Thursday, May 25, 2006

May 25, 2006

Top News of the Day
Protests and Petitions
Prison Terms for Dongzhou Rioters
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ3XJHQ3ME.html
Yesterday, 12 residents of Guangdong's Dongzhou Village were given up to seven years’ imprisonment for their participation in a violent demonstration in December 2005. However, the former vice-director of the local public security bureau, whose actions left at least three villagers dead, was merely dismissed and three other senior law-enforcement officials reprimanded. Activist Li Jian criticised the light punishment for the officials, alleging that there was a cover-up and that local authorities prevented the defendants' relatives from hiring lawyers.

News
Bilateral Ties
赖斯望中国经济改革促进政治民主 (Rice Hopes China's Economic Development Will Promote Democracy)
Voice of America, May 25, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-25-voa7.cfm

Death Penalty
闯入大排档乱枪杀两人 潮州涉黑团伙骨干周延樊昨被枪决 (Chaozhou Triad Group Leader Executed Yesterday for Random Killing of Two People at Food Stall)
Nanfang Daily, May 25, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/jwxy
/200605250161.asp


寻访死刑二审开庭审理之足迹 (Looking at the History Behind Having a Second Trial for Death Penalty Cases)
Legal Daily, May 25, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-05/25/
content_320923.htm


Economic Development
发改委:缩小区域差距主要在于缩小生活水平差异 (National Development and Reform Commission: The Key to Reducing Regional Disparities Lies in Bridging the Gap in Living Standards)
EastDay.com, May 25, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node136836/userobject1ai205

9019.html

Education
广西:让最穷的孩子也能上学 (Guangxi Province: Trying to Provide Education for Even the Poorest Children)
China Youth Daily, May 25, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006
-05/25/content_1395291.htm


西部贫困大学生调查:透支35年收入上4年大学 (Poor University Students in Western Regions Have to Go into Debt for 35 Years to Pay for 4 Years of Studies)
EastDay.com, May 25, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741
/node81762/node136836/userobject1ai206

0465.html

Environment
Officials to Be Punished for Pollution
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ8NOEQ3ME.html

China Struggles to Stop Its Largest Lake Shrinking
Reuters (via Boston.com), May 24, 2006
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/
2006/05/24/china_struggles_to_stop_it

s_largest_lake_shrinking/

Human Rights Defender - Huang Weizhong (黄维忠)
福建农民代表黄维忠被判三年监禁 (Fujian Farmers’ Representative Huang Weizhong Sentenced to 3 Years’ Imprisonment)
Voice of America, May 24, 2006
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2006-05-24-voa31.cfm

Human Rights Defender - Xiong Zhongjun (熊忠俊)
网络异见人士被公安逼迫返乡 (Public Security Bureau Forces Another Internet Activist to Go Back to Home Town)
Radio Free Asia, May 24, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/
2006/05/24/fanxiang/


Labor
左云矿难祸首「金字塔」式转包 ("Pyramidal" Sub-contracting Was Cause of Shanxi Mine Accident)
Wen Wei Po, May 25, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id
=CH0605250023&cat=002CH


8 Dead in Latest Chinese Mine Accident
AP( via YahooNews), May 24, 2006


Law
河北:掀起一场政府文件清理风暴 (Hebei Government to Update Documents in Line with Latest Law)
China Youth Daily, May 25, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-05/25/
content_1395361.htm


Media
AIDS Film Hits Shops 4 Years After Release
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZBSQEQ3ME.html

Media
'Pornographic' Art Exhibition Closed
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZCNOEQ3ME.html

Migrant Workers
断裂的社会与流放的儿童 (Migrant Workers' Children with No Parental Care Easily Fall Victim to Abuse)
Nanfang Daily, May 25, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/spqy/
200605250751.asp


Military
Beijing 'Spends More on Defence than It Claims'
Financial Times, May 25, 2006
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/f97c78ec-eb89
-11da-823e-0000779e2340.html


Public Health
State Must Pay to Defuse Health-care Time Bomb
SCMP, May 25, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZ90OEQ3ME.html

Rural Issues
河南将全面启动农村低保制度 (Henan to Launch Program of Guaranteed Government Assistance for Low-Income Rural Residents)
China Youth Daily, May 25, 2006
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2006-05/25/
content_1395426.htm


Three Gorges
China: Three Gorges Dam Holds Lessons for Green Activists
Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS), May 23, 2006
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33327