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.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

February 09, 2010

Top news
Human Rights Defender – Tan Zuoren (谭作人)

內地維權人士譚作人判5年 (Mainland Rights Defender Tan Zuoren Sentenced to 5 Years)
Ming Pao, February 09, 2010
http://inews.mingpao.com/htm/INews/20100209/ca20941p.htm
Related news:
China Quake Activist Jailed for Subversion: Lawyer
Agence France-Presse, February 09, 2010
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jvBivpEvRgVGOXmXVVS0ImRbFUog
Sichuan-based writer and environmentalist Tan Zuoren (谭作人) was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and three years’ deprivation of political rights on charges of “inciting subversion of state power”; according to his lawyer, Pu Zhiqiang (浦志强), the sentence was related to his criticism of the June Fourth crackdown and not due to his work on investigating the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Tan was detained in March 2009, and tried on August 12, 2009; before being detained, he had been investigating the students who were victims of the Sichuan earthquake and the sub-standard construction of the collapsed schools. In February 2009, he wrote a proposal, “5.12 Student Archive,” which called on volunteers to travel to Sichuan to document the cases.

News
Education

深圳南山教育局稱約談3名代課教師並非軟禁 (Nanshan District Education Bureau: We only Arranged a Meeting with the Three Substitute Teachers and Did Not Put Them Under House Arrest)
Southern Metropolis Daily, February 09, 2010
http://news.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show.cgi/9/1/1/1423583/1.html

Human Rights Defender – Feng Zhenghu (冯正虎)
冯正虎召开记者会宣布12号返回上海 (Feng Announces Return to Shanghai Set for February 12)
Radio Free Asia, February 08, 2010
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/fengzhenghu-02082010131402.html

Human Rights Defender – Huang Qi (黄琦)
大陆维权人士黄琦上诉失败已被送到监狱 (Mainland Activist Huang Qi’s Appeal Rejected, Sent to Prison )
Radio France Internationale, February 08, 2010
http://www.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/122/article_19307.asp

Human Rights Defender – Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波)
起草零八憲章 劉曉波案11日終審宣判 (Appeal Verdict in Charter 08 Drafter Liu Xiaobo’s Case to be Announced February 11)
Central News Agency, February 09, 2010
http://news.sina.com.tw/article/20100209/2783710.html

Labor
湖北8年2万多人染上尘肺病 其中近5千人已死亡 (20,000+ Hubei Workers Inflicted with Lung Disease Pneumoconiosis in Past 8 Years, 5,000 Died)
Chutian Metropolis Daily, February 09, 2010
http://ctdsw.cnhubei.com/chutianyaowen/201002/t951091.shtml

Media
China Announces Arrests in Hacking Crackdown
New York Times, February 08, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/world/asia/09hacker.html
Related news:
资深媒体人分析中国的黑客现象 (Interview with Senior Journalist on the Chinese Hacker Phenomenon)
Radio Free Asia, February 08, 2010
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/heike-02082010184158.html
Protests and Petitions
Building Stormed by Angry Villagers
South China Morning Post, February 09, 2010
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=d04c74b6d7ea6210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD

Shanghai World Expo
Middle Class Protestors March over World Expo Threat to Shanghai Homes
The Daily Telegraph, February 08, 2010
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7189446/Middle-class-protestors-march-over-World-Expo-threat-to-Shanghai-homes.html

Society
91% Think New Rich Use Govt Connections
China Daily, February 09, 2010
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-02/09/content_9447134.htm