Wednesday, November 01, 2006

November 1, 2006

Top News of the Day

Death Penalty
死刑复核权回归十年始成 程序改革尤任重道远 (Editorial: Restoration of Power to Ratify Capital Punishment Cannot Be Called "Reform")
Nanfang City News, November 01, 2006
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/spqy/20061101
0499.asp
On October 31, the National People's Congress adopted a change to the law on China's court system, requiring all death sentences to be reviewed by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) before their enforcement. The amendment takes effect on January 1, 2007. The move is meant to fill the vacuum in the Criminal Procedure Law that explicitly requires all death sentences to be approved by the SPC, but in actual practice, provincial courts have given the final say on issuing death sentences.


Human Rights Defenders –Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚)
China Orders Surprise Retrial for Blind Activist
Reuters (via YahooNews), November 01, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061101/wl_nm/china_rights
_dc_2
An appeal court in Shandong overturned the guilty verdict for blind human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚) and ordered the Yinan County Court to retry the case, Chen's lawyer was told on Tuesday. Chen was sentenced in August to four years and three months in prison for destroying property and disturbing traffic. His lawyer was nonetheless still worried, because the Yinan County Court was the court that convicted Chen in the first place.


News

Bilateral Ties
Fears over Loans to Africa Rejected
SCMP, November 01, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZU2GX9YTE.html

China Defends Dealings with African Nations Accused of Human Rights Abuses
International Herald Tribune, October 31, 2006
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/31/asia/AS_GEN_
China_Wooing_Africa.php

Corporate Social Accountability
Firms Defend Dealings with China
BBC, October 31, 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6102180.stm

Corruption
New Law to Target Money Laundering
SCMP, November 01, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ5L9X9YTE.html

Education
Degrees of Difference
SCMP, November 01, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZ5K9X9YTE.html

Human Rights Defenders - Ching Cheong (程翔)
北京法院推迟审理程翔的上诉 (Beijing Court Postpones Appeal Trial for Ching Cheong)
Radio Free Asia, October 31, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/10/31/ching/

Labor - Industrial Accidents
Blast Kills 29 Coal Miners in China
AFP (via YahooNews), November 01, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061031/wl_afp/chinacoal
miningblast_061031183634

Law
上海律师取证被打 蔑视法律根源何在？(The Underlying Cause of Violence Against Lawyers)
Radio Free Asia, October 31, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/10/31/lawyer/

Media
Getting Others to Do the Dirty Work
SCMP, November 01, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZ9K9X9YTE.html

Olympics
Confirmation of Olympic Flame Preparations on Everest Next Spring: Climbers' Access to Be Restricted
International Campaign for Tibet, November 01, 2006
http://www.savetibet.org/news/newsitem.php?id=1050

Police
Solitary Confinement
SCMP, November 01, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZ1K9X9YTE.html

Police Stop People from Offering Free Hugs
Shanghai Daily, October 30, 2006
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/10/30/295647/Police
_stop_people_from_offering_free_hugs.htm

Politics
论“和谐社会”---鲍彤 (Bao Tong Discusses a "Harmonious Society")
Radio Free Asia, October 31, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/10/31/baotong/

Population
China's Reverse Population Bomb
Asia Times Online, November 01, 2006
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HK01Ad01.html

Protests and Petitions
欧阳五﹕高校骚乱频发 中共如何面对 (Commentary: How Will the CPC Deal with the Increasing Number of University Riots?)
Ming Pao, November 01, 2006
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20061101/fab1.htm

Signature Campaign Against Dog Cull
SCMP, November 01, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZDKYW9YTE.html

State Security
China Ratifies Pact with Turkmenistan on Fighting Terrorism
Xinhuanet, November 01, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-10/31/content
_5273233.htm