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.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

December 28, 2006

Top News of the Day
Human Rights Defender – Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚)

Lawyers for Jailed Activist Beaten up
SCMP, December 28, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZKR2147WE.html
Chen Guangcheng's lawyers Li Jinsong (李劲松) and Li Fangping (李方平) were beaten when they were on their way to Linyi, Shandong Province, to deal with Chen's case. A female passenger accused Li Jinsong of sexually harassing her, but his friend and AIDS activist Hu Jia contended that the accusation was totally groundless. Hu said the beatings may be related to Chen's case.

News
Children

未成年人保护法修订草案已较成熟建议提请表决 (Standing Committee of NPC Advised to Vote on Draft Amendments on Protection of Minors)
Xinhuanet, December 25, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-12/25/content_5527964.h
tm


Environment
环保总局要求所有城镇征污水处理费 每吨0.8元 (All Chinese Towns to Charge 0.8 Yuan for Treatment of Each Metric Tonne of Sewage)
Xinhuanet, December 27, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2006-12/27/content_5537187.
htm


Dire Warnings from China's First Climate Change Report
AFP (via YahooNews), December 27, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061227/wl_asia_afp/chinaenviron
mentclimatewarming_
061227073927

Illegal Power Plants, Coal Mines in China Pose Challenge for Beijing
Wall Street Journal, December 27, 2006
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116718773722060212.html?mod=
todays_us_page_one


败诉促使中国扩大环保领域行政复议受理范围 (Lost Lawsuit Leads to Issuance of Environmental Measures that Expand the Scope of Administrative Review)
Xinhuanet, December 25, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-12/25/content_5528637.htm

Human Rights Defenders
The 'Conscience of Chinese Lawyers' Will Fight to the End
SCMP, December 28, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ2KDM37WE.html

My Life After Tiananmen: Chen Ziming
Radio Free Asia, December 27, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/in_depth/2006/12/27/china_ch
enziming/


June 4th
“天安门事件”的评价成为日中共同历史研究的对象 (June 4th Incident Becomes Research Topic in Sino-Japanese History Study Group)
Radio Free Asia, December 27, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/27/lishi/

Labor
考试不过关 女工罚脫衣 (Shanghai Beauty Shop Workers Forced to Strip as Punishment for Failing Exams)
Wen Wei Po, December 28, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id=CH0612280035&c
at=002CH


劳动合同法草案:试用工资不得低于合同工资80% (Draft Labor Contract Law Stipulates that Probational Wages Cannot Be Less than 80 Percent of Contractual Wages)
Xinhuanet, December 25, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-12/25/content_5527331.htm

Land Policy
600万被徵地农民将获保障 (Six Million Victims of Land Grabs to Be Protected by Social Security Measures)
Wen Wei Po, December 28, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id=CH0612280028&c
at=002CH


Law
Pioneer for Shareholders' Rights Learns About Justice the Hard Way
SCMP, December 28, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZCNCM37WE.html

隆胸第一案 深中院发回重审 (Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court Asks Lower Court to Retry Case Involving Defective Plastic Surgery Materials)
Wen Wei Po, December 28, 2006
http://www.wenweipo.com/news.phtml?news_id=CH0612280016
&cat=002CH


江苏竹海失地农告官 (Victims of Land Grab Sue Jiangsu Authorities)
Radio Free Asia, December 27, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/27/tudi/

云南省高级人民法院将实行判后释疑制度 (Yunnan Higher People's Court to Provide Oral Explanations of Rulings Starting 2007)
Xinhuanet, December 20, 2006
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-12/20/content_5512648.htm

Media
国务院九部门下个月推出定时定点新闻发布制度 (Nine State Council Departments to Establish Spokesperson System in January 2007)
EastDay.com, December 28, 2006
http://news.eastday.com/c/20061228/u1a2535562.html

Olympics
北京启建奥运医疗网络 (Beijing Starts Developing Medical Network for Olympics)
The Beijing News, December 28, 2006
http://news.thebeijingnews.com/0553/2006/12-28/015@231979
.htm


Mainland Eases Restrictions on Taiwanese Reporters
SCMP, December 28, 2006
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZGNCM37WE.html

China to Tackle Olympic Pollution
BBC, December 27, 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6213051.stm

Poverty
Rich-poor Divide Serious, Study Finds
China Daily, December 26, 2006
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-12/26/content_767384.
htm


Protests and Petitions
杭州退休工人维权三名代表被延长刑拘 (Detention Periods of 3 Labor Activists Extended in Zhejiang)
Radio Free Asia, December 27, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/27/weiquan/

Society - Ethnic Minorities
'Increase Resource Tax in Minority Areas'
People's Daily, December 28, 2006
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200612/28/eng20061228_3364
25.html


State Security
非法获取中国气象资料将受打击 (China to Classify Meteorological Information as a State Secret)
Radio Free Asia, December 27, 2006
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/12/26/qixiang/