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, January 09, 2008

January 9, 2008

Top News of the Day
Media

拒撤揭黑文章网站被关 单位逼孔强认疯免责 (Website Administrator Asked to Admit Psychiatric Problems to Avoid Dismissal over Article on Shanghai Corruption)
Radio Free Asia, January 08, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2008/01/08/
gong/

On January 7, the Zhonghua Shenzheng website was shut down by the Ministry of Public Security’s Internet Supervision Bureau. The event occurred because Shandong-based website administrator Sun Qiang (孙强) refused to delete a report that condemned the Shanghai Police. Sun’s work unit told his parents to urge Sun to admit that he had “psychiatric problems” and to check into a psychiatric hospital as a means to avoid getting fired. The report in question, written by former Shanghai police officer Zhang Baoliang (张宝亮), reportedly exposes the misuses of power and abuse of the law by the Shanghai authorities.

News
Environment
Report of Fish in Toxic Waters Called Sensational, Misleading
South China Morning Post, January 09, 2008
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62e
cb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=262eb8f9cc
957110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News


Human Rights
China Hits Back at Critics of Rights Record
Reuters, January 08, 2008
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=wor
ldNews&storyid=2008-01-08T093104Z_01_PEK253926_R
TRUKOC_0_US-OLYMPICS-BEIJING-RIGHTS.xml
08T0
93104Z_01_PEK253926_RTRUKOC_0_US-OLYMPICS-B
EIJING-RIGHTS.xml


广东将设一百万监视摄像头 (Guangdong to Install One Million Surveillance Cameras)
Radio Free Asia, January 08, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2008/01/08/
monitor/


Human Rights Defenders
转业军人乔延兵被密审 当地官方禁止北京律师介入 (Demobilized Soldiers' Representative Secretly Tried; Shandong Authorities Bar Beijing Lawyers from Getting Involved)
Radio Free Asia, January 08, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2008/01/08/
qiao/


Human Rights Defender - Hu Jia (胡佳)
上海访民发起绝食行动要求当局释放胡佳 (Shanghai Petitioners Launch Hunger Strike Demanding Hu Jia's Release)
Radio Free Asia, January 08, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/xinwen/2008/01/08/china_
rights_hujia/


Labor
Fighting Back: Workers Claiming to Be Overworked and Underpaid Are Suing Their Former Mainland Bosses
South China Morning Post, January 09, 2008
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb
329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=23357afa92
457110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News


Land Policy
China to Further Clamp Down on Illegal Development of Farmland
Xinhuanet, January 08, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/08/content_
7388061.htm


Law
China Woman in Legal First over Abortion Case
The Telegraph, January 07, 2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/
2008/01/07/wchina107.xml


Media
西丰县公安局撤销对朱文娜的立案、拘传 (Public Security Bureau of Xifeng County Withdraws Investigation and Coercive Summons on Journalist)
Xinhuanet, January 09, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2008-01/09/content_
7389210.htm


四川电视台两名记者采访时被殴打 伤情严重 (Sichuan TV's Two Journalists Beaten by Thugs During Interview, Suffer from Serious Injuries)
Sichuan Online (via Xinhua), January 09, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2008-01/09/content_7391
102.htm


Migrant Workers
斩断农民工子弟学校的恶性循环 让流动的孩子不再流动 (Chaoyang Authorities Trying to End "Vicious Cycle" for Schooling for Migrant Workers' Children)
Guangming Ribao (via Xinhuanet), January 09, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-01/09/content_
7391067.htm


Olympics
奥运期间2000刑警反扒 (Two Thousand Police Officers Given Anti-Pickpocketing Mission During Olympics)
The Beijing News, January 09, 2008
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/olympic/2008/01-09/
021@084724.htm


China Crackdown Flouts Olympic Rights Vow: Activists
Agence France-Presse (via YahooNews), January 08, 2008
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080108/wl_asia_afp/chinar
ightsoly2008chn_080108191027;_ylt=AhqEKInsh8grrWHM3
AakxTFPzWQA
027;_ylt=AhqEKInsh8grrWHM3AakxTFPzWQA

Food Safety an Olympic Challenge for Beijing Games
Reuters, January 08, 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSPEK2249
7620080109?sp=true


Police
90pc of People 'Feel Safe'
South China Morning Post, January 09, 2008
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb
329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=253eb8f9cc957
110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News


Hubei Urban Officers Beat Man to Death
South China Morning Post, January 09, 2008
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ec
b329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=271eb8f9cc957110Vg
nVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News


Protests and Petitions
Dongzhou Power Station Opens Amid Protest
Radio Free Asia, January 08, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2008/01/08/china_
dongzhou/


Religion
北京基督教徒商人石维翰获保释 (Beijing-Based Christian Businessman Released)
Radio Free Asia, January 08, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2008/01/08/shi/