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, November 07, 2005

November 5-7, 2005

Top News of the Day

Human Rights-Human Rights Defenders/Religion-Falun Gong
China Shutters Prominent Lawyer's Firm
Washington Post, 06/11/2005
Gao Zhisheng, a high-profile civil rights lawyer who had written an open letter to urge President Hu Jintao to stop persecuting Falun Gong members and respect religious freedom, has been ordered by Beijing judicial authorities to shut down his law firm and stop his practice for a year. The lawyer vowed to fight for a formal hearing. The government claimed that the order, which followed Gao's refusal to withdraw his open letter, was given because Gao had failed to register his firm with the authorities after moving to a new office this year.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2005/11/05/AR2005110501385.html


News

Children
"Tomorrow Plan" Saves Disabled Orphans
Xinhuanet.com, 05/11/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/05/c
ontent_3734714.htm

Death Penalty
Tycoon escapes execution ... for now
SCMP, 05/11/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZX2078LFE.html

Death Penalty/Law-Legal Reform
China Still Has a Long Way to Go in Using Death Sentences as a Means to
Uphold Social Justice
实现死刑制度的社会公正仍任重而道远
Legal Daily, 03/11/2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/misc/2005-
11/03/content_214687.htm

Detention-Shi Tao(師濤)/Media-Internet
Watchdog to Continue Inquiry Into 'Spy' E-Mail
SCMP, 04/11/2005
http://hongkong.scmp.com/hknews/ZZZKT388LFE.html

Disasters
China Faces Serious Public Safety Problems: Experts
Xinhuanet.com, 07/11/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/0
4/content_3732401.htm

Education/Children
The Hardships of Substitute Teachers Touch Hearts
代课教师艰辛执着震动人心
Nanfang Weekend, 03/11/2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20051103/x
w/tb/200511030013.asp


Gender-Marriage
As Students Say I Do, Universities Say You'd Better Not
SCMP, 07/11/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZW3B88LFE.html

Gender-Gender Equality/Law-Legal Reform
Activist Fighting for Gender Equality in Retirement Regulation Reaches a Legal Dead-end
周香华进了维权死胡同
Chinesenewsnet.com, 04/11/2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/O
pinion/2005_11_4_9_20_4_793.html

Human Rights-Human Rights Defenders
Dissents Ma Xiaoming and Liu Yongzhong Released with Restricted Freedom
异见人士马晓明和刘水重获有限自由
Radio Free Asia, 04/11/2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaod
ao/2005/11/04/yijian/

June 4th-EU arms ban
EU Urged to Scrap Arms Embargo
People's Daily, 05/11/2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200511/05/e
ng20051105_219279.html

Hu Trip to Win Over EU on Arms Ban
The Standard, 05/11/2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_
cat=5&art_id=4985&sid=5335036
&con_type=1

Labor-Protests
Shenzhen Workers Vow to Escalate Actions if Authorities Refuse to Release
Detained Representatives
深圳工人今擬示威升級
Ming Pao, 07/11/2005
http://full.mingpaonews.com/20051107/cca1.htm

Law-Juvenile Justice
Legal Expert Suggests Limiting Use of Monetary Punishments in Cases of Juvenile Delinquency
建议对未成年人犯罪限制适用罚金刑
Legal Daily, 07/11/2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/misc/2005-11/
07/content_216064.htm

Law-Legal Profession
Hong Kong Lawyers Make their Debuts in Mainland Law Courts
以代理人身份香港律师可内地出庭
The Beijing News, 05/11/2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005
/1105/10@032715.html

Media-Press Freedom/Censorship
Shenzhen’s Legal Daily Suddenly Shuts Down, Some Say Because Authorities Disliked Content of News Stories
以敢言着称的深圳法制报突然停刊
Chinesenewsnet.com, 06/11/2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Sino
News/Mainland/cna_2005_11_05_23_00_21_699.html

Migrant Workers
Sex Education for Migrant Workers
民工性教育
Nanfang Weekend, 03/11/2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20
051103/xw/xz/200511030046.asp

Police-Abuse
Two Hainan Police Officers Sentenced for Causing Death by Extorting Confessions
刑讯逼供致死案两民警获刑
The Beijing News, 07/11/2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005/1107/10@080026.html

Protests and Petitions
State Councilor urges improvement of handling people's complaints
Xinhuanet.com, 05/11/2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/05/content_3733528.htm

Public Health
Bird flu may have killed girl after all
SCMP, 07/11/2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZVD378LFE.html

The Actions of Ministry of Public Health on Bird Flu Outbreak: Public Doesn’t Know Whether to Laugh or Cry
衛生部讓人哭笑不得
Ming Pao, 07/11/2005
http://full.mingpaonews.com/20051107/cag1.htm

Huge Medical Bill Left to Relatives of Man who Died in Hospital
8645元：一个临终病人的治疗清单
Nanfang Weekend, 03/11/2005
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20051103/xw/ms/200511030044.asp

Rural Issues-rural development
International Seminar on Rural Development Launched in NW China
People's Daily, 06/11/2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200511/06/
eng20051106_219364.html

Society
Government Tackles Professional Beggars
China Daily, 07/11/2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/07/content_491755.htm

Tibet
Dalai Lama Endorses Just Wars But Not in Case of Tibet
AFP via YahooNews.com, 05/11/2005
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051105/ts_afp/usti
betchina_051105043044;_ylt=AlI0mQ
MeqppeqHlIQGrRNfntOrgF;_ylu=X3o
DMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl