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, April 08, 2005

April 8, 2005

News

Corruption
China to step up pursuit of corrupted officials
Xinhuanet.com, April 8, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/08/content_2801210.htm

Environment
An official dusting down as conditions worsen
SCMP, April 8, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ5F1VOY6E.html

Government – election / corruption
Ministry of Civil Affairs proposes election laws to prevent corruption in village committee elections
民政部:村委会选举存在贿选 建议制定选举法
EastDay.com, April 8, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37957/
node37979/node56039/userobject1ai998570.html

June 4th - arms embargo

Dialogue is needed on arms sales to China
Financial Times, 8 April 2005
One of the unwritten laws of international relations is that any decision, however good, becomes a bad idea if taken at the wrong time and poorly presented. It is no surprise, then, that the European Union's decision to lift the arms ...
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/fa815a38-a79b-11d9-9744-00000
e2511c8.html

Law
Innocent “Wife Killer” may get 2.2 million compensations
计佘祥林可获国家赔偿金22万
BeijingNews.com, April 8, 2005
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/2005/0408/05@013
742.html


Law-Legal Aid
China to pump in more money to support legal aid
People’s Daily, April 8, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200504/08/eng20050408_18
0108.html


Labour – protests
3,000 Guangdong workers take to the streets protest against late payment
廣東番禺爆發三千工人圍堵道路追討薪水衝突
Chinesenewsnet.com, April 7, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/cna_2005_04_07_00_10_24_531.html


Labour-Working Condition
Behind the Cadmium Poisoning of Guangdong Laborers
The Epoch Times, April 7, 2005
http://english.epochtimes.com/news/5-4-7/27690.html

13 people held accountable for fatal coal mine accidents arrested in N. China province
Xinhua News Agency, 8 April 2005
TAIYUAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with two fatal coal mine explosions in north China's Shanxi Province early this month, according to a spokesperson for the provincial government.
www.xinhuanet.com


Media – internet
Chinese Nationalists Turn to Internet
AP via YahooNews.com, April 7, 2005
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&amp
;amp;amp;ncid=731&e=10&u=/ap/20050407/ap_on_re_as/china
_online_against_japan

Tibet Info Website Upgraded
China Tibet Information Center April 8, 2005
The China Tibet Information Center (CTIC) has recently been upgraded with a TRS content management and search engine system.

http://china.org.cn/english/China/125133.htm

Poverty
Poor, rich disparities affect women, children's health care
Xinhuanet.com, April 7, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/07/content_2800388.htm

Last UN Food Aid Delivery Made
Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2005
The final delivery of food aid from the United Nations World Food Program, worth US$7.2 million, arrived at Chiwan Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Thursday morning.
http://china.org.cn/english/2005/Apr/125120.htm

Politics-CPPCC
Expert advocates more farmers, fewer officials in Congress
People’s Daily, April 7, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200504/07/eng20050407_1799
72.html

Religion-Christianity
Police abuse power, says China Underground Church in UN human right meeting
中国地下教徒在人权大会控诉警方
Voice of America, April 7, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-04-07-voa68.cfm

Resettlement
Violence and Harassment in Xi’an Clearance intensify social conflict
西安强行拆迁突显社会矛盾激化
Voice of America, April 6, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2005-04-06-voa59.cfm

Population of Seniors to Explode Post-2010 in Shanghai
Shanghai Daily April 8, 2005
The number of local residents over the age of 60 years topped 2.61 million by 2004, an increase of more than 60,000 from the year before, the Shanghai Research Center on Aging under the Civil Affairs Bureau revealed yesterday.
http://china.org.cn/english/China/125269.htm

UN
Annan calls on human rights body to disband
Financial Times, April 7, 2005
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/437f975a-a796-11d9-9744-00000e25
11c8.html


Hong Kong - Basic Law
Legal industry leads demonstration April 19 protesting against Basic Law re-intrepratation
法律界4.19反釋法遊行
Ming Po, April 8, 2005
http://full.mingpaonews.com/20050408/t_gaa1h.htm

The saga of Basic Law reintrepratation on the UN human rights hearing agenda
釋 法 問 題 被 提 上 聯 合 國 聽 證 會
Apple Daily, Aprl 8, 2005
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?
sec_id=4104&showdate=20050408&art_id=4796677