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, September 26, 2005

September 24-26, 2005


Top News of the Day

Human Rights
Chinese dissidents urge Taiwan to grant asylum to activist
AFP via YahooNews.com, 24/09/2005
A group of 190 dissidents in China and overseas has appealed to the Taiwanese Presdient to give asylum to a democracy activist Yan Peng.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050924/
wl_asia_afp/chinataiwandissident_050924055823924055823

Media – Internet / Law
China Tightens Its Restrictions for News Media on the Internet
New York Times, 26/09/2005
The government has tightened its restrictions on news media in gathering news and other information for internet users. According to the new regulations, websites must stop posting their commentary articles. Individuals or groups are required to register with the government in order to operate email distribution lists spreading news or commentary. The move is widely criticized as the government's step-up efforts in curbing public opinions on the internet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/26/international/asia/26
china.html


News

Children - Child labour / Xinjiang - Persecution
Xinjiang Children Forced To Work in Cotton Fields
Radio Free Asia, 21/09/2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/social/2005/09/21/uyghur
_labor/

Detention – Cheng Guangcheng (陈光诚) / Population – One-child policy
Blinded activist arrested again, likely to be charged with providing information to foreign media
山东当局抓捕盲人维权人士陈光诚
Voice of America, 25/09/2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-09-25-voa34.cfm

Detention – Zhu Jiuhu (朱久虎) / Protests and Petitions
Lawyers pushed out of oilfield struggle in Shaanxi
SCMP, 25/09/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZJYZ2EZDE.html

Education - Girl education / Rural Issues - rural development
Development efforts in West China under threat due to poor rural education
恶性循环威胁西部农村教育
China Youth Daily, 26/09/2005
http://zqb.cyol.com/gb/zqb/2005-09/26/content_69543.htm

Education
Timetable needed for the promotion of equitable access to basic education
促进基础教育公平应有时间表
China Youth Daily, 26/09/2005
http://zqb.cyol.com/gb/zqb/2005-09/26/content_69658.htm

Wen approves big rise in schools tax
SCMP, 25/09/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ3A03EZDE.html

Education can break vicious poverty cycle
Xinhuanet.com, 23/09/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/23/content_353
1461.htm

Environment
China faces big challenge of environmental pollution
中国面临环境污染严重巨大压力
Voice of America, 25/09/2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-09-25-voa24.cfm

Government - Civil service
Township authorities to merge in cost-cutting measure
SCMP, 26/09/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZY4L5EZDE.html

Human Rights / NGOs
Silicon Valley awards for tech solutions to global problems
AFP via YahooNews.com, 26/09/2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050922/
ts_alt_afp/ustechenvironment_050922205758

Human Rights - Bilateral ties
New China-U.S. dialogue could strengthen complex ties
International Herald Tribune, 23/09/2005
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/23/news/china.php

Human Rights / UN
Senior leaders hint on the ratification of Political and Civil Rights Covenant
国家高层表示尽快批准公约
Nanfang Weekend, 22/09/2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20050922/xw/szxw2/
200509220017.asp

Labor - Employment market and income
Guangdong tackles labour shortage
SCMP, 26/09/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZT3CMSXDE.html

Labor - Work safety / conditions
China reports less non-coal mining accidents, death toll
Xinhuanet.com, 24/09/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/24/content
_3535962.htm

'Harsh penalties' for officials with ties to coal mines
SCMP, 24/09/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZADCMSXDE.html

Labor - Work safety / conditions
Mine safety drive fails in China
BBC.com, 23/09/2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4273928.stm

Law - Legal profession
Reform of China's lawyer system in shape as draft Amendments to Law on Lawyers submitted to State Council for review
中国改革律师体制 律师法修订草案已报送国务院
China News Agency, 26/09/2005
http://www.chinanews.com.cn//news/2005/2005-09-26/8/
631164.shtml

Law / Politics
State Secrets Law revision to pave way for government information disclosure regulations
中国修改保密法 媒体析称为制定信息公开法准备
China News Agency, 26/09/2005
http://www.chinanews.com.cn//news/2005/2005-09-26/8/
631072.shtml

Law - Legal reform / Politics
Is the rule of law coming to China?
The Miami Herald via China Digital News, 23/09/2005
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/127
18286.htm

Media – Internet / Politics
Commentary: Information control does little to consolidate political power
中國評論﹕箝制資訊無助鞏固政權
Ming Pao, 26/09/2005
http://full.mingpaonews.com/20050926/cae1.htm

Migrant Workers
Nation says "no" to bias against migrant workers
Xinhuanet.com, 24/09/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/24/content_3
536573.htm

Olympics / NGOs
NGO helps Beijing build "Green Olympics"
Xinhuanet.com, 26/09/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/24/content_353
8189.htm

Population - Aging population
The elderly population of China reaches 130 million
我国老年人已达1.3亿
The Beijing News, 25/09/2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005/0925/12@0211
52.html

Poverty - Rural poverty
Why Chinese media widely reports on the rich-poor gap in the country?
中国媒体为何大谈贫富差距？
Voice of America, 23/09/2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-09-23-voa30.cfm

China Warns Gap Between Rich, Poor Is Feeding Unrest
Washington Post, 22/09/2005
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2005/09/21/AR2005092100727_pf.html

Rural Issues
Farmers need financial support to improve lives
China Daily, 26/09/2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-09/26/content
_480756.htm

Rural Issues / Government - Elections
Party initiates rural election reform
Xinhuanet.com, 26/09/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/26/content_3542
981.htm

Social Security
Fund shortage may spell social security crisis
China Daily, 26/09/2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-09/26/content
_480899.htm

State Security - State secrets / Government - Governance and accountability
Improve the State Secrets Law important to develop a system for government information disclosure
完善保密法是政府信息公开的基石
Legal Daily, 26/09/2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-09/26/content_1
98947.htm

Tibet
Chinese Forces Fired on Tibetan Asylum-Seekers
Radio Free Asia, 22/09/2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/politics/2005/09/22/tibet
_asylum/

Hong Kong / WTO
WTO protest ban feared
The Standard, 26/09/2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11
&art_id=2114&sid=4733282&con_type=1&d_str=20050926
=1&d_str=20050926