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, July 30, 2007

July 28 – 30, 2007

Top News of the Day
Media

揭黑记者受死亡威胁 北京下令限制揭黑报道 (Journalist Receives Death Threats; Beijing Limits Reports Critical of Government Action)
Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/07/27/
jiehei/

Journalist Pang Jiaoming (庞皎明) of China Economic Times says in his blog that he has recently received several death threats. These occurred after the publication of two stories he wrote on the use of cheaper materials that will affect the quality of rails used for the Wuhan-Guangdong Railway. Pang is not able to confirm whether the stories led directly to the death threats. In related news, the Beijing Daily reportedly received a notice requiring a reduction in "black news reports" which increase public scrutiny and are critical of government actions. Also that such reports would require the signature of the department involved.

News
Corruption

Bribe-Hungry Officials Can No Longer Hide Behind Mistresses, Says New Judicial Interpretation
People's Daily, July 27, 2007
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/6226018.html

Death Penalty
China Oil Thieves Sentenced to death
Associated Press (via YahooNews), July 28, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070728/ap_on_re_as/china
_death_sentence_2;_ylt=Al7S
Hr3SevhmW_NsGNx4y9BPzWQA

Human Rights Defender – Zheng Enchong (郑恩宠)
律师郑恩宠前往教堂参加主日敬拜遭警方拦截 (Lawyer Zheng Enchong Barred from Church, Launches Hunger Strike)
Radio Free Asia, July 29, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/07/29/
zhengenchong/


Media
中国网民总数已达到1.62亿 (China's Netizens Reach 162 Million)
Radio Free Asia, July 28, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/07/28/
wangminshu/


Bad News Tests China's Propaganda Arm
Washington Post, July 27, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content
/article/2007/07/27/AR2007072700080.html?
hpid=moreheadlines
dyn/content/article/
2007/07/27/AR2007072700080.html?hpid=moreheadlines


Migrant Workers
Rural Women Migrant Workers Shut Out of China's Economic Boom
Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/english/china/2007/07/27/china_
labor_women/


Olympics
姚立法和德国记者在湖北九棵松村采访受阻 (Activist Yao Lifa Prevented from Receiving German Journalist's Interview in Hubei)
Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/xinwen/2007/07/27/china_
rights_repoters/


Cutting Corners a Deadly Game in Host City Beijing
The Sydney Morning Herald, July 27, 2007
http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/cutting-corners-a-
deadly-game-in-host-city-
beijing/2007/07/27/
1185339256735.html


北京数百名拆迁户连续两星期静坐示威 (Hundreds of Beijing Evictees Stage Sit-in for 2 Weeks)
Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/xinwen/2007/07/27/china_
demolition_beijing/


斯皮尔伯格吁中国强硬面对苏丹 考虑辞退北京奥运艺术顾问 (Steven Spielberg Urges China to Get Tough on Sudan, Considers Quitting Beijing Olympic Job)
Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/07/27/
aoyun/


Police
澳游客北京遇丐帮狂追气晕 (Australian Tourist Faints in Beijing After Being Chased by Beggar)
Ming Pao, July 30, 2007
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20070730/cca1h.htm

Protests and Petitions
Protesters Battle Police over Brewery's Pollution of Water
South China Morning Post, July 30, 2007
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb
329d3d7733492d9253a0a0
a0/?vgnextoid=cf7a57f35d21
4110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News


八一前夕北京深夜在上访村抓捕驱赶访民 (Beijing Authorities Take Away Petitioners at Night Ahead of August 1 Army Day)
Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/07/27/
petitioners/


Public Health
China Bans AIDS Rights Meeting, Group Says
Reuters (via YahooNews), July 29, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070729/wl_nm/china_aids
_dc_1;_ylt=Av8H4zUV46mO2
Wv5GByxWMBPzWQA

China Should Have Probed "Bad Vaccine" Cases - WHO
Reuters, July 27, 2007
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSHKG274681

Religion
Report: China Detains 4 Priests
Associated Press (via YahooNews), July 29, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070729/ap_on_re_as/china
_priests_detained_1;_ylt=Ai5
a1a2PYXMV5ZGvK_2zjV9PzWQA