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, May 15, 2006

May 12-15,2006

Top News of the Day

Human Rights Defenders – Tan Kai
Trial of Chinese Environmental Activist to Start Monday
AP, via Mainichi Daily News, May 15, 2006
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/international/asia/news/
20060513p2g00m0in013000c.html

The trial of Chinese environmentalist Tan Kai, who was arrested last October on charges of stealing state secrets, began today in Hangzhou. Tan was detained for trying to register an environmental watchdog group called Green Watch, which was banned by the local government.

Related News
HRIC Press Release: Trial Date Set for Hangzhou Environmentalist
HRIC, May 12, 2006
http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/
press?revision%5fid=27904&item%5fid=27903



News
Death Penalty
上海:60怎么办规范二审开庭 (Shanghai Adopts 60 Rules to Regulate Second Trials for Death Penalty Cases)
Legal Daily, May 15, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/misc/2006-05/15/
content_315208.htm


家长杀校长一审被判死刑 (Parent Sentenced to Death for Murdering School Principal)
China Daily, May 15, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-05/15/
content_314578.htm


Education
上学贵还有另一只黑手 (Another Hidden Cause of Expensive Education - Corruption)
China Youth Daily, May 15, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-05/15/
content_1383231.htm


云南农村中小学贫困生:学杂费全免,生活补助还要加把油 (Even with Free Tuition, Rural Students in Yunnan Still Need Financial Help)
China Youth Daily, May 15, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-05/15/
content_1383071.htm


中国放缓高校扩招 专家评论 (Experts Comment on Policy to Stop Expanding Tertiary Education)
Voice of America, May 13, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-13-voa50.cfm

中国学术腐败滋长需有效处理机制 (Academic Corruption in China Should Be Monitored by Effective Mechanism)
Voice of America, May 12, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/W2006-05-12-voa48.cfm

Environment
Dirty HK Factories in Delta Face Closure
SCMP, May 15, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZENWDQ3ME.html

甘肃永靖山体滑坡掩埋五百间房屋 上千人受灾 (Landslide in Gansu Destroys 500 Houses and Affects Thousands of People)
EastDay.com, May 15, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node134836/userobject1ai2038163.html

8163.html

联合国官员考察遭无极剧组破坏的天池景区 (UN Officials Examine Environmental Damage Caused by Film Crew in Yunnan )
EastDay.com, May 15, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node134836/userobject1ai2037019.html

7019.html

環保人士呼籲吸取三峽教訓 (Environmentalists Learning from the Three Gorges)
BBC, May 14, 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/trad/hi/newsid_4760000/
newsid_4769800/4769869.stm


Freedom of Speech
China Orders Art Galleries to Remove Paintings with Political Themes
New York Times, May 13, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/13/arts/design/13cens.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
ogin

8名中国学者欲参加国际文革研讨会遭阻 (Eight Chinese Academics Barred from Joining International Conference on Cultural Revolution)
Radio Free Asia, May 12, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/05/
12/wenge40/


Government - Grassroots Elections/ Politics - CPC
CPC Promoting Reform, Democracy in Local Leadership Elections
Xinhuanet, May 14, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-05/14/
content_4545516.htm


Human Rights Defenders - Religious Practitioners
Nuns Haunted by Attack in Land Dispute
SCMP, May 15, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZHEUDQ3ME.html

Human Rights Defenders - Internet Activists – Li Yuanlong
以言获罪的李元龙出庭 律师抗辩 (Journalist Li Yuanlong Pleads Innocent, Awaiting Verdict of First Trial)
Voice of America, May 14, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-14-voa50.cfm

Labor
全国总工会回应制定最低工资标准工会是否缺位? (Was the ACFTU Included in Minimum Wage Debate?)
EastDay.com, May 15, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node134836/userobject1ai2038440.html

8440.html

新劳动法谘询 港商提10质疑 (Hong Kong Merchants Raise 10 Queries over China’s New Labor Law)
Wen Wei Po, May 15, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/
news.phtml?cat=002CH&news_id=CH0605150001


劳动部要求最低工资标准每两年至少要调高一次 (Ministry of Labor Asks that Minimum Wage Be Raised at Least Once Every Two Years)
EastDay.com, May 15, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node134836/userobject1ai2038183.html


Iron Mine Collapse Traps Eight Miners in East China
Xinhuanet, May 14, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-05/14/
content_4543620.htm


外企工会生存调查 (Survey on Work of Unions in Foreign Enterprises)
Nanfang Weekend, May 11, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/zm/20060511/jj/jjxw/
200605110037.asp


Land Policy
吉林大营子村土地案村民状告无门 (Jilin Court Refuses to Hear Land Conscription Dispute)
Radio Free Asia, May 13, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/05/13/
jilin/


Law
反洗钱机构该怎样亮剑登场 (How Anti-Money Laundering Department Should Start its Work)
Legal Daily, May 15, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/misc/2006-05/15/
content_315244.htm


武汉大学教授周叶中涉嫌剽窃案开审 (Trial Begins for Wuhan Professor Charged with Plagiarism)
Radio Free Asia, May 12, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/05/
12/academics/


Media - Internet Censorship

Internet Patrol System Extended
SCMP, May 15, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZEDVDQ3ME.html

公安部推广深圳经验 八城设立虚拟警察” (Ministry of Public Security to Extend "Cyber-policing" from Shenzhen to 8 Other Cities)
Xinhuanet, May 15, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-05/15/
content_4546019.htm


百度推出维基式百科但审查内容 (Censorship Exists in Baidu's Version of Wikipedia)
Voice of America, May 12, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-12-voa67.cfm

雅虎求美政府促中国改善媒体自由状况 (Yahoo Asks US Government to Urge China to Improve Media Freedom)
Radio Free AsiaMay 13, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/
05/13/yahu/


Multilateral - UN
港分析人士称中国会有限改善人权 (Hong Kong Analysts: Human Rights Improvements in China Will Be Limited)
Voice of America, May 12, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-12-voa30.cfm

Politics - CPC
今明两年省市县乡党委集中换届 减少副书记职数 (Elections for Local Party Committees to Be Combined for This and Next Year, Number of Deputy Secretaries to Be Reduced)
EastDay.com, May 15, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node134836/userobject1ai2038320.html


Silence Suggests Lessons of the Cultural Revolution Have Been Lost
SCMP, May 15, 2006
http://columns.scmp.com/colart/clife/ZZZDEUDQ3ME.html

Population
China's Elderly Population Reaches 143 Million
People's Daily, May 15, 2006
http://english.people.com.cn/200605/13/
eng20060513_265381.html


Poverty
Young People 'No Longer Honored to Be Poor'
Houston Chronicle, May 13, 2006
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/travel/3861213.html

China to Set up Special Fund for Poverty Reduction
China Daily, May 14, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-05/14/
content_4544473.htm


Protests and Petitions
深圳市民网上发起不买房行动 (Shenzhen Resident Launches "Don't Buy Apartments" Campaign on Internet)
Radio Free Asia, May 12, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/
05/12/shenzhen/


Boom May Turn to Bust as 'Mortgage Slaves' Take Action
SCMP, May 15, 2006
http://columns.scmp.com/colart/ppick/ZZZU1WDQ3ME.html

Religion- Christianity
港取消中国家庭教会人士访港行程 (Hong Kong’s Chinese Institute of Theology Cancels Trip of 3 Christians Who Met with President Bush)
Voice of America, May 13, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-13-voa24.cfm

First Mass for Beijing-Appointed Bishop Unlikely to Heal Rift
SCMP, May 12, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ2AVDQ3ME.html

Three Gorges
China's 3 Gorges Raises Questions for Future Dams
Washington Post, May 13, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/13/AR2006051301274.html