December 16, 2005

News

Children / Education
农村失学问题严重 (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=20051216&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.gBnYw8dCQtVg0FdwBxg8F;_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/userobject1ai1723647.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=15335&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=20051216&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=AnoTiNJ6eLt8jHF_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