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, August 18, 2005

August 18, 2005

Top news of the day

Police – Abuse / Protests and petitions
Some 500 riot police called in a Guangzhou village to stop signature petitions aim to topple corrupted village chief, villagers reportedly beaten up
广州番禺动用防暴警察殴打村民
Radio Free Asia, 18/08/2005
On August 9, local government called in some 500 riot police to a Guangzhou village to stop villagers from collecting villagers' signatures to demand the removal of the corrupted village chief. Eight villagers were taken away by police while many got injured in the clash with police.
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/08/17/panyu/

China sets up riot police units
BBC News, 18/08/2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4162254.stm


News

Children - Law/ Protection
Government to draft special regulations for helping and protecting homeless children
流浪儿童救助将有专门法规
The Beijing News, 18/08/2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005/0818/05@003
439.html

Public Health / Children
Rural kids 'need better healthcare'
China Youth Online, 18/08/2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/18/content
_470046.htm

Detention – Ching Cheong (程翔)
China silence on US's demand for more details on Ching Cheong's case
美國向中國要求了解程翔案 尚未獲回應
Asia Times Online, 18/08/2005
http://www.atchinese.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=
view&id=5300&Itemid=33

Detention
China arrests U.S. executive as spy
By Chris Buckley, International Herald Tribune, August 18, 2005
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/18/news/spy.php

Gender - Sexual harassment / Law
NPC deputy suggests to outlaw sexual harassment by women against men in the draft anti-sexual harassment law
人大代表建议将禁止女士对男士性骚扰写入法律
Xinhuanet.com, 18/08/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2005-08/18/content_3369
021.htm

Labor-Disputes
Grass-roots committee set up to mediate labour disputes
Xinhua, 18/08/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/18/content_3369245.htm

Law – Wrongful Convictions
Court orders to compensate 220,000 yuan to innocent prisoner who had spent 11 years in jail, the money yet to reach the hands of the innocent victim after a year
村民无罪被关11年 22万赔偿分文未得
Dajiyuan.com, 18/08/2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/8/18/n1022234.htm

Law / Government - Governance and accountability
How to effectively operationalise the state compensation system?
追偿制度如何有效实施
People's Daily, 18/08/2005
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/30178/3624476.html

Media - Press freedom/censorship / Politics
Row rages over 'Hu cult' article
SCMP, 18/08/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZPIJURHCE.html

NGOs
Green groups fall under microscope
SCMP, 18/08/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZC50VRHCE.html

Population
Survey on population to begin
China Youth Daily, 18/08/2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/18/content_
470042.htm

One-Child policy will kill China
Advantage India, 17/08/2005
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1203400,curpg-2.cms

1,026 Helping Centers Built for Urban Homeless
Xinhua, 18/08/2005
http://china.org.cn/english/China/139021.htm#


Protests and Petitions / Police
Ministry of Public Security announce standard procedures for handling petitions
公安部颁布的《公安机关信访工作规定》今日正式实施
People's Daily, 18/08/2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42735/3625457.html


Public Health
A wake-up call for health-care reform?
SCMP, 18/08/2005
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZTLJURHCE.html

China's exorbitant health care fees spark suicides
By Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuters, 18/08/2005
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK237124.htm

Public Health - HIV AIDS /STDs / Children
Summer camp for AIDS orphans kick off in Beijing, 86 AIDS children meets their host-families in Beijing
86名艾滋孤儿北京会亲人
China Youth Daily, 18/08/2005
http://zqb.cyol.com/gb/zqb/2005-08/18/content_50553.htm

Religion-Detention
China Reportedly Arrests Five American Church Leaders, Tortures Christians
By Daniel Schearf, VOA News, 18/08/2005
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-08-18-voa9.cfm

Society
1.1 million homeless people and beggars received relief aid from government in the past two years
救助办法实施两年 全国111．4万余人次获救助
China Youth Daily, 18/08/2005
http://zqb.cyol.com/gb/zqb/2005-08/18/content_50558.htm

Women-Law/Protection
Nun or prostitute? Tibet's women face few choices
By Lindsay Beck, Reuters, 18/08/2005
http://asia.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=lifeAndLeisureNews&storyID=2005-08-18T122514Z_01_SCH844696_RTRIDST_0_LIFESTYLE-CHINA-TIBET-WOMEN-DC.XML