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.

Friday, December 16, 2005

December 16, 2005

News

Children / Education
问题严重 (Drop-out Rates Rise in Rural China)
Apple Daily, December 16, 2005
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main
.cfm?sec_id=15335&showdate=20
051216&art_id=5491404

Death Penalty
Suspended Death Term for Official
SCMP, December 16, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZBKYPJRGE.html

Disasters
Blaze at Chinese Hospital Leaves 38 Dead, 24 Unaccounted For
AFP via YahooNews.com, December 16, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051216/wl_afp/chinafire;
_ylt=Al9BRj.gBnYw8dCQtVg0Fd
wBxg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTBj
MHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--


Food Security / UN
世界粮食计划署将停对华援助 中国成重要捐赠国 (WFP to End Food Aid Program in China End of This Year, Asks for China's Donation)
EastDay.com, December 16, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node106721/userobject1ai172
3647.html

Human Rights
Democracy Starts at Grassroots
SCMP, December 16, 2005
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZ1QNV6SGE.html

Comment: Human Rights Still a Touchy Subject for Beijing
New Strait Times, December 15, 2005
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/
Columns/20051215075032/Article/
indexb_html

Human Rights - Human Rights Defenders
殴打维权人士赵昕的四名嫌犯被抓 (Four Suspects Who Beat Up Rights Lawyer Arrested )
Radio Free Asia, December 15, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2005/12/15/zhaoxin/

Labor - Industrial accidents
矿井泄气 数百人中毒 (Hundreds Poisoned in Mine Field Gas Leak)
Apple Daily, December 16, 2005
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.
cfm?iss_id=20051216&sec_id=15
335&showdate=2005
1216&art_id=5491354


Labor - Work Safety / Conditions
Vigilance on Labor Contracts Urged
SCMP, December 16, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZTONV6SGE.html

Media - Internet
著名异见网站观点被关闭 (Dissident Web Site "Guangdian" Shut Down)
Radio Free Asia, December 14, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2005/12
/14/guandian/


Military
China's Military Might a Concern
SCMP, December 16, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZKDUPJRGE.html

Politics
学者:中国政治隐患势影响香港内地农民被禁来港示威 (Scholar: Mainland Farmers Prevented from Participating in WTO Demonstration in Hong Kong in the Midst of Growing Political and Social Tensions in China)
Apple Daily, December 16, 2005
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main
.cfm?sec_id=4104&iss_id=200512
16&art_id=5491609

Politics - Political Reforms /Economic Development
中美学者研讨政治自由化与中国经济发展 (Scholars Discuss Democratization and Economic Development in China)
Radio Free Asia, December 15, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2005/12/
15/zhengzhi/


Protests and Petitions – Shanwei Incident
人权观察吁中国彻查汕尾枪杀事件 (Rights Group Urges China to Investigate Shanwei Incident)
Voice of America, December 16, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-12-15-voa35.cfm

Probe of China Protest Shootings Sought
AP via YahooNews.com, December 15, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051215/ap_on_re_as/china
_protest_shootings;_ylt=AnoT
iNJ6eLt8jHF_6FfV_C8Bxg8F
;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--


Protests and Petitions
China Seeks Calm While Letting Public Vent
AP via YahooNews.com, December 14, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051214/ap_on_re_as/china_
protest_control


Public Health
Dementia Cases 'Are Set to Soar'
BBC.com, December 16, 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4530740.stm

中国官方关闭管轶实验室动机受质疑 (Beijing Questioned on Closing Bird Flu Laboratory Run by Outspoken Professor)
Radio Free Asia, December 15, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2005/12/15/
guanyi/


Public Health - HIV AIDS /STDs
新疆首次大规模筛查艾滋病 (Xinjiang to Launch Large-scale HIV Tests)
The Beijing News, December 16, 2005
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/china/2005/1216/014@
148346.htm


AIDS Campaign Backfires as Patients' Families Shunned
The Standard, December 15, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=
2&art_id=7899&sid=5914834
&con_type=1&d_str=20051215

Resettlement
Chinese President Stresses Settlement of Problems People Concern Most
People's Daily, December 16, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200512/16/eng20051216
_228337.html


Social Security
New Pension Plan Aims to Cut Fund Losses
SCMP, December 16, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZZDXPJRGE.html

Society / Economic Development
China's Version of the American Dream
Asia Times Online, December 16, 2005
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GL16Ad01.html