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, March 26, 2007

March 24 - 26, 2007

Top News of the Day

Human Rights Defenders - Guo Qizhen (郭起真)
维权人士郭起真二审维持原判 (Jailed Activist Guo Qichen's Appeal Denied)
Radio Free Asia, March 23, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/
23/guo/

On March 23, 2007, the Cangzhou City Intermediate People's Court in Hebei Province upheld the original verdict for internet essayist Guo Qizhen, who was sentenced to four years' imprisonment and three years' deprivation of political rights for "inciting subversion of state power.” Guo was tried on October 9, 2006 and found guilty of subversion for posting more than 30 essays criticizing the government.


News

Death Penalty
No-Execution Pledge 'Worthless'
South China Morning Post, March 24, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZSCBIZLZE.html

Environment
中国2005年度绿色GDP报告被阻止公布 (Report on China's Green GDP 2005 Barred from Public Release)
Radio Free Asia, March 24, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/
24/GDP/


Human Rights Defenders – Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波)
刘晓波再获香港人权新闻奖 (Dissident Writer Liu Xiaobo Presented with Hong Kong Human Rights Press Award for the Third Time)
Radio Free Asia, March 25, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/25/
liuxiaobohuojiang/


Human Rights Defenders - Wang Bingzhang (王炳章)
王炳章希望处境能在北京奥运期间得到改善 (Jailed Labor Activist Wang Bingzhang Hopes Prison Conditions Will Improve During Olympics)
Radio Free Asia, March 23, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/23/
wangbingzhang/


Labor
就业促进法将给百姓带来什么 (What Would the Draft Law to Remove Workplace Discrimination Mean for People?)
China Youth Daily, March 26, 2007
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2007-03/26/content_171
0761.htm


Mining Overhaul Goes into Overdrive
South China Morning Post, March 25, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZWCTCZLZE.html

With Wal-Mart Unionized in China, Now What?
Reuters (via YahooNews), March 25, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070325/lf_nm/china_
walmart_union_dc_1;_ylt=AoGe7e.
_DSAl6VL.v825S7pPzWQA

Land Policy
物权法的考验正式开始 (Property Law Facing a Real Test Now)
Ming Pao, March 26, 2007
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20070326/cab1.htm

Media
中国全国人大常委设立“新闻灭火队” (NPC Standing Committee Sets Up News Monitoring Team to Block Negative News Coverage)
Radio Free Asia, March 24, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/
24/miehuodui/


泛蓝成员张子霖电子邮箱周五被封 (Pan-Blue Alliance Member Zhang Zilin's Email Account Blocked Last Friday)
Radio Free Asia, March 26, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/xinwen/2007/03/23/china
_dissident_panblue/


Military
US-PLA May Set up 'Crisis Hotline'
South China Morning Post, March 24, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZGFZBZLZE.html

Olympics
Beijing on Track Ahead of 500-Day Countdown
The Standard, March 26, 2007
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=
19&art_id=40879&sid=128295
15&con_type=1&d_str=
20070326


北京不易帅保奥运顺畅 (To Ensure a Smooth Launch of Olympics, Beijing Municipality Will Make No Changes to Top Leadership)
Ming Pao, March 26, 2007
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20070326/caa1.htm

Politics
Hu Hails Passage of Property Law
South China Morning Post, March 26, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZEZ2CZLZE.html

Population
超生贵族挑战中国计生政策 (Rich Couples Challenge China's One-Child Policy)
China Youth Daily, March 26, 2007
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2007-03/26/content_
1710916.htm


Protests and Petitions
Villagers to Take Protest over Land Grab to the Capital
South China Morning Post, March 24, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZCKCIZLZE.html

党报要求地方政府处理群体性事件时慎用武力 (Party Newspaper Demands Local Governments Give Careful Thought About Using Force to Handle Mass Incidents)
Radio Free Asia, March 23, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/
23/wuli/


Public Health
TB on the Mainland Everyone's Problem
South China Morning Post, March 26, 2007
http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZGDBIZLZE.html

医改新方案加快酝酿 六套备选方案四月底上交 (Six Proposals for Health Care Reforms to Be Submitted in April)
Xinhuanet, March 25, 2007
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2007-03/25/content_
5894297.htm


Tibet
拉萨五百藏人公开为达赖喇嘛祈福 (500 Tibetans in Lhasa Pray for Dalai Lama in Public)
Voice of America, March 26, 2007
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2007-03-23-voa19.cfm

Hong Kong
Beijing Pick Gets Easy Win in Hong Kong
Associated Press (via YahooNews), March 25, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070325/ap_on_re_as/hong
_kong_leadership_race