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.

Monday, August 07, 2006

August 5-7, 2006

Top News of the Day
Protests and Petitions - Corruption
辽宁凌源反贪村民遭镇压 (Protest over Corruption Put Down in Lingyuan, Liaoning Province)
Radio Free Asia, August 04, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/04/
liaoning/
More than 200 policepersons were called in to put down a protest against corruption and land grabs in a village in Liaoning Province on July 13. Four of the protesters were formally arrested, three are under detention and three were severely injured and are still in hospital. While several officials were dismissed after the incident, the arrest of protestors is ongoing and there is no sign that the authorities want to hold discussions with the villagers.

News
Bilateral Ties
China and Darfur
New York Times, August 04, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/opinion/04fri3.html?_
r=1&oref=slogin

Death Penalty
最高法院督办李伟特大涉黑案终审3人获死刑 (Anhui Province Higher People's Court Gives Execution Order for Three Triad Ring Leaders)
Xinhuanet, August 07, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-08/07/content
_4928438.htm

北京：贪689万全输光 “张输光”被判死刑 (Beijing Cadre Sentenced to Death with Two-year Reprieve for Embezzling over Six Million Yuan)
Xinhuanet, August 07, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-08/07/content
_4928009.htm

Environment
Ban Mainland's Dirty Fuel in HK, Critic Says
SCMP, August 07, 2006
http://hongkong.scmp.com/hknews/ZZZY4QW2IQE.html

Mainland's Progress on Goals for Energy Efficiency 'Not Promising'
SCMP, August 07, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZPVAPVEQE.html

四川重旱二百万人吃水困难 (Two Million People Affected by Serious Drought in Sichuan)
Radio Free Asia, August 06, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/
06/sichuan/

Damming Asia's Watershed: China's Hydropower Plans in Tibet
Interfax China, August 04, 2006
http://www.interfax.cn/showfeature.asp?aid=15850
&slug=HYDROPOWER-TIBET

Gender
2.6 Mln Chinese Women Reemployed in Past Five Years
People's Daily, August 07, 2006
http://english.people.com.cn/200608/04/eng20060804
_289734.html

个性相似的男女更容易相爱 (ACWF: Divorce Rate Rose in 2005)
China Youth Daily, August 07, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-08/07/content
_1469936.htm

Government – Local Elections
纳异见入体制有利无害 (Academic: Allowing Different Voices to Enter Government Could Only Be Beneficial)
Ming Pao, August 07, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20060807/caa2.htm

维权人士参选 有利民主实践 (Having Rights Defenders Running for Local Elections Will Promote Democracy)
Ming Pao, August 07, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20060807/mrb.htm

不买楼运动发起人參选 (Man Who Launched "Don't Buy Apartments" Campaign Runs for Local Election)
Ming Pao, August 07, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20060807/caa3.htm

维权者纷选地方人大 (Rights Defenders Run for Local People's Congresses)
Middle East Times, August 07, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20060807/caa1h.htm

Government - Governance and Accountability
中央严令党政一把手任期限10年 (New Regulations Impose Term Limits for Government Officials)
Wen Wei Po, August 07, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id
=CH0608070004&cat=002CH

地震后，市政府为何成众矢之的 (Yunnan Official Defends Why Earthquake Warning Was Not Publicized)
Nanfang Weekend, August 03, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20060803/xw/
tb/200608030001.asp

Human Rights Defenders
Taishi Activist Arrested
SCMP, August 07, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZOQEYGEQE.html

Human Rights Defender – Lawyer - Gao Zhisheng (高智晟)
维权人士就高智晟被打发起签名抗议 (Rights Defenders Launch Signature Campaign to Protest Battery of Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng)
Radio Free Asia, August 04, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08
/04/gaozhisheng/

Labor
Wal-Mart Workers in China Form Second Union
AFP (via YahooNews), August 05, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060805/ts_afp/chinausreta
ilwalmart_060805170149;_ylt=AomgpiU57PdoIfCmo_3P88B
PzWQA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
=AomgpiU57PdoIfCmo_3P88BPzWQA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW0
4NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUC

Media
驻京周记﹕卡拉OK的「三个代表」(Commentary: The “Three Represents” in the Karaoke Business)
Mingpao, August 07, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20060807/ccj1.htm

医院接受采访须报批续 卫生局废"记者限访令" (Guangzhou Health Authorities Abolish Policy Requiring Hospitals to Get Approval Before Accepting Media Interviews)
Xinhuanet, August 07, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-08/07/
content_4928559.htm

Mainland Censors Shut Down Pair of Websites
SCMP, August 05, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZI14XGEQE.html

Plan to Save Newspaper Industry as Youth Increasingly Turn to the Internet
SCMP, August 05, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZIQEYGEQE.html

出版非法刊物上海经理被判刑四年 (Shanghai Manager Given Four Years’ Imprisonment for Issuing Illegal Publications)
Radio Free Asia, August 04, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/
04/publishing/

Politics
高干任期颁新规 (CPC Issues New Regulations Governing Senior Cadres)
Ming Pao, August 07, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20060807/cac1.htm

Protests and Petitions
Anhui Bus Drivers Hold Rare Strike
SCMP, August 05, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZTVAPVEQE.html

上海访民的遭遇 (Persecution Continues for Shanghai Petitioners)
Radio Free Asia, August 05, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/
05/fangmin/

Thousands Join Fast Protest Against Arrests
SCMP, August 05, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZCK9YGEQE.html

Public Health
Two More Die from Suspect Antibiotics
SCMP, August 07, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZSFJ2UHQE.html

中国民众对艾滋病无知度令人担忧 (Survey: Public's Ignorance of AIDS Worrying)
Voice of America, August 04, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-08-04-voa22.cfm

Religion
凤台教徒学圣经遭袭 党山教堂事件又有5人被抓 (Two Elder Members of Protestant House Church in Anhui Detained; Five More Detained in Church Demolition Case in Hangzhou)
Radio Free Asia, August 04, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/08/
04/church/

法轮功学员北京被捕太太赴美求救 (Wife of Detained Falun Gong Practitioner and Asia Foundation Staff Member Goes to US to Seek Help)
Voice of America, August 04, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-08-04-voa40.cfm

Society
中国户均人口3.39人 家庭规模趋小型化模式多样 (3.39 Persons in Average Household; Chinese Families Getting Smaller)
EastDay.com, August 07, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762
/node153122/u1a2234894.htmll

Tibet
遊藏客剧增 拉萨遇难题 (Lhasa Not Well-prepared for Drastic Increase in Number of Tourists)
Wen Wei Po, August 07, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id=
CH0608070012&cat=002CH

China Tightening Control over Tibet
Washington Post, August 04, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/200
6/08/04/AR2006080401471.html

Hong Kong
Hong Kong Passes Covert Surveillance Bill
Financial Times, August 07, 2006
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/f01496b4-25a3-11db-
a12e-0000779e2340.html