Monday, February 14, 2005

February 12-14, 2005

Top news of the day

Detention – Zhang Lin (張林) / June 4th – prisoners – Zhao Ziyang
Dissident held 'for mourning Zhao'
SCMP, February 14, 2005
According to a pro-democracy campaigner, Zhang Lin (張林) has been detained and sent to jail for overfor threatening national security after he attempted to pay respect to the family of Zhao Ziyang. Zhang was taken away by the police in Anhui on January 29.
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZBJZDHJ3E.html

Tibet
Five Tibetan Monks Jailed in Western China
Radio Free Asia, February 13, 2005
Five Tibetan monks were sentenced to jail for two to three years each for publishing politically sensitive poems in Qinghai province.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/politics/2005/02/13/tibet
an_jail/

Five Tibetan monks jailed in China for writing 'sensitive' poems
Agence France Presse, 13 February 2005
BEIJING, Feb 14 (AFP) - Five Tibetan monks have been sentenced to up to three years in prison in western China for publishing poems the authorities consider politically sensitive, a US-based broadcaster reported Monday.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7242_1241441,00180008.htm


News
Bilaterals - US/China
Sino-US political ties strengthen ahead of strains on economic front
South China Morning Post, 14 February 2005
Political ties between Beijing and Washington look set to become more stable, with President George W. Bush in his second term and President Hu Jintao cementing his grip on power, but the economic relationship faces more hurdles in the next few years.
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZN75AHJ3E.html

Children – abuse (trafficking)
Why rural parents participate in baby trafficking?
中国农村父母参与贩婴 原因何在？
Dajiyuan.com, February 13, 2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/2/13/n810939.htm




June 4th – prisoners – Zhao Ziyang (趙紫陽)
Interview with Hu Ping (胡平): the implications of mourning Zhao Ziyang
专访胡平：悼念紫阳告别中共的重大意义
Dajiyuan.com, February 14, 2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/2/14/n811199.htm

China extends detention for dissident who wanted to honour deposed leader
Agence France Presse, 13 February 2005
http://asia.news.designerz.com/china-extends-detention-for-dissid
ent-who-wanted-to-honour-deposed-leader.html?d20050213

Law
People’s juror on the job on May 1 highlights China’s judiciary reform in 2005
05年法院司法改革 人民陪审员“五一”正式上岗
EastDay.com, February 14, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node50043/userobject1ai864035.html

Labour
Over 70% employees dare not to ask for overtime payment to keep the jobs
为保证饭碗 近七成加班族不敢对加班费过分认真
EastDay.com, February 12, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node49940/userobject1ai862828.html

Beijing's number one worry?
South China Morning Post, 12 February 2005
The last annual figure for labour protests that Beijing was willing to announce publicly was 100,000 for the year 1999.
www.scmp.com

Migrant workers flood Guangdong; ; Thousands take advantage of the lifting of a long-standing ban on recruiting
South China Morning Post, 14 February 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ0PMBHJ3E.html

Media - censorship
Friend or foe: what is the real face of China? The workshop of the world is now seen as a potential superpower - but what is going on behind...
The Daily Telegraph, 12 February 2005
It is difficult to find a lifestyle journalist who is not enraptured by the rise of China. Shanghai is firmly on the New York-Paris-London axis. Vogue launches in China in the autumn.
www.telegraph.co.uk

Media – internet
Chinese government says it shut down 12,575 Internet cafes in 2004
AP via YahooNews.com, February 14, 2005
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1856&
amp;ncid= 731&e=4&u=/cpress/20050214/ca_pr_on_wo/china_
internet _crackdown

Migrant workers – migrant children
Survey calls for more care to children of farmers working in cities
Xinhuanet.com, February 14, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/14/content_257
6526.htm

Poverty – urban poverty
17 bln yuan spent to help urban poor
Xinhuanet.com, February 9, 2005
The government has raised basic monthly living allowance to low-income urban residents from 65 yuan in 2003 to 72 yuan in 2004, or up by 11%.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/09/content_2566
255.htm

Poverty- rising gap
Fearful mainland elite disguise and obscure their fortunes; Conspicuous wealth is on the decline in China as kidnappings and crime against...
South China Morning Post, 12 February 2005
Deng Xiaoping said that to be rich was glorious - but, in communist China, it can also be fatal. In the past two years, a dozen millionaires have been murdered or committed suicide.
www.scmp.com

Protests and petitions
1200 petitioners sue People’s Supreme Court for not responding to their cases
1200名公民起诉最高法院不了了之
Dajiyuan.com, February 13, 2005
1200 petitioners in Beijing set to sue the People’s Supreme Court for ignoring their cases and maltreatment such as beating up petitioners.
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/2/13/n810621.htm

Reforms- relocation
China vows to help urban dwellers expelled from their homes for new projects
Agence France Presse, 12 February 2005
China wants to do more to protect the rights of city dwellers who get expelled from their homes to make way for new construction projects, addressing a top cause of urban unrest, state media said Saturday.
www.afp.com

Social security / poverty
28,000 aid centers set up in 2004
Xinhuanet.com, February 9, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/09/content_2566
505.htm

Society
"Scientific concept of development" important to building harmonious society
Xinhuanet.com, February 11, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/11/content_257
1481.htm

Inner Mongolia / Environment
Inner Mongolian Environment Threatened, Nomads Forced To Move
Radio Free Asia, February 7, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/social/2005/02/07/nomads/

Tibet
Tibetans urge for reopening offices in Nepeal
藏人争取尼泊尔重开两办公室
Voice of America, February 10, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/2005-02-10-voa36.cfm