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, July 30, 2008

July 30, 2008

Top News
Human Rights Defender - Liu Shaokun (刘绍坤)

China Quake School Critic Receives One-Year Sentence-Group
Reuters, July 30, 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSPEK105816
Liu Shaokun (刘绍坤), a Sichuan teacher, was sentenced to Reeducation-Through-Labor for one year on charges of “inciting a disturbance.” Liu took pictures of the “tofu” schools that collapsed in the May earthquake and circulated them online. He was detained last month on June 25 and his wife was notified of his sentence on July 23.

Related information:
Family Visits Still Denied to Sichuan School Teacher Punished after Quake-Zone Visit
Human Rights in China, July 29, 2008
http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/66524

News
Bilateral Ties
Chinese FM Calls for Broad Academic Exchange to Push Forward China-U.S. Ties
Xinhuanet, July 30, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/30/content_8850978.htm

Disasters
Over 600,000 Evacuated as Tropical Storm Hits China: Reports
Agence France-Presse (available at Google News), July 29, 2008
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jR0vpcDuTULFYp5KBcoQmfaodMvQ

Food Security
FM: China Willing to Enhance Int'l Co-op on Food Safety
Xinhuanet, July 30, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-07/29/content_8840341.htm

Human Rights
China Defends Human Rights Record
BBC, July 29, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7530308.stm

Human Rights Defender
奥运在即 浙江异议人士范子良上网权利被剥夺 (Zhejiang Dissident Fan Ziliang Deprived of Internet Rights)
Radio Free Asia, July 29, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/fang-07292008123240.html

Human Rights Defender - Du Daobin (杜导斌)
异议作家杜导斌绝食抗议当局虐待 (Dissisdent Author Du Daobin Goes on Hunger Strike in Protest of Abuse)
Radio Free Asia, July 29, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/dudaobing-07292008094707.html

Human Rights Defender - Xu Yonghai (徐永海)
北京基督教维权人士呼吁警方停止监视 (Beijing Christian Activist Xu Yonghai Appeals to Police to Stop Surveillance)
Radio Free Asia, July 29, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/religion-07292008104635.html

Labor
China Punishes 34 People for Coal Mine Blast
Xinhuanet, July 29, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-07/29/content_8842774.htm

Law
杨佳案推迟开庭意味什么? (Why Was the Yang Jia Case Postponed?)
Radio Free Asia, July 29, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/yangjia-07292008123017.html

MultilateralChina Warns against Damaging Darfur Peace Process
Xinhuanet, July 29, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-07/29/content_8842623.htm

Olympics
奥运期间北京加强对流动人口的管理 (Increased Supervision over Migrants as Olympics Near)
Radio Free Asia, July 29, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/population-07292008104851.html

Before Guests, Beijing Hides Some Messes
International Herald Tribune, July 29, 2008
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/29/sports/29beijing.php

Beijing to Produce First-Ever Olympic Games Impact Report in 2010
Xinhuanet, July 29, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-07/29/content_8839699.htm

China Dumps Gold Medallists from Olympics 'for Political Reasons’The Telegraph, July 30, 2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2469113/China-dumps-gold-medallists-from-Olympics-for-political-reasons.html

China to Control Tiananmen Square Tourist Visits on Aug. 8Xinhuanet, July 30, 2008http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/30/content_8850929.htm

China Rights in Focus as Games City Haze Lifts
Reuters, July 29, 2008
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKPEK4403520080729

Chinese Authorities Order Olympic Hotels to Install Spy Gear
Information Week, July 29, 2008
http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209900038

IOC Criticised over Internet Restrictions
South China Morning Post, July 30, 2008 http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=78411794abf6b110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

南粤戒备骤升级 大陆停办港澳游 (Guandong Increases Precautions as China Halts Travel to Hong Kong and Macau)
Radio Free Asia, July 29, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/nanyue-07292008123400.html

Olympic Paranoia Clutches China
Asia Times Online, July 30, 2008
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JG30Ad01.html

Report: Beijing Olympics to Generate $2 Bln in Direct Revenue
Xinhuanet, July 29, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-07/29/content_8844260.htm

The Gender Trap
The Guardian, July 30, 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/30/olympicgames2008.gender

一名美国法轮功学员被拒绝入境香港 (American Falun Gong Practitioner Refused Entry into Hong Kong)
Radio Free Asia, July 29, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/falungong-07292008164402.html