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.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

March 14, 2007

Top News of the Day
Human Rights Defender - Yan Zhengxue (严正学)

严正学看守所受刑讯逼供 朱虞夫获释但被严密监控 (Yan Zhengxue Treated Inhumanely During Interrogation; Zhu Yufu Released)
Radio Free Asia, March 13, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/13/y
an_zhu/

According to Yan Zhengxue's wife, Yan, age 64, was interrogated under inhumane conditions while being held in detention in Zhejiang Province. The police questioned him all night and made him sit up while being interrogated, which caused extra pain due to his kidney problems. According to Chinese PEN, the crimes Yan was accused of committing include: i) being a secret member of the China Democracy Party; ii) publishing articles on foreign websites; iii) fundraising for journalist Liu Binyan (刘宾雁) and iv) intervening in a land grab incident in Zhejiang. In related news, China Democracy Party member Zhu Yufu (朱虞夫) has been released from detention but is under strict surveillance.

News
Children

Beijing Defends Stricter Rules Amid Adoption Outcry
The Standard, March 14, 2007
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=3
&art_id=40053&sid=126429
03&con_type=1&d_str=20070314

Corruption
Corruption War Has Not Improved Justice System
South China Morning Post, March 14, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZBXOJD8ZE.html

Death Penalty
No Word on Death Sentence Numbers
South China Morning Post, March 14, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZXZ0HJ8ZE.html

Environment
80,000 Villagers Without Safe Water for a Month
South China Morning Post, March 14, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZDZ0HJ8ZE.html

Human Rights Defender - Gao Yaojie (高耀洁)
Bittersweet AIDS Victory for Heroine
The Standard, March 14, 2007
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=3&
art_id=40030&sid=126415
72&con_type=1&d_str=20070314

Labor
Miners' Insurance Scheme Intended to Boost Safety
South China Morning Post, March 14, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ4RPJD8ZE.html

Uphill Battle as Unemployed to Hit 12m in Cities
The Standard, March 14, 2007
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=
3&art_id=40051&sid=126430
14&con_type=1&d_str=20070314

Law
农工党中央:由检察机关挑起行政公益诉讼重担 (Political Party Proposes that Procurators Be Responsible for Launching Public Interest Litigations)
Legal Daily, March 14, 2007
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/misc/2007-03/14/content_558
626.htm


Nokia China Hit with Discrimination Suit
Financial Times, March 13, 2007
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/85791c1c-d1a6-11db-b921-000b5
df10621,dwp_uuid=9c33700c-4c86-11da-89df-0000779e2340
.html


Media
Author Appeals for End to Censorship
South China Morning Post, March 14, 2007
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZTZ0HJ8ZE.html

Outwardly Open, China Keeps Censoring
Associated Press (via YahooNews), March 13, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070313/ap_on_re_as/china
_ensuring_consent_1;_ylt=An
2DMcv_WKYVQei9GLowjWFP
zWQA


中国封锁对有关永州暴动的新闻 (China Blocks Media and Internet Reports on Hunan Riot)
Radio Free Asia, March 14, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/xinwen/2007/03/13/china_
media_freedom/


Internet Censorship Set to Reach Local Levels
The Standard, March 14, 2007
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat
=3&art_id=40015&sid=126425
09&con_type=1&d_str=200
70314


Olympics
Beijing Forms Helicopter Police for '08 Olympic Games
Xinhuanet, March 11, 2007
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/11/content_5
832027.htm


Politics
听取和审议“两高”工作报告 (Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate Present Work Reports to NPC)
China Youth Daily, March 14, 2007
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2007-03/14/content_1698756.
htm


Protests and Petitions
Dongzhou Unrest Continues with Protests, Riot
Radio Free Asia, March 13, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2007/03/13/china_dongz
hou/


各地官员驻扎在国家信访口抓捕访民 (Provincial Officials Stationed in Beijing to Round Up Petitioners from Home Province During the “Two Sessions”)
Radio Free Asia, March 13, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/13/f
angmin/


广东三山维权农民代表短暂被抓后已获释 (Representative of Victims of Land Grab in Guangdong Released After Short Detention)
Radio Free Asia, March 13, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/13/
sanshan/


张淑凤被拐劳教虐待一年 上访等同违法犯罪? (Zhang Shufeng Forcibly Sent to Reeducation-Through-Labor Camp for 1 Year for Petitioning Activities)
Radio Free Asia, March 13, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/03/13/z
hangshufeng/


Tibet
House Panel Urges China to End Tibet Stalemate
Reuters (via YahooNews), March 13, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070313/wl_nm/china_usa_
tibet_dc_1;_ylt=Aq_RtzwyNifG
Kx5ttcytaAxPzWQA

Hong Kong
Warning to Stop Messing with Politics
South China Morning Post, March 14, 2007
http://www.scmp.com/topnews/ZZZFXOJD8ZE.html

Taiwan
Taiwan Leader Urges EU to Keep Arms Embargo on China
Agence France-Presse (via YahooNews), March 13, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070313/wl_asia_afp/taiwa
nchinaeu_070313145203;_ylt
=An_XgjEw.5OzyaTglDUb.45
PzWQA