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, March 20, 2006

March 18 – 20, 2006

Top News of the Day

Human Rights Defenders - Zhao Yan ()
无国界记者欢迎赵岩即将无罪获释 (Reporters Without Borders Welcomes Release of Jailed Journalist Zhao Yan)
BBC, March 17, 2006
Chinese authorities have dropped all charges against Zhao Yan, a news researcher for the New York Times' Beijing bureau who has been detained for more than a year for allegedly leaking state secrets. Observers say that Zhao's release, which comes prior to President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the U.S. next month, is being viewed as a goodwill gesture.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/trad/hi/newsid_4810000/
newsid_4818900/4818976.stm


Zhao Release Viewed as a Goodwill Sign to US
SCMP, March 18, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ5ARH6VKE.html

News

Civil Society - NGOs
Civil Groups Given State Funding for Relief Operations
SCMP, March 20, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ86VH6VKE.html

Death Penalty
China Executes Former Business Tycoon
Voice of America, March 18, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-03-18-voa11.cfm

Education
教育部部长:我国高等教育迈入大众化阶段 (Ministry of Education: More Students Are Seeking Higher Education)
China Youth Daily, March 20, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-03/20/content_1338445.htm

Gender
中国男女性别工资差距扩大 (Gap in Salaries Between Male and Female Workers Widens)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/03/18/xingbie/

Human Rights Defenders
Dissident Held in Mental Hospital 13 Years Is Sane, Rights Group
SCMP, March 18, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZCY1I6VKE.html

Subversive Blogger Gets 10 Years' Jail
SCMP, March 18, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZASRH6VKE.html

China Intervenes to Keep Mao Portrait Protester Detained in Thailand
Radio Free Asia, March 17, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/english/china/2006/03/17/china
_dissident/


Labor
讨论:中国煤矿安全治理研究报告 (Discussion on China's Mine Safety Management Report)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/
03/18/meikuang/


Land Policy
Owners Come Home to Misery and Violence
SCMP, March 20, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ08Z7AVKE.html

河南省濮阳一失地农民土地纠纷 (Dispute over Lost Farmland in Henan Province)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/
03/18/shidinongmin/


Media
Innovation May Lower Net Users' Privacy
International Herald Tribune, March 20, 2006
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/19/business/
chinet20.php


Military
解放军增处置突事件(New Rule Calls for More Power for the People's Liberation Army in Handling Emergencies)
Ming Pao, March 20, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/htm/Print.htm

Politics
Hu's Bland Preaching Will Fail to Revive Time-Honored Social Traits
SCMP, March 20, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ2EWH6VKE.html

Protests and Petitions – Taishi Incident
太石村选镇人代 维权村民第一 (Rights Activist Villager Leads in Taishi Party Chief Elections)
Ming Pao, March 20, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/htm/Print.htm

Public Health
China Seeks New Deal in Health Reforms
People's Daily, March 19, 2006
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200603/19/
eng20060319_251782.html


中国医疗卫生WHO排名倒数第四 (China's Health Care Ranks Fourth Worst According to WHO Report)
Voice of America, March 19, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-
03-19-voa24.cfm


Rural Issues - Credit and Loans
University Studies Rural Loan System
SCMP, March 19, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZG6Y7AVKE.html

Tibet
Beijing Insists It Can Find Next Dalai Lama
SCMP, March 18, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZK9W7AVKE.html