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, March 19, 2009

March 19, 2009

Top News

Law
Beijing Human Rights Law Firm Shut Down
Agence France-Presse (available at YahooNews), March 19, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090319/wl_asia_afp/chinarightslaw

Yitong, a Beijing law firm known for taking on sensitive cases, was ordered to shut down for six months on Tuesday, purportedly for allowing one of its lawyers to practice without a license. Lawyers at the firm believe the real reason for the shutdown is the participation of several of the firm’s lawyers in an effort to institute a direct election in the Beijing Lawyers Association.

Related Information
Beijing Law Firm Yitong is Shut Down for Six Months; Staff Lawyers Ordered to Turn in Licenses
Human Rights in China, March 18, 2009
http://hrichina.org/public/contents/145101

News

Disasters
Chart May Hold Clues to Flaws in Quake Schools
South China Morning Post, March 19, 2009
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0
a0/?vgnextoid=405bf1a0f7a10210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

Food Security
300 students hit by food poisoning
Shanghai Daily, March 19, 2009
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=394778

Fifteen Arrested for Selling Pigs Fed Banned Additives
Xinhua (via China Daily), March 18, 2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-03/18/content_7592915.htm

Government
China Tells Officials to Cut Spending on Foreign Trips
China Post, March 19, 2009
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/national-news/2009/03/19/200734/China-tells.htm

吉林省建立监管立体责任制度 (Jilin Establishes Supervision System to Monitor Stimulus Money Usage)
Xinhuanet, March 19, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-03/19/content_11034936.htm

June 4th
Soldier's Story a New Look at Tiananmen Crackdown
Associated Press (available at YahooNews), March 19, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_re_as/as_china_crackdown_veteran

Land Policy
浙江出台农村土地经营权流转新规定 (Zhejiang Releases New Regulations for Transfer of Land Use Rights)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/tudi-03182009103425.html

Media
“围堵山西省委大楼”违法帖子发布者被行政拘留 (Man Detained for Posting Fake News of Demonstration in Shanxi)
Xinhuanet, March 18, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-03/18/content_11031849.htm

Police
2 Teen Inmates Die in Custody
Shanghai Daily, March 19, 2009
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200903/20090319/article_394752.htm

Protests and Petitions
再见!宣传与谎言 (30 Scholars, Lawyers, and Artists Issue Open Letter Bidding "Farewell to Propaganda and Lies”)
Radio France Internationale, March 18, 2009
http://www.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/111/article_12702.asp

津沪两市逾千原新疆建设兵团人员示威请愿 (Former Employees of Xinjiang Construction Corp Protest for Adequate Compensation in Old Age)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/qingyuan-03182009151446.html

中国信访问题系列调查: 上访的代价 (The Costs of Petitioning)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/xinfang3-03182009101925.html

Public Health
新疆再發現假糖尿病藥 (More Fake Diabetes Medication Discovered in Xinjiang)
Ming Pao, March 19, 2009
http://www.mpinews.com/htm/INews/20090319/ca41025i.htm