, 29/06/2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005/0629/15@0336
04.html

Labor
Labour shortage is just a regional phenomenon, says expert
专家指“民工荒”之说不成立 短缺只是局部现象
China News Agency, 29/06/2005
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/news/2005/2005-06-29/26/5923
81.shtml

Media – Internet
China's Internet: Let a Thousand Filters Bloom
Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, 28/06/2005
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=5928

Migrant Workers
Migrant worker shortage lingers on
China Daily, 29/06/2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-06/29/content
_455508.htm

Protests and petitions
Reporters launch Web site in bid to keep spotlight on colleague detained in China
AP, June 29, 2005
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050629/ap/d8b16f200.html

Thousands riot in China, attack police, burn cars
Reuters, June 29, 2005
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK173560.htm

Police hunt for rioters after attack on station
SCMP, 29/06/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZVWXZNHAE.html

30 Shanghai petitioners beaten up by police on their way to Beijing
上海30多名计划赴京上访民众遭警察阻拦和毒打
Radio Free Asia, 28/06/2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/06/28/shangfang/


Public Health
Lack of information slows bird flu investigation in China
International Herald Tribune, June 29, 2005
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/28/news/china.php

China bans sale of hepatitis A vaccine suspected to have sickened children
AP, June 29, 2005
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050629/ap/d8b19q580.html

China at turning point in AIDS fight – WHO
Reuters, June 29, 2005
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050629/3/23616.html

Reforms - Economic
China quickens legislation on anti-monopoly law
Xinhua, June 29, 2005
http://english.people.com.cn/200506/29/eng20050629_192977.html

Religion - Christianity
China ordains Vatican-backed bishop - report
Reuters via Malaysia Star, 29/06/2005
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/6/29/world
updates/2005-06-

China says Vatican did not approve appointment of Shanghai bishop
AFP, June 29, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050629/
wl_asia_afp/vaticanchinareligion_050629075048

Rural Issues – Taxation
8 billion peasants exempted from paying agricultural tax this year
财政部长金人庆：今年中国八亿农民免征农业税
China News Agency, 29/06/2005
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/news/2005/2005-06-29/26/
592375.shtml

China's 800 mln farmers to free from agriculture tax
Xinhuanet, June 29, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-06/29/content_315
2860.htm

Tibet
Tibetan Rights group to sue Chinese government of genocide and torture
人权组织控告中国当局在西藏施暴
Voice of America, 28/06/2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-06-28-voa60.cfm

China-groomed Tibetan teenage leader allowed to debut with the masses
AFP, June 29, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050629/
wl_afp/chinatibetpanchen_050629075844

Xinjiang
RFA Publishes First English Translation of Noted Uyghur Story
Radio Free Asia, 27/06/2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/arts/2005/06/27/uyghur
_literature/