July 17, 2009

Top News of the Day

Human Rights Defender -- Sun Xiaodi (孫小弟)
China Jails Environment Activists: Rights Group
Reuters, July 17, 2009
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE56G0WZ20090717

Anti-nuclear activist Sun Xiaodi (孙小弟) and his daughter Sun Dunbai (孙敦白), a.k.a. Sun Haiyan (孙海燕), were sentenced on July 16 to Reeducation-Through-Labor by authorities in Gansu. Sun Xiaodi was sentenced to two years, and Sun Dunbai to one-and-a-half years. Authorities assert that Sun Xiaodi stole information on a state-owned uranium mine and gave it to his daughter to supply to overseas organizations.

Related information:
HRIC Press Release: Environmental Activist Sun Xiaodi Sentenced to Two Years of Reeducation-Through-Labor; Daughter to Year-and-a-Half
Human Rights in China, July 16, 2009
http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/170256

News

Bilateral Ties
Lawmakers Want Investigation into Uighurs at Gitmo
Associated Press (via Yahoo! News), July 16, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_go_co/us_us_china_uighurs

Civil Society
NGO Fined Heavily for Tax Breaches
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2009
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=e95c9ccde7482210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

Corruption
9,000 Officials Guilty of Graft: SPP
China Daily, July 17, 2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/17/content_8438856.htm

Environment
Six-month Drought Leads to Big Water Shortage in Ningxia
Xinhua News Agency (via Shanghai Daily), July 17, 2009
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200907/20090717/article_407713.htm

Human Rights Defender

福州严晓玲案:发帖网友被拘 记者无权求证 (Six Netizens Detained for Posting about Yan Xiaoling Case Online)
Xin Kuai Bao (via Net Ease), July 17, 2009
http://news.163.com/09/0717/02/5ED3A7MI00011229.html

Protests and Petitions
宁波出动武警连夜强征土地打伤村民 (Police Dispatched to Forcibly Evict Villagers in Zhejiang)
Radio Free Asia, July 16, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/clash_land-07162009121000.html?encoding=simplified

北京周三晚再度扫荡上访村（视频） (Beijing Authorities Sweep Petitioning Village Again)
Radio Free Asia, July 16, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shangfang-07162009122517.html

State Security

China's Rio Investigation Ongoing Says Australia
Reuters (via Yahoo! News), July 16, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090716/wl_nm/us_china_australia

Taiwan

China Snubs World Games Opening
British Broadcasting Corporation, July 16, 2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/17/content_8440661.htm

XUAR
Official Defends Closure As 'in Step with Islamic Doctrine'
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2009 http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=442d9ccde7482210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

China to Issue Arrest Warrants for Xinjiang Riots
Associated Press (via Yahoo! News), July 16, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_re_as/as_china_protest

China Scales Back Paramilitary Forces in Urumqi
Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo! News), July 16, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090716/wl_afp/chinaunrestxinjiangsecurity