December 12, 2006

Top News of the Day
Human Rights Defender – Gao Zhisheng (高志晟)
China Indicts Gao Zhisheng in Secret, Turns Away His Legal Team
Radio Free Asia, December 11, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2006/12/11/china_gaozhisheng/
The case of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng has been sent to the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court, but officials refused to specify the charges against him, arguing that his case involved "state secrets." Requests by Gao’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, to see Gao have been refused, which Mo states is in contravention of the law. According to friend and fellow rights defender Hu Jia, Gao told his wife on December 6 that he did not want to hire a lawyer, but Gao’s wife does not know why he made such a statement.

News
June 4th - EU Arms Ban
EU to Work Towards Lifting Arms Embargo Against China
People's Daily, December 12, 2006
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200612/12/eng20061212_3313
02.html

Bilateral Ties
欧盟提升对华关係为战略伙伴伙 (EU Passes Resolution to Upgrade Relations with China to Strategic Partnership)
BBC, December 12, 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/trad/hi/newsid_6170000/newsid_6
171000/6171039.stm

Death Penalty
杀害内蒙古福建商会田文通的凶手一审被判死刑 (Murderer of Businessman Sentenced to Death in Inner Mongolia)
Xinhuanet, December 12, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-12/12/content_5473533.htm

包头一入室抢劫制造灭门惨案的凶手被判死刑 (Man Sentenced to Death for Murdering 3 in Inner Mongolia)
Xinhuanet, December 07, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-12/07/content_5449042.htm

Education
全国农村小学和初中2007年将全部免收学杂费 (Primary and Junior High Schools in all Rural Areas to Offer Free Education as of 2007)
EastDay.com, December 12, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/node17627
3/u1a2500861.html

Government
绿色GDP缘何遭地方政府杯葛 (Why Have Local Governments Boycotted Green GDP Accounting?)
Legal Daily, December 12, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/misc/2006-12/12/content_484531.htm

China Promises Freedom of Information Rules
Reuters (via YahooNews), December 11, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061211/wl_nm/china_transparen
cy_policy_dc_1

《政府信息公开条例》规范公开商业秘密 (Proposed Regulation on Disclosure of Government Information Includes Administrative and Judicial Review Mechanisms)
Legal Daily, December 12, 2006
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2006-12/12/content_484392.htm

Human Rights
Harmony Important to Human Rights
China Daily, December 11, 2006
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-12/11/content_755079.htm

Human Rights Defender – Journalist - Ching Cheong (程翔)
Beijing's Judicial Disgrace
SCMP, December 12, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZ3M4LVKVE.html

Human Rights Defender - Tan Kai (谭凯)
Computer Repairman Caught in Legal Web
SCMP, December 12, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ505LVKVE.html

Human Rights Defender - Zhu Yufu (朱虞夫)
杭州民主党人突然被警方约谈 朱虞夫仍未释放 (China Democracy Party Members in Hangzhou Asked to Go to Police Station, Zhu Yufu Yet to Be Released)
Radio Free Asia, December 11, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/11/hangz
hou/

Human Rights Defenders – Lawyers
Rules Seen as Setback to Justice in China
Los Angeles Times, December 11, 2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-lawyers
11dec11,0,2983959.story?coll=la-news-a_sectionlawyers11dec11,0,2
983959.story?coll=la-news-a_section

Human Rights Defender - Sun Buer (孙不二)
武汉拆迁户坚持维权 泛蓝孙不二被连续传唤 (Wuhan Evictees Insist on Defending Their Rights, Sun Bu'er Being Continually Summoned)
Radio Free Asia, December 11, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/11/sunbuer/

Law
Abuse of Court Process Growing, Say Lawyers
People's Daily, December 12, 2006
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200612/12/eng20061212_33137
4.html

妓女嫖客示众家属拟控深警 (Family of Victim in "Street Trial" Considers Suing Shenzhen Police)
Wen Wei Po, December 12, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id=CH0612120015
&cat=002CH

维权律师张鉴康拒绝退出南海敲诈勒索案 (Human Rights Lawyer Zhang Jiankang Refuses to Withdraw from Extortion Lawsuit)
Radio Free Asia, December 11, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/11/nanhai/

Media
Empty Promise of Press Freedom
SCMP, December 12, 2006
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZSVBXVKVE.html

China to Monitor Online Games Zealously
Xinhuanet, December 11, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-12/11/content_5469970
.htm

Migrant Workers
More than Nine Percent of Chinese School-age Migrant Children Out of School
People's Daily, December 10, 2006
http://english.people.com.cn/200612/10/eng20061210_330847.html

North Korea
U.S. Experts Denounce China's Handling of N. Korean Refugees
The Christian Post, December 09, 2006
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20061209/23963.htm

Olympics
China Curbs Everest Climbers 'for Olympics'
The Times of India, December 11, 2006
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest_of_World/China_
curbs_Everest_climbers_for_Olympics/articleshow/770852.cms_for
_Olympics/articleshow/770852.cms

Police
失地农民状告公安非法拘留获立案 (Sichuan Court Accepts Protestors' Claim of Illegal Detention)
Radio Free Asia, December 11, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/11/zigong/

Population
上海规定婚后不育奖4600元 (Childless Married Couples in Shanghai to Receive Award of 4,600 Yuan)
The Beijing News, December 12, 2006
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/0567/2006/12-12/014@228300.htm

Protests and Petitions
兴建熊猫基地影响生活 村民请愿遭殴打 (Villagers in Chengdu Beaten and Taken Away for Protesting Construction of Panda Homes)
Radio Free Asia, December 11, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/11/chengdu/

Rural Issues
China Approves New Five-year Program for Western Development
China Government Website, December 11, 2006
http://www.mwr.gov.cn/english1/20061211/80763.asp

Tibet
New Film Highlights Lives, Losses of Tibetan Buddhism
Radio Free Asia, December 11, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2006/12/11/tibet_film/