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, June 26, 2008

June 26, 2008

Top News of the Day
Human Rights Defender - Guo Feixiong (郭飞雄)

狱中郭飞雄儿女入学被拒 张青急请关注 (Children of Imprisoned Rights Defender Guo Feixiong Refused Admission into School)
Radio Free Asia, June 25, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/guofeixiong-06252008170300.html
When Zhang Qing (张青), wife of imprisoned rights defender Guo Feixiong (郭飞雄), recently tried to register their children for elementary and middle school, they were refused admission. Their son was to begin elementary school in 2007, but he was also refused admission then; Zhang Qing has since been home-schooling him. According to Zhang, local authorities have been threatening the schools to not admit her children. Guo was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and fined 40,000 yuan in 2007 for "illegal business activity" in connection with the publication of Shenyang Political Earthquake《沈阳政坛地震》, a book concerning a political scandal in Shenyang, Liaoning.

Human Rights Defender - Huang Qi (黄琦)
与黄琦同时被捕的同事获释后指公安刑讯迫供 (Volunteer Detained with Huang Qi Released, Reveals Police’s Attempts to Torture Him into Confession)
Radio Free Asia, June 25, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/rights_detain-06252008110731.html
Pu Fei (蒲飞), a volunteer who worked with rights defender Huang Qi (黄琦) at the quake site, was detained along with Huang and another volunteer, Zuo Xiaofan (左晓凡). Pu was released June 25. According to Pu, during his detention he was forced to study Mainland law and read earthquake relief articles during the day, and grilled under torture at night. He believes that they were attempting to compel him to frame Huang, as they asked him about his work with Tianwang, classified information of the group, and Tianwang's objective in going to the quake site. Pu believes that Zuo has also been released, but he told RFA that he has been unable to contact him.

News
Corruption

Beijing Arrests ‘White House’ Party Chief
Financial Times, June 26, 2008
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e2536eee-42d2-11dd-81d0-0000779fd2ac.html


Related story:
阜阳“白宫”举报人蹊跷死亡调查 (Investigation into the Curious Death of Li Guofu, Detained Whistle-Blower for Anhui's Luxurious "White House")
China Youth Online, April 22, 2008
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2008-04/22/content_2152901.htm

Pillow Talk Lands Officials in Jail
China Daily, June 26, 2008
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-06/26/content_6796351.htm

Death Penalty
China Executes Three in Drugs Crackdown
Reuters, June 26, 2008
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKPEK28642920080625

Company Official Sentenced to Death for Bribery
Shanghai Daily, June 26, 2008
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200806/20080626/article_364645.htm

Disasters
China Invites World Architects to Design Solar Schools for Quake Areas
Xinhuanet, June 25, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-06/25/content_8436920.htm

China to Make Quake Tourist Spots
Agence France-Presse (via China Post), June 25, 2008
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/national%20news/2008/06/25/162521/China-to.htm

Three Workers Killed in Oil-Tank Blast
Shanghai Daily, June 26, 2008
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200806/20080626/article_364624.htm

Environment
China Building 1st Coal Bed Methane Pipeline to Ease Energy Strains
Xinhuanet, June 25, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-06/25/content_8435588.htm

China Generates Solar-Power Guidelines
Shanghai Daily (available at Xinhua), June 26, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-06/26/content_8441329.htm

Human Rights Defender - Jiranbayariin Soyolt
Mongolian Dissident Freed, Months Later
Radio Free Asia, June 25, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/mongolia-06252008142657.html

Human Rights Defender - Yao Lifa (姚立法)
姚立法遭身份不明人士恐吓 (Civil Society Activist Yao Lifa Threatened by Unidentified Individual)
Radio Free Asia, June 25, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/dissident_assault-06252008111113.html

Human Rights Defenders
太石村维权领袖冯秋盛因协助外国记者采访被拘留 (Guangzhou Village Rights Defender Feng Qiucheng Detained for Assisting Foreign Reporters)
Radio Free Asia, June 25, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/rights_taishi-06252008105407.html

Land Policy
NW China Region Launches 900 Mln Yuan Plan to Rebuild Housing
Xinhuanet, June 25, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-06/25/content_8436906.htm

Media
黄良天﹕网站刊登东海油田文章被关闭 (Website of Former Editor of Outspoken Monthly Baixing, Huang Liangtian, Temporarily Shut Down after Posting Article on East China Sea Oil Field)
Radio Free Asia, June 25, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/internet_control-06252008111825.html

South China Tiger Snapper Held on Mystery Charge
China Daily, June 26, 2008
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-06/26/content_6796256.htm

Olympics
China Worried About Illegal Drugs during Olympics
Voice of America, June 25, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-06-25-voa10.cfm

For China's Olympic Guests, a Not-So-Warm Welcome
Christian Science Monitor, June 25, 2008
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0625/p01s08-woap.html

International Torch Relay for Beijing Paralympic Games Cancelled
Xinhuanet, June 25, 2008
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-06/25/content_8436905.htm

IOC Investigates Anti-Dalai Lama Torch Relay Speech
Reuters, June 26, 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSPEK26911720080625

Religion
China Extends Christian's Detention
Radio Free Asia, June 24, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/chinachristian-06242008165552.html

Society
Human Flesh Search Engines: Chinese Vigilantes That Hunt Victims on the Web
Times Online, June 26, 2008
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4213681.ece

Taiwan
Tainan Urges Falun Gong to Leave Site
Taipei Times, June 25, 2008
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/06/25/2003415684

Tibet
青海隆务寺主持上周五被军警秘密拘捕 (Qinghai Longwu Temple Head Secretly Arrested on June 20 by Military Police)
Radio Free Asia, June 25, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/tibetan_monks-06252008102915.html