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, September 20, 2007

September 20, 2007

Top News of the Day
Protests and Petitions
当局多管齐下拟十七大前令访民绝迹京城? (Are Authorities Using Multiple Strategies to Rid Beijing of Petitioners Ahead of CPC Meeting?)
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/09/19/
fangmin/

Chinese authorities have intensified efforts to clear petitioners out of Beijing ahead of the 17th CPC National Congress. Petitioners who moved out from the Beijing petitioning village before September 19 were given a cash reward. On the other hand, police reportedly issued an order on September 14, stating that hostels in the petitioning village which accommodate petitioners will be fined 20,000 yuan. Furthermore, local newspapers across China have published stories on petitioners being punished, reportedly after the CPC central authorities issued a document requesting all petitioners be taken from Beijing to their home towns ahead of the CPC meeting.

News
Bilateral Ties

Suspected Smuggling Kingpin in Court Victory
Agence France-Presse (via South China Morning Post), September 20, 2007
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62e
cb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0
a0/?vgnextoid=2af88ad71be
15110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News


Alarm over China’s Congo Deal
Financial Times, September 19, 2007
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d66142e4-66d9-11dc-a218-
0000779fd2ac,dwp_uuid=9c33700c-4c86-11da-89df-
0000779e2340.html


China Credited with Progress on Darfur
Associated Press (via YahooNews), September 19, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070919/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe
/us_darfur_1;_ylt=AnYkd18fptmRZ7hdiFGIymtPzWQA

tmRZ7hdiFGIymtPzWQA

Corporate Social Accountability
China's Hot Stock: Orwell Inc.
Washington Post, September 19, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article
/2007/09/18/AR2007091801571.html
dyn/content/article
/2007/09/18/AR2007091801571.html


Death Penalty
Chinese Court Upholds Death Sentence for Two Bank Employees over Record Heist
Xinhuanet, September 19, 2007
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/19/content_
6755620.htm


临夏法官一家四口灭门惨案一审宣判 两主犯被判死刑 (Two Men Sentenced to Death for Murdering a Family of Four in Gansu)
Legal Daily, September 19, 2007
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2007-09/20/content_
705002.htm


Disasters
Accident Accountability System Approved
Xinhuanet, September 20, 2007
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/19/content
_6751707.htm


Government
Top Auditor's Report Details Creative Accounting by Government Offices
South China Morning Post, September 20, 2007
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62
ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=08688ad71b
e15110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News
a
0/?vgnextoid=08688ad71be15110VgnVCM100000360a0a0
aRCRD&ss=China&s=Ne


Land Policy
Land Acquisitions, House Demolition Most Targeted Areas in Public Complaints
Xinhuanet, September 19, 2007
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/19/content_
6755966.htm


武汉拆迁中暴力事件屡屡发生 (Two Elderly Women Dead in Series of Violent Evictions in Wuhan)
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/09/19/
wuhan/


Media
拍摄驻京办羁押访民 英国记者遇袭反被指违法 (British Journalists Beaten and Accused of Disrupting Order for Interviewing Petitioners in Beijing)
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/09/19/jizhe/

国际笔会关注西藏作家仁青桑布 (International PEN Concerned About Torture and Harassment for Tibetan Writer)
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2007
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2007/09/19/
IPEN/


Olympics
China Imposes Pre-Olympics Visa Crackdown
Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2007
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119022511204632617.html?
mod=hpp_asia_whats_news


Population
Has China's One-Child Policy Worked?
BBC, September 19, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7000931.stm

New Family Policy Attacks Elites' Egos
China Daily, September 19, 2007
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-09/19/content_
6116785.htm


Protests and Petitions
Deadline up for China Petitioners
BBC, September 20, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7002082.stm

Beijing Prepares to Evict Disgruntled Citizens
Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-vi
llage18sep18,1,623470.story?coll=la-headlines-world
village
18sep18,1,623470.story?coll=la-headlines-world