Top News of the Day
State Security
Sociologist Who Wrote Articles for Ching Is Jailed for 20 Years
SCMP, December 20, 2006
http://www.scmp.com/topnews/ZZZ0IWM9UVE.html
Academic Lu Jianhua (陆建华), who was arrested in connection with the spying case of Hong Kong journalist Ching Cheong, was secretly sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment by a Beijing court on December 18 on charges of leaking state secrets. His wife was only informed of the sentence by a Beijing court a day later when she called to confirm media reports about it. The court also told her Lu had decided to appeal. Lu did not appoint a lawyer during the first trial and has no plans to do so in his appeal. The sentence is considered unusually harsh for the charge, as generally only very serious cases are given more than 10 years.
News
Death Penalty
安徽省双轮集团原董事长刘俊卿被核准执行死缓 (Death Sentence with Two-year Reprieve Ratified for Former Company Director)
Xinhuanet, December 20, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-12/19/content_5504784.h
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Human Rights Defender – Fu Xiancai (付先财）
付先财就被袭事件致信贾春旺 (Fu Xiancai Sends Petition Letter to Procurator-general of Supreme People's Procuratorate)
Radio Free Asia, December 19, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/19/fu/
Human Rights Defender – Zheng Enchong (郑恩宠)
上海当局要求沈婷与郑恩宠断交 (Shanghai Authorities Harass Hong Kong Resident Shen Ting for Communicating with Zheng Enchong)
Radio Free Asia, December 19, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/19/zheng/
Land Policy
征地拆迁和新农村建设职务犯罪成明年查办重点 (Land-Related Crimes to Be Targeted in 2007)
EastDay.com, December 20, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/node177
776/u1a2518159.html
Law
Protest Farmers on Trial for Extortion
SCMP, December 20, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ3A0I9UVE.html
三名上海访民被判刑，两名被审理 (Three Shanghai Petitioners Convicted, 2 Tried)
Radio Free Asia, December 19, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/19/fangmin/
Media
中国將续推 新闻发佈制 (More Government Bodies to Adopt Spokesperson System)
Wen Wei Po, December 20, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?cat=001YO&news_id=Y
O0612200008
Migrant Workers
Chinese City May Limit Migrants
BBC, December 20, 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6192187.stm
Police
Police Pay Family After Man Dies in Cell
SCMP, December 20, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZZ90I9UVE.html
Protests and Petitions
政治诉求转向利益捍卫 (Abstract Political Demands Become Defense of Concrete Interests)
Ming Pao, December 20, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20061220/cay2.htm
中央软硬兩手应付 (Central Authorities Try to Handle Petitions Using Both Soft and Hard Tactics)
Ming Pao, December 20, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20061220/cay3.htm
民怨炸弹密集爆发 (Commentary: Public Grievances Explode)
Ming Pao, December 20, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20061220/cay1.htm
杭州官方抓捕十多名维权代表 八旬老人称只求对话 (Two of 15 Protestors Taken Away by Hangzhou Authorities Still Being Held)
Radio Free Asia, December 19, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/19/qingyu
an/
Society
Chinese Success Story Chokes on Its Own Growth
New York Times, December 19, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/world/asia/19shenzhen.html?
_r=1&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print&pagewanted=print