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, August 31, 2006

August 31, 2006

Top News of the Day

Human Rights Defender – Journalist – Ching Cheong (程翔)
China Jails Singapore Reporter for Spying
Reuters (via YahooNews), August 31, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060831/wl_nm/china
_journalist_dc_3
A court in Beijing sentenced Straits Times reporter Ching Cheong to five years’ imprisonment today for spying for Taiwan. Ching, detained since April 2005, was also deprived of his political rights for a year and had personal property worth 300,000 yuan confiscated. Rights groups and other journalists are very concerned about Ching, who is 56 and suffers from high blood pressure. Ching was charged with allegedly receiving money from a Taiwan foundation and using it to buy secret information on China's political, economic and military affairs between 2000 and 2005.



News

Civil Society
妖魔还是天使?外国非政府组织在华被指助长腐败 (Foreign NGOs Alleged to Contribute to Corruption in China)
EastDay.com, August 31, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762
/node158531/u1a2289292.html

Death Penalty
Give Top Court Control of Executions: Lawyers
SCMP, August 31, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZMGQK9CRE.html

主犯一审被判死刑 (Man Sentenced to Death for Multiple Armed Robberies in Dongguan, Guangdong Province)
Legal Daily, August 31, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-08/31/content_
398661.htm

潮州严惩“铁锤帮” (Two Sentenced to Death for Murdering Two with Hammer in Chaozhou, Guangdong Province)
Legal Daily, August 31, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-08/31/content_
398662.htm

Freedom of Speech
TV Must Be in Its Prime, China Rules
The Australian, August 30, 2006
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,203000
21-2703,00.html

Gender
"I Will Continue Until I Find Justice"
SCMP, August 31, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ1XOK9CRE.html

Government
盛华仁指直选乡镇长违宪 (Senior NPC Official Argues Direct Elections for Village and Town Heads Are Unconstitutional)
Ming Pao, August 31, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20060831/cak2.htm

Hukou
被收养独生子女可落户北京 (Adopted Single Children in Beijing Now Allowed to Get Hukou)
The Beijing News, August 31, 2006
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/0546/2006/0831/018@
205685.htm

Human Rights Defenders
恐吓信威胁北京知识分子“闭嘴” (Beijing Intellectuals Threatened and Told to "Shut Up")
Voice of America, August 30, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-08-30-voa26.cfm

中国维权运动和公民社会的发展 (二) (China's Rights Defense Movement and the Development of Civil Society (Part 2))
Radio Free Asia, August 30, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/30/
wei-quan2/

Human Rights Defender – Lawyer - Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚)
律师会见陈光诚　商讨上诉受阻 (Lawyers Prevented from Discussing Appeal with Chen Guangcheng)
Radio Free Asia, August 30, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/30/
chenguangcheng/

Labor
最高人民法院关于审理劳动争议案件适用法律若干问题的解释(二) (The Supreme People's Court’s Interpretation of Certain Questions Regarding How to Apply the Law When Trying Labor Dispute Cases (Part 2))
Legal Daily, August 31, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-08/31/content
_398675.htm

“被取缔学校教师不在安置之列” (Teachers of Banned Schools in Beijing Will Not Be Allocated New Jobs)
The Beijing News, August 31, 2006
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/0554/2006/08-31/018@
205699.htm

Land Policy
建设部对廉租房实行年审制度 住户不再享终身制 (Ministry of Construction Issues New Measures to Scrap Lifetime Rental Agreements for Public Housing)
The Beijing News, August 31, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/node
158531/u1a2288450.html

上海拆迁居民写信举报周正毅合同诈骗 (Open Letter from Evicted Shanghai Residents Accuses Developer Zhou Zhengyi of Fraud)
Radio Free Asia, August 31, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/30/shanghai/


Law
中国司法何曾独立 ？ (Commentary: State Secrets Charge Being Dropped Against Zhao Yan Does Not Mean Judicial Independence Exists in China)
Apple Daily, August 31, 2006
http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm
iss_id=20060831&sec_id=4104&subsec_id=15337&art_id=6268605

农民工凭工资欠条可直接向法院起诉 (New Judicial Interpretation Allows Migrant Workers to Sue Employers Using Only Wage Receipts)
China Youth Daily, August 31, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-08/31/content_1496151.htm

中国法律援助现状调查 (Survey on the Present Situation of Legal Aid in China)
Legal Daily, August 31, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-08/31/content_3986
74.htm

Media
社论：轻视法律的不是媒体，是富士康 (Editorial: Foxconn Electronics Ignored the Law, Not Journalists)
Nanfang Daily, August 31, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/spqy/2006083
10489.asp

鸿富锦“记者侵权案”索赔降为1元 (iPod Maker Reduces Libel Claim to 1 Yuan)
Xinhuanet, August 31, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-08/31/content_502
8183.htm

起诉记者天价索赔案未尝不是好事 (Libel Claim Against Journalists Not Entirely Bad)
China Youth Daily, August 31, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-08/31/content_149
6076.htm

China Developing Internet Game that Teaches Chinese Ethics
All Headline News, August 29, 2006
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004692859

Multilateral
上合组织合作反恐影响美国政策? (Do SCO States Cooperate to Influence US Policy?)
Voice of America, August 31, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-08-31-voa1.cfm

Police
番禺：村委会强行关押200人办暂住证 (200 People Detained and Forced to Pay for Temporary Residence Permit in Panyu, Guangdong Province)
Nanfang Daily, August 31, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/jwxy/2006
08310044.asp

Politics
Party Tells Cadres to Put Duty First in Reshuffle)
SCMP, August 31, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZV5AN9CRE.html

Protests and Petitions
中央党校副校长:群体性事件参与者极少数是坏人 (Senior Cadre at CPC School Argues that Only a Small Number of Those Who Participate in Mass Incidents Are Troublemakers)
EastDay.com, August 31, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node158531/u1a2289260.html

京遭封学校师生拆门上学 (Teachers and Students Force Banned School to Reopen)
Wen Wei Po, August 31, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id=CH0
608310004&cat=002CH

Public Health
五年内解决农村1.6亿人饮水问题 (State Council Vows to Solve Drinking Water Problem for 160 Million in 5 Years)
The Beijing News, August 31, 2006
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/0546/2006/0831/018@
205683.htm

China Police Break Up Fake Tamiflu Ring
TVNZ, August 30, 2006
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/823716

Rural Issues
Counting the Cost of Expansion
The Standard, August 30, 2006
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asppp_cat=
20&art_id=26122&sid=9641680&con_type=3

State Security
Harsh Penalties Vowed for Illegal Foreign Surveys
China Daily, August 30, 2006
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-08/30/content
_677698.htm

Tibet
Time Running Out for Tibet: French Senators
Washington Post, August 30, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/
2006/08/30/AR2006083000424.html

Hong Kong - Gender
Suicide Rampant Among China's Rural Women, City High-Flyers
Radio Free Asia, August 31, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2006/08/30/china_suicide/