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.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

April 5-6, 2005

Top news of the day

June 4th – prisoners – Zhao Ziyang
Rights activist taken away by police for attempting to mourn Zhao on Ching Ming
亲属在家中祭奠赵紫阳,人权人士门外被警方带走
Radio Free Asia, April 5, 2005
Hu Jia (胡佳), an activist for the rights of Aids patience, was taken away by police at the door of Zhao Ziyang’s residence in Beijing when Hu planned to mourn Zhao. Hu was putting under house arrest after released by the police.
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/04/05/zhaoziyang/

Religion – Christianity
Two Roman Catholic priests arrested
中国逮捕两名天主教家庭教会神甫
Radio Free Asia, April 5, 2005
Two senior Roman Catholic priests Yao Liang (姚良) and Wang Jinling (王進齡) in Hebei was detained by the authorities last Thursday and Friday. Police has yet to state reasons of the detention.
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwen/2005/04/04/tianzhujiao/


News

Death penalty
Mainland blamed for 90pc of the world's executions
SCMP, April 5, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZJKIXQY6E.html

Death penalty – Xia Renfan (夏任凡)
Shengyang businessman sentenced to death for bribery
牵出副省长刘克田 沈阳巨贪夏任凡终审被判死刑
EastDay.com, April 5, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node55490/userobject1ai991407.html


Death Penalty – Fu Zhongtao (付中濤)
Changchun High Court dismisses death penalty appeal of Fu Zhongtao who knocked down a 9 year-old girl and left the victim unattended on the roadway
长春林肯车拖人案维持原判 肇事者二审被判死刑
People’s Daily, April 5, 2005
http://society.people.com.cn/GB/1062/3297667.html

Detention – Zhang Lin (張林)
Interview with the wife of Zhang Lin and Zhang’s defense lawyer
采访张林妻方草与辩护律师莫少平
Dajiyuan.com, April 5, 2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/4/5/n879077.htm

Environment – water
New standards for water supply in urban areas to take effects in June to uphold water safety standards
中国六月实施城市供水新标准 保障供水水质安全
Chinesenewsnet.com, April 6, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/
Mainland/zxs_2005-04-06_559643.shtml


June 4th – EU arms embargo
China lobbies EU over arms embargo
International Herald Tribunal, April 6, 2005
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/04/05/news/diplo.html

Law
Wrongly jailed 'wife killer' seeks justice
SCMP, April 5, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZY1TUOY6E.html

China exonerates man jailed 11 years for murder that never happened, prompting debate over confessions extracted through torture.
AP via YahooNews.com, April 6, 2005
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050406/ap/d899m3go0.html

Trying 6-8 cases per day too much for judges and would undermine the ‘quality’ of court judgments, industry says
法官每天审案6-8件 业内呼吁“减负”保质量
People’s Daily, April 5, 2005
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/42731/3295743.html

Law – legal reform
Three court hearings for civil cases may be adopted in the upcoming revision of the Civil Procedure Law
我国民事诉讼审判程序可能由两审改为三审终审
EastDay.com, April 5, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957
/node37979/node55490/userobject1ai988952.html


Labour – work conditions and safety
Coal mining death toll rises by 20pc
SCMP, April 6, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZVAKXQY6E.html

Natural resources and energies
China to boost use of renewable energy by law
Xinhuanet.com, April 5, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/05/content_
2790253.htm


Police – crime
China sounds alarm as drug addiction rises, crime fighting ability falls
AFP via YahooNews.com, April 5, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050405/
wl_asia_afp/chinacrimedrugs_050405064701


Police – Re-education through labour
Liu Ching: from “re-education” through labour to “correction”
刘青:谈从“劳教”变为“矫治”
Chinesenewsnet.com, April 6, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Opinion/2005
_4_5_20_32_0_954.html


Poverty
26m still in poverty despite progress
Xinhuanet.com, April 5, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/05/content_2787
537.htm


Public health
Gov't eyes medical aid for residents
Xinhuanet.com, April 5, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/05/content_2786
917.htm


Religion – Christianity
China curb mourning the Pope on the net
中国禁止网民悼念教皇
Voice of America, April 5, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w-04-05-voa67.cfm

Resettlement – Dam project
Canal system to displace 400,000
SCMP, April 6, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ8TUUOY6E.html

Xinjiang
Uyghur Activist Urges International Help for China's Muslim Minority
Radio Free Asia, April 5, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/in_depth/2005/04/05/kadeer
_appeal/


Hong Kong – Basic Law
We must go to Beijing: Tsang
The Standard, April 6, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Front_Page/GD06Aa
01.html