Wednesday, August 23, 2006

August 23, 2006

Top News of the Day
Human Rights Defender - Religious Practitioner - Master Shengguan (圣观大师)
为六四死难者举行超度 江西法师处境艰难 (Buddhist Master Persecuted for Performing Rituals of Salvation for June 4th Victims in Jiangxi)
Radio Free Asia, August 22, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/22/jiangxi/
According to Human Rights in China, Master Shengguan, a former 1989 democracy activist and currently the executive director of a Buddhist temple in Jiangxi, has been persecuted for performing rituals of salvation for June 4th victims and for corruption allegations made by temple personnel against local officials. The local authorities want to expel the Master, formerly known as Xu Zhiqiang (徐志强), from the temple. Reportedly, a female temple volunteer was taken away, beaten and threatened until she falsely stated that she was involved in a sexual relationship with the Master.

Human Rights Defender – Lawyer - Gao Zhisheng (高智晟)
高智晟维权遭打压 亲朋好友受株连 (Relatives and Friends Entangled in Persecution of Gao Zhisheng)
Radio Free Asia, August 22, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/22/g
aozhisheng/
In addition to human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng himself being held in detention, his wife and children have been placed under house arrest. His three nephews have also been detained for two days for trying to visit the Gao family, and their mobile phones have been confiscated. Gao’s friend Zhao Xin, a rights defender who offered to act in Gao’s defense, was forcibly sent from Beijing to Yunnan by a local state secrets bureau.

News
Children
《未成年人保护法（修订草案）》 向“恶搞”等不良舆论环境挥利剑 (Proposed Amendments to Law on Protection of Minors Target Indecent Media Materials)
China Youth Daily, August 23, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-08/23/content_1488021.htm

立法重铸未成年人保护制度 (Proposed Amendments to Law on Protection of Minors Will Bring Improvements)
Legal Daily, August 23, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/misc/2006-08/23/content_
391528.htm

Death Penalty
落马女支书买凶杀人 (Dismissed Cadre Sentenced to Death with Two-year Reprieve for Murder)
Legal Daily, August 23, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-08/23/co
ntent_391298.htm

杀害西安新华书店原总经理凶手被执行死刑 (Man Executed for Murdering Manager in Xi'an)
Xinhuanet, August 22, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-08/22/conten
t_4992819.htm

Environment
China's Urban Water Supplies Face Severe Test
SCMP, August 23, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060822/wl_nm/environ
ment_china_dc_3

New Bill to Protect Scenic Spots
SCMP, August 23, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ2ROIB6RE.html

所有城镇年底开征污水费 (Waste-water Fees to Extend to All Cities and Towns)
The Beijing News, August 23, 2006
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/0565/2006/08-23
/014@040513.htm

Water Pollution ‘Worsening Across China’
Financial Times, August 23, 2006
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/5a521c24-31d7-11db-ab06-00
00779e2340.html

Government – Local Elections
泛蓝人大代表竞选遭破坏 (Campaign of Pan-blue Alliance Candidate for Local People's Congress Sabotaged)
Radio Free Asia, August 22, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2
006/08/22/renda/

Human Rights
Draft Law Backs Right to Private Property
China Daily, August 23, 2006
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-08/23/cont
ent_671486.htm

Human Rights Defender – Journalist - Zhao Yan (赵岩)
Chinese Court May Rule Soon on Times Researcher
New York Times, August 22, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/22/world/asia/22zhao.h
tml?_r=1&oref=slogin

Human Rights Defenders
四川失地农民维权代表遭殴打 (Representative of Victims of Land Grabs Beaten up in Sichuan Province)
Radio Free Asia, August 22, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/22/
sichuan/

Media
China Shuts Down over 100 Websites for Copyright Violation
SCMP, August 23, 2006
http://technology.scmp.com/techinternet/ZZZEX0K74RE.html

Two Ways to Deal with the Net Threat
SCMP, August 23, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZSPOIB6RE.html

Migrant Workers
外来务工者统称“新市民” (District in Xi'an to Call Migrant Workers "New Citizens" to Avoid Discriminatory Connotation)
The Beijing News, August 23, 2006
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/0565/2006/08-23
/014@041105.htm

Public Health
由“不良事件”而生的疑问 (Discussing the Legal Consequences of an "Adverse Drug Effect" in Deadly Antibiotic Case)
Legal Daily, August 23, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-08/23/content_3
91214.htm

Tibet
Dalai Lama Attacked with New Ferocity
SCMP, August 23, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chifeatures/ZZZQBWJ74RE.html