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, January 06, 2006

January 6, 2006


Top News of the Day

Human Rights Defenders – Petitioners - Feng Bingxian (冯秉先)
陕北油田维权人士冯秉先被判3年 (Shaanxi Oil Well Campaigner Sentenced to Three Years’ Imprisonment)
Voice of America, January 06, 2006
Feng Bingxian (冯秉先), a leading representative of private oil investors in Shaanxi whose wells were seized by the local government in 2003, was sentenced to jail for three years on charges of disturbing public order. Two other investors, who also actively participated in the campaign against the government's confiscation of the oil wells, were also sentenced to two years in prison, but their terms were suspended for three years.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-01-05-voa23.cfm

Human Rights Defenders – Journalists - Ching Cheong (程翔)
程翔案移交北京第二人民检察院 (Family of Jailed Journalist Ching Cheong Notified That Ching's Case Was Sent to Procuratorate on December 30)
Voice of America, January 06, 2006
The case of Ching Cheong(程翔), a Hong Kong-based reporter who was accused of spying for Taiwan, was sent for prosecution to the Beijing No. 2 People’s Procuratorate on December 30, 2005. Ching’s wife was disappointed that the case had been transferred, adding that it was very likely Ching would go to trial.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-01-05-voa59.cfm



News

Children - Orphans and Adoption
China Has 573,000 Orphans
Xinhanet, January 06, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/05/content_4013
200.htm

Corporate Social Accountability / Poverty
Be More Generous, Firms and Millionaires Told
China Daily, January 06, 2006
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2006-01/06/content
_509649.htm

Death Penalty
死刑核准权今年统一行使 (Right to Review Death Penalty Cases to Be Returned to the Supreme Court This Year)
The Beijing News, January 06, 2006
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/china/2006/0106/014@15
2876.htm

Disasters
Natural Disaster Death Toll at Four-year High
SCMP, January 06, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZOI8RJRGE.html

Economic Development / Government
Looking at China's Progress in the Past Five Years)
People's Daily, January 06, 2006
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200601/05/eng20060105_
233105.html

Environment
调查显示：中国公众普遍认为环境问题非常紧迫 (Survey: Public Raises Serious Concerns on China's Environmental Problems)
Asia Times Online, January 06, 2006
http://www.atchinese.com/index.php?option=com_content&task
=view&id=12184&Itemid=33=33

Environment - Water
Chinese River Said Not Contaminated
AP( via YahooNews), January 06, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060106/ap_on_re_as/china_
poisoned_river

Views Mixed over Water Price Hike
Xinhuanet, January 06, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/05/content_
4011516.htm

Gender - Sexuality
同性恋主题志愿者的烦恼 (Social Stigma of Homosexuality Still Rules, Big Challenges for Public Education)
China Youth Daily, January 06, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/gb/zqb/2006-01/06/content_116387.htm


Human Rights
人权卫士被侵权　中国政府漠视公约 (Rights Group Condemns China for Failing to Meet International Human Rights Standards)
Radio Free Asia, January 06, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/01/05/
renquan/

Human Rights Defenders - Religious Practitioners - Wang Wenzhi (王文芝)
中国当局试图对地下天主教神父王文芝进行洗脑 (Underground Catholic Priest Wang Wenzhi Reportedly Made to Undergo Brainwashing While in Detention)
Radio Free Asia, January 06, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/01/05/
zongjiao/

June 4th / Protests and Petitions
中国民间发起纪念赵紫阳逝世一周年活动 (Activists Set to Organize Activities to Commemorate the Anniversary of Zhao Ziyang's Death)
Asia Times Online, January 03, 2006
http://www.atchinese.com/index.php?option=com_content&task
=view&id=12073&Itemid=33=33

Labor - Unions
农民工权益维护成我国工会维权"重中之重" (Union to Help Migrant Workers Get Back Wages)
EastDay.com, January 06, 2006
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/node
110479/userobject1ai1771111.html1111.html

Labor - Employment Conditions
Work Safety Key in Assessing Development
Xinhuanet, January 06, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/06/content_
4015375.htm

Land Policy - Resettlement
Party Chief Sets Rules on Land Acquisition
SCMP, January 06, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ9MERJRGE.html

Protecting Farmers' Interests is Real Progress
SCMP, January 06, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZMJ8RJRGE.html

Law - Legal Reform
人民陪审员共参与审案16万余件 (People’s Jurors Tried 160,000 Court Cases in 2005)
Legal Daily, January 06, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-01/06/content_
246791.htm

Media - Censorship / Press Freedom
Journalists Cry Freedom
The Standard, January 06, 2006
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15
&art_id=9244&sid=6138892&con_type=1&d_str=20060106
&con_type=1&d_str=20060106

Military
China Sets 5-year Target for Defense Industry
Xinhuanet, January 06, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/05/content_401
4527.htm

Public Health - Mental Health / Poverty
Disturbed Man Chained 21 Years
SCMP, January 06, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZXMERJRGE.html