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.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

May 25, 2006

Top News of the Day
Protests and Petitions
Prison Terms for Dongzhou Rioters
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ3XJHQ3ME.html
Yesterday, 12 residents of Guangdong's Dongzhou Village were given up to seven years’ imprisonment for their participation in a violent demonstration in December 2005. However, the former vice-director of the local public security bureau, whose actions left at least three villagers dead, was merely dismissed and three other senior law-enforcement officials reprimanded. Activist Li Jian criticised the light punishment for the officials, alleging that there was a cover-up and that local authorities prevented the defendants' relatives from hiring lawyers.

News
Bilateral Ties
赖斯望中国经济改革促进政治民主 (Rice Hopes China's Economic Development Will Promote Democracy)
Voice of America, May 25, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-25-voa7.cfm

Death Penalty
闯入大排档乱枪杀两人 潮州涉黑团伙骨干周延樊昨被枪决 (Chaozhou Triad Group Leader Executed Yesterday for Random Killing of Two People at Food Stall)
Nanfang Daily, May 25, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/jwxy
/200605250161.asp


寻访死刑二审开庭审理之足迹 (Looking at the History Behind Having a Second Trial for Death Penalty Cases)
Legal Daily, May 25, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-05/25/
content_320923.htm


Economic Development
发改委:缩小区域差距主要在于缩小生活水平差异 (National Development and Reform Commission: The Key to Reducing Regional Disparities Lies in Bridging the Gap in Living Standards)
EastDay.com, May 25, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node136836/userobject1ai205

9019.html

Education
广西:让最穷的孩子也能上学 (Guangxi Province: Trying to Provide Education for Even the Poorest Children)
China Youth Daily, May 25, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006
-05/25/content_1395291.htm


西部贫困大学生调查:透支35年收入上4年大学 (Poor University Students in Western Regions Have to Go into Debt for 35 Years to Pay for 4 Years of Studies)
EastDay.com, May 25, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741
/node81762/node136836/userobject1ai206

0465.html

Environment
Officials to Be Punished for Pollution
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ8NOEQ3ME.html

China Struggles to Stop Its Largest Lake Shrinking
Reuters (via Boston.com), May 24, 2006
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/
2006/05/24/china_struggles_to_stop_it

s_largest_lake_shrinking/

Human Rights Defender - Huang Weizhong (黄维忠)
福建农民代表黄维忠被判三年监禁 (Fujian Farmers’ Representative Huang Weizhong Sentenced to 3 Years’ Imprisonment)
Voice of America, May 24, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-24-voa31.cfm

Human Rights Defender - Xiong Zhongjun (熊忠俊)
网络异见人士被公安逼迫返乡 (Public Security Bureau Forces Another Internet Activist to Go Back to Home Town)
Radio Free Asia, May 24, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/
2006/05/24/fanxiang/


Labor
左云矿难祸首「金字塔」式转包 ("Pyramidal" Sub-contracting Was Cause of Shanxi Mine Accident)
Wen Wei Po, May 25, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id
=CH0605250023&cat=002CH


8 Dead in Latest Chinese Mine Accident
AP( via YahooNews), May 24, 2006


Law
河北:掀起一场政府文件清理风暴 (Hebei Government to Update Documents in Line with Latest Law)
China Youth Daily, May 25, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-05/25/
content_1395361.htm


Media
AIDS Film Hits Shops 4 Years After Release
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZBSQEQ3ME.html

Media
'Pornographic' Art Exhibition Closed
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZCNOEQ3ME.html

Migrant Workers
断裂的社会与流放的儿童 (Migrant Workers' Children with No Parental Care Easily Fall Victim to Abuse)
Nanfang Daily, May 25, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/spqy/
200605250751.asp


Military
Beijing 'Spends More on Defence than It Claims'
Financial Times, May 25, 2006
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/f97c78ec-eb89
-11da-823e-0000779e2340.html


Public Health
State Must Pay to Defuse Health-care Time Bomb
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZ90OEQ3ME.html

Rural Issues
河南将全面启动农村低保制度 (Henan to Launch Program of Guaranteed Government Assistance for Low-Income Rural Residents)
China Youth Daily, May 25, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-05/25/
content_1395426.htm


Three Gorges
China: Three Gorges Dam Holds Lessons for Green Activists
Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS), May 23, 2006
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33327