CECC Releases Chinese Translation of 2011 Annual Report Executive Summary

A Chinese translation of the Executive Summary of the 2011 Annual Report of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China is now available. The executive summary includes major trends such as disregard for and misapplication of the law, and increased Communist Party control over society, as well as potential areas for progress.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's Visit to the United States

The chairmen of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China today called on Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping to take concrete steps to improve human rights and the rule of law in China.

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Leaders of Bipartisan Commission Call on China To Release Human Rights Lawyer, Chen Guangcheng

The Chairman and Cochairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China today issued the following joint statement calling for updated information on prominent human rights defender Chen Guangcheng's condition and calling for Chen's long overdue release.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on the Release of the 2011 Annual Report

The bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China released its 2011 Annual Report on human rights and rule of law developments in China this week.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on Uyghurs Forcibly Returned to China

The chairman and cochairman of a US bipartisan, bicameral commission charged with monitoring human rights in China today called on Chinese authorities to reveal the whereabouts and status of 11 Uyghur men who were forcibly deported from Malaysia to the People's Republic of China on August 18, in violation of international law.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng

CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown call on Chinese authorities to immediately account for and free China's most famous human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng.

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Relatives and Supporters of Chen Guangcheng Harassed, Beaten, Detained


Following his escape from illegal home confinement on April 22, 2012, legal advocate Chen Guangcheng sought safety in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for six days while U.S. and Chinese officials negotiated a deal for his and his family's freedom. Chen left the U.S. embassy under U.S. official escort on May 2 to receive medical treatment at a nearby hospital for injuries sustained during his escape as well as for an ongoing gastrointestinal illness.

During his confinement at the hospital, Chen reported that he would like to travel to the United States with his family to rest (Washington Post, 3 May 12), and he later reported that Chinese officials are assisting in his plans to do so (NYT, 8 May 12). As he waits for a passport and other paperwork needed to leave the country and pursue a fellowship offered to him by the New York University School of Law, Chen has repeatedly raised concerns about official retaliation against his relatives in Shandong province.
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Chinese Authorities Implement Real Name Microblog Regulations


Beginning March 16, authorities in Beijing and Guangdong province reportedly began enforcing a requirement that microblog users must register their accounts with their accounts with their real name and identity information before being allowed to post or re-post content online. The announcement that authorities would begin enforcing this requirement follows the December 2011 issuance of regulations introducing this registration requirement in several cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and the Guangdong cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Given that Beijing and Guangdong are home to a number of China's major microblogging service providers, the real name registration requirement could affect large numbers of microblog users in China. Authorities have expressed concern over "online rumors," and the recent measures follow a spate of high-profile incidents in recent years in which large numbers of Chinese microbloggers took to their blogs to openly criticize the government.

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Chinese Authorities Issue Regulations To Control Journalists and "Unverified Reports"


In mid-October 2011, the Chinese government released regulations that aim to control journalists' use of "unverified information" and to regulate news agencies' review procedures. The regulations prohibit Chinese journalists from directly including "unverified information" obtained from the Internet or mobile text messages in their reporting. In addition, the regulations require that news agencies improve the system of accountability for "fake" or "false" news reports, terms that are not defined in the regulations. The October 2011 announcement followed official calls to restrict news reporting and to limit so-called "rumors" in the media.

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Chinese Human Rights Defender Chen Guangcheng Escapes Illegal Home Confinement


On April 27, 2012, international human rights organizations and news agencies reported that human rights defender Chen Guangcheng escaped from his home outside of Linyi city, Shandong province, on or around April 22, after being subjected to extralegal home confinement (ruanjin) for nineteen months. Chen reportedly received assistance from others who brought him to a "secret location" in Beijing. BBC and New York Times, citing human rights advocate Hu Jia and Chinese state security sources, have suggested that Chen may currently be in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, but those reports could not be confirmed.

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Workers Demonstrate in Various Industries and Locations in Late 2011 and Early 2012


From late fall 2011 through early 2012, Chinese and international media outlets reported on a series of strikes and demonstrations in at least 10 provincial-level areas in China that some international news sources and labor rights advocates characterized as the most significant series of worker actions since the summer of 2010. While the exact number of worker actions that occurred during this period is difficult to determine, they involved a variety of industries, and recent statements from the Chinese government reflected concern over social strife as a result of labor disputes. In some cases, workers demonstrated in response to cost-cutting measures that managers took, reportedly designed to pass the costs of slowed macroeconomic activity on to workers. In some of those cases, workers said their motivations for demonstrating included the failure of management to consult with them in the implementation of cost-cutting measures. In other cases, workers reportedly demonstrated in response to wider systemic abuses and other labor-related grievances, such as excessive overtime demands and abusive management practices. Management and local officials in some cases reportedly used force against or detained demonstrating workers while seeking to put a stop to these disputes.

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Chinese Authorities Reportedly Repatriate North Korean Refugees


In early March 2012, South Korean news outlets and CNN reported claims that Chinese authorities had repatriated approximately 30 North Korean refugees who were detained in northeast China. The reported repatriations occurred during the 100-day mourning period for the late Kim Jong-il, a time during which his son and new leader of North Korea vowed to "exterminate three generations" of any family with a member caught defecting. The fate of those repatriated or their family members is not known. China's policy of considering all North Korean refugees economic migrants violates international law to which China itself is subject and which prohibits China from returning refugees who face the risk of political persecution. The case of the North Korean refugees prompted international concern over China's repatriation policy, including from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

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China Revises Foreign Investment Guidance Catalogue


On December 24, 2011, Chinese authorities released the revised foreign investment guidance catalogue, which came into effect on January 30, 2012, repealing the 2007 catalogue. The revisions implement the changing priorities of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party in developing the Chinese economy, and directing foreign investment in China toward certain industries to meet these priorities. The revision of the catalogue, however, does not lessen the role of the Chinese government in the economy, or do anything to combat the lack of transparency in the foreign investment approval process that all foreign investment in China must undergo.

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Amended Occupational Disease Law Seeks To Improve Protections for Workers as Occupational Health Continues To Face Risks


On December 31, 2011, the National People's Congress Standing Committee passed an amendment to the PRC Law on Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases, effective the same day. The amended law contains provisions that could improve worker rights by making it easier for workers to obtain the certification they need in order to receive compensation for work-related diseases. It also requires the government and employers to take general measures to protect the health of workers, including dedicating sufficient funding to the prevention and control of occupational diseases. According to recent reports from Chinese and international media organizations, factors that continue to pose risks to workers' health include inadequate government supervision, illegal actions by employers, a lack of transparency in diagnosing and certifying diseases, and a lack of knowledge among workers about health in the workplace. In addition, officially reported cases of occupational disease have grown at increasing rates in recent years, especially in the mining sector.

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Zhu Yufu Case: Application of Inciting Subversion Provisions Fell Short of International Standards


In February 2012, a Chinese court sentenced long-time democracy activist Zhu Yufu to seven years in prison on the charge of "inciting subversion of state power." The court's judgment claimed that his writings and activities "harmed national security" and that in early 2011, amid Internet calls for "Jasmine" protest rallies in China, Zhu sent a poem and information to a number of people via the Internet "inciting" them to commit subversion. The court's judgment, however, did not explain how Zhu "harmed national security" or indicate the potential or real subversive effect of his words. Chinese criminal provisions regarding inciting subversion are vague, and, as in Zhu's case, their application falls short of international standards because officials have used them to punish peaceful political expression and activity.

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Officials Review Second Draft of Mental Health Law, Final Draft Expected in 2012


China's first national mental health law continues to move through the final stages of consideration, and unofficial sources indicate that the law may be finalized in 2012. In June 2011, a new draft was released for public comment, and in October 2011, the National People's Congress Standing Committee reviewed a revised draft of the proposed legislation. The October draft retains language from the June draft, but also contains some revisions that, if faithfully implemented, could further constrain officials from abusing psychiatric detention to stifle or punish dissent. Despite these potential improvements, however, the October draft continues to raise concerns regarding the law's compliance with international standards to which China has committed. Specific concerns include the draft's failure to make independent reviews of an initial diagnosis mandatory, lack of provision for the appointment of legal counsel, and lack of safeguards that would place time limits on involuntary commitment.

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Environmental Protection Law Draft Revisions: Authorities Remove Language Regarding Strengthening Public Participation, Accountability, and Transparency


Chinese lawmakers are discussing draft revisions to the 1989 PRC Environmental Protection Law but do not appear poised to conclude the first reading prior to the end of the current legislative calendar in March 2011. Lawmakers already eliminated language from the draft revisions that expressed stronger official support for public participation, and improved incentives for governmental accountability and enforcement in the environment sector. Removing the language may have implications for developing the rule of law and democratic participation in the sector, and for channeling public demand for a cleaner environment in a manner that prevents protests. Top leaders limited the scope of revisions, and while environmental authorities later incorporated recommendations from experts and central and local officials before submitting the proposed draft revisions to the National People's Congress Standing Committee for review, the role of the non-governmental sector has been less clear.

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The U.S. and China Hold the 22nd Meeting of the JCCT in Chengdu, China, on November 20 to 21, 2011


On November 20 to 21, 2011, the United States and China held the 22nd meeting of the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT). The meeting addressed areas of concern in the development of rule of law in China, including China's failure to protect intellectual property rights (as required under China's WTO commitments), market access on a level playing field in strategic emerging industries such as new energy vehicles, and innovation. However, the JCCT's achievements were reportedly modest.

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Enterprise Labor Dispute Provisions Emphasize "Harmony" and "Stability," Do Not Address Fundamental Worker Rights Issues


On December 1, 2011, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued the Provisions on Consultation and Mediation for Enterprise Labor Disputes, effective January 1, 2012. The Provisions impose a new requirement on all medium and large enterprises to establish committees responsible for mediating disputes in the workplace, and the Provisions stipulate some additional, limited protections for worker rights. The Provisions, however, fail to address the fact that workers in China are not guaranteed the right to organize into independent unions, leaving the government, Communist Party, and employers with greater bargaining power in the process of dispute resolution. Workers continued to organize public demonstrations in late 2011 and early 2012 to advocate for their demands in labor disputes, and in some of those cases, officials tasked with maintaining "harmony" and "stability" used force against or detained workers while trying to stop such demonstrations. In addition, recent statements and reports from high-level officials, as well as local governments and Party organizations, indicate a continued emphasis on prioritizing "harmony" and "stability" in dealing with labor disputes.

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Beijing Cracks Down On Private Security Companies Used To Detain Petitioners


According to Global Times, a publication that operates under the official People's Daily, Beijing municipal Public Security Bureaus launched an official six-month "crack down" on illegal detentions of petitioners by private security companies. The crackdown comes after Chinese news media exposed instances of abuse by "stability maintenance organizations" under contract by local governments to prevent petitioners from airing their grievances to the central government. While authorities have cast the "crack down" as a serious attempt to restrict the use of private "stability maintenance organizations," the implications and effectiveness of the crackdown remain unclear.

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Status of Uyghur Children in Detention Unknown Following Border Clash


Five Uyghur children from a county in Hoten, Xinjiang, are in detention, following a December 2011 clash between a group of Uyghurs and security officials. Local sources say the children were part of a group attempting to leave China due to religious persecution, while official Chinese sources describe the group as terrorists traveling to Pakistan for training. According to multiple accounts, a public security officer was stabbed to death after officials confronted the group, and security forces then opened fire. Official sources report four people in the group were killed and four wounded and taken into detention. Local sources say those in detention are five children, at least four of whom range in age from 7 to 17, and that information on their status and health conditions is not known. Security in the area reportedly remains tight as authorities have attempted to restrict the flow of information about the events and detained family members and others in the aftermath of the clash. The news follows other recent incidents that Chinese authorities have described as terrorist attacks, while other sources have reported facts that differ from the official accounts.

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Gansu and Shandong Provinces Issue New Regulations on Religion


Since China's national Regulation on Religious Affairs entered into force in 2005, a number of provincial governments have followed suit with new or amended local regulations on religion. In some respects, new regulations from Shandong and Gansu provide more clarity, legal protections, and consistency than the older regulations they replace, but all within the restrictive framework of China's controls over religious practice. Such framework offers some limited protections but falls far short of international standards for religious freedom. The regulations also codify more extensive controls over religious practice in some regards, and many legal protections are limited to groups and venues registered with the government. The regulations differ from each other in some respects, reflecting a trend in variation among provincial regulations, even as local regulations on religion move toward greater uniformity with the national regulation.

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Authorities Try Human Rights Activist Ni Yulan, Verdict Pending


Authorities tried human rights lawyer Ni Yulan and her husband Dong Jiqin on December 29, 2011, on charges of "picking quarrels" and "fraud." The court reportedly is considering the defense's request for access to new evidence. If convicted, Ni could face a lengthy sentence and the possibility of life imprisonment. Since 2002, authorities have repeatedly subjected Ni to intense harassment, including physically crippling her, revoking her license to practice law, and detaining and imprisoning her.

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Authorities Sentence Chen Wei to 9 Years for Posting Pro-Democracy Essays


The Suining Municipal Intermediate People's Court in Sichuan province sentenced democracy activist Chen Wei on December 23, 2011, to nine years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power," in a case reportedly marred by procedural irregularities. The prosecutor's indictment alleged that four essays Chen authored were intended to incite subversion. The essays had been posted on overseas Web sites and had discussed democratic reform and human rights in China.

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Authorities Loosen Some Restrictions on Chen Guangcheng and Family, Continue To Hold Them Under Tight Control


In recent weeks, local authorities in Linyi county, Shandong province, reportedly have loosened some measures used to control rights defender Chen Guangcheng, whom they have held with his wife, daughter, and mother in extralegal detention in their home since September 2010. While in detention, the family has been subjected to beatings, round-the-clock surveillance, and other forms of harassment. Despite reported relaxation of certain controls on Chen and his family, authorities continue to hold them under strict control and continue to block access to individuals who attempt to visit Chen's village.

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Officials Discourage and Prevent "Independent Candidates" From Getting on Official Ballots in Local People's Congress Elections


During the latest round of local people's congress elections taking place in staggered fashion across China from May 2011 to December 2012, central and local officials are discouraging and preventing potential "independent candidates," i.e., candidates nominated by citizens rather than by the Party or by state-affiliated organizations, from getting on official ballots. Citizens are allowed to vote for people's congress delegates only at the lowest levels. Some developments during candidate nomination processes in this latest round do not seem to reflect the spirit of the national election law, highlight contradictions in the national election law, and illustrate continuing challenges to free and fair elections in China. Some local officials reportedly have arrested, detained, and monitored potential "independent candidates," as well as pressured their families, employers, and nominators, and obstructed nomination processes.

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Beijing Court Orders Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng To Serve Original Three-Year Sentence


Less than a week before missing human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng's five-year suspended sentence was set to expire, Chinese officials claimed he violated the conditions of his parole, and that he must now serve out his original three-year criminal sentence. Over the course of Gao's five-year parole period, officials have subjected him to intense harassment, including repeated abduction, torture, and forced disappearance. Even with this announcement, the whereabouts and condition of Gao, who has been missing since April 2010, are still not known.

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Local Officials in Xinjiang Continue Curbs Over Religious Practice


Controls over religion in the Muslim-majority region of Xinjiang remain among the harshest in China, and local governments have reported continuing steps to tighten curbs over religious practice. In recent months, several local governments have reported carrying out measures to prevent women from veiling or wearing other apparel deemed to carry religious connotations and to prevent men from wearing large beards, practices authorities have associated with "backwardness," "extremism," and "illegal religious activities." Some local governments also reported increasing controls over women religious specialists known as büwi. Regionwide, authorities have described continuing steps to target "illegal" religious publications in censorship campaigns.

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China's White Paper on Corruption and Official Anti-Corruption Efforts


The State Council of China issued China's first white paper on corruption titled "China's Efforts to Combat Corruption and Build a Clean Government" in late December 2010, amid an official "anti-corruption storm," high-profile arrests of corruption suspects, and ongoing announcements of new anti-corruption measures. While the white paper did not outline new policy directions, it gave unusual attention to citizen participation in anti-corruption efforts. Over the last few months, central authorities also promoted in the media official channels for citizens to report possible instances of corruption and outlined protections for whistleblowers in government circulars. Whistleblower protections, however, remain inadequate in practice and some non-governmental Web sites that posted reports on alleged corruption have faced cyber attacks and authorities have threatened to close Web sites or warned some webmasters to shut down their sites.

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Jiangsu Authorities Order Unregistered Pastor To Serve Two Years of Reeducation Through Labor


In late July 2011, authorities in Suqian city, Jiangsu province, ordered pastor Shi Enhao to serve two years in reeducation through labor (RTL) in connection to his activities as an unregistered pastor, including setting up churches and holding gatherings that authorities deemed illegal. Public security authorities in Jiangsu have harassed or detained Shi several times since March 2011. Shi is a leader in a network of unregistered Protestant congregations whose members associate across multiple provinces, and the RTL order came during a time when official sensitivities were heightened toward members of unregistered Protestant congregations.

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Xinjiang Draft Legal Measures Promote Hiring Ethnic Minorities, Against Track Record of Employment Discrimination


New draft measures on employment promotion, under consideration in Xinjiang, stipulate measures to prevent discrimination and promote the hiring of non-Han ("ethnic minority") groups in the region. The measures track China's national employment promotion law, but also stipulate subsidies for hiring ethnic minorities. Such subsidies are absent in the national law and employment promotion regulations in other provincial-level areas. If passed, the impact of the draft measures remains unclear, however, as previous laws and regulations already bar discrimination and have failed to prevent hiring practices in Xinjiang that discriminate against job candidates based on factors including ethnicity and sex.

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2011 Crackdown Update: Ding Mao, Chen Wei, and Ran Yunfei


Prosecutors twice transferred the cases of democracy advocates Ding Mao and Chen Wei back to public security officials for supplementary investigation, both first detained in the widespread February 2011 crackdown in China and formally arrested shortly thereafter. In both cases, PSB officials have completed their supplementary investigations and requested indictments from prosecutors for the third and final time. Authorities have not responded to or have not granted family requests to release Ding and Chen on bail. Authorities also denied Ding and Chen access to their lawyers, in Ding's case for the first six months of his detention, and in Chen's case for nearly seven months. In another case involving a citizen detained in the crackdown, Chengdu authorities have released Ran Yunfei on bail pending trial and placed him under "residential surveillance."

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Dalai Lama Rejects Communist Party "Brazen Meddling" in Tibetan Buddhist Reincarnation


In a September 24, 2011, signed statement, the Dalai Lama rejected Communist Party attempts to use historical misrepresentation and government regulation to impose unprecedented control over one of Tibetan Buddhism's most important features—lineages of teachers (trulkus), whom Tibetan Buddhists believe are reincarnations, that can span centuries. The Dalai Lama addressed issues pertaining to reincarnation generally and to his potential reincarnation specifically, likely rendering the statement of exceptional significance to Tibetan Buddhists. He denounced the Chinese government's "Order No. 5," a reference to the PRC Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, as "outrageous and disgraceful," and provided a historical basis for rejecting government and Party claims that Tibetan Buddhists selected the 9th through 14th (current) Dalai Lamas in compliance with instructions in a Qing imperial edict. The Dalai Lama's statement explained briefly the Tibetan Buddhist concepts of reincarnation and "emanation"—the latter suggests that the Dalai Lama could establish a successor while he is still living. He concluded by declaring that when he is about 90 years old—he is 76 now—he will take measures to resolve whether or not there will be a 15th Dalai Lama; by condemning Party interference in Tibetan Buddhist reincarnation; and by stating that in the future it will be "impossible" for Tibetan Buddhists to "acknowledge or accept" such "brazen meddling."

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Xinjiang Students Continue to Harvest Cotton, Directive Allows Child Labor


Education authorities in Xinjiang have continued to require students to pick cotton during the fall harvest, in some cases violating permitted parameters for "work-study" programs as stipulated in local directives, as well as contravening domestic and international standards regulating students' work activities and prohibiting child labor. Xinjiang authorities announced in 2008 that students in junior high and lower grades would no longer pick cotton in work-study programs, but issued a directive in 2009 that appears to affirm that younger students may continue to engage in cotton harvesting and other labor as part of work to "help with agriculture," despite the prohibitions against child labor in Chinese law. Reports from the past year indicate that some localities used these younger students to harvest cotton. Xinjiang high schools and colleges continued to make older students pick cotton in work-study programs, in some reported cases exceeding the permitted time period for work-study under local directives and in one reported case levying fines on students who didn't meet quotas. Work-study programs and cotton-picking activities have drawn complaints from students and parents due to the hazards of the work and effect on children's education. The use of student labor this year comes as the region reported difficulties in recruiting regular agricultural workers to pick cotton.

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County Court Convicts Monks of Intentional Homicide for Sheltering Self-Immolation Monk


On August 29 and 30, 2011, a county-level court in a Tibetan autonomous area of Sichuan province sentenced three monks to prison terms of 10, 11, and 13 years on charges of "intentional homicide" (PRC Criminal Law, Article 232) in connection with the March 16, 2011, self-immolation of a Kirti Monastery monk, China's state-run media reported. International media and advocacy group reports described the sentenced monks' intentions toward the severely burned monk in terms of rescue, protection, and shelter. If official reports are accurate in that the Ma'erkang County People's Court sentenced the monks, then it appears to be a violation of Article 20 of the PRC Criminal Procedure Law, which requires intermediate level courts to hear trials on criminal charges punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty—a category that includes "intentional homicide." A fourth monk faced charges linked to the incident but had not been sentenced as of October 18, 2011. For more information on the aftermath of the self-immolation at Kirti Monastery, located in Aba (Ngaba) county, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (T&QAP), see an August 17 CECC analysis.

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State Council Opinion Bolsters Grazing Ban, Herder Resettlement


A new government opinion bolsters longstanding grazing bans on China's grasslands, with a stated goal of improving the environment, and promotes the continued resettlement of herders. The opinion applies to grasslands areas and herding communities throughout China, including several ethnic minority groups such as Mongols, Tibetans, and Kazakhs. Observers have questioned the effectiveness of government grasslands policies in ameliorating environmental degradation and have raised concern about their impact on the rights of herders. The new opinion outlines target dates for meeting environmental and resettlement goals. It follows implementation earlier in the year of a government program to provide subsidies for herders who abide by grazing bans. The opinion also comes after demonstrations in Inner Mongolia in May by Mongols protesting government policies toward grasslands. The opinion calls for promoting the "ethnic culture" of herders, but the impact of this measure remains unclear amid the opinion's broader policy aims.

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Uyghur Political Prisoners Mehbube Ablesh's and Abdulghani Memetemin's Prison Sentences Expire


The prison sentences of two Uyghur political prisoners in Xinjiang have expired, and both are presumed to have since been released. Mehbube Ablesh completed a three-year prison sentence for "splittism" around August 2011. Authorities handed down the prison sentence in apparent connection to her criticism of Chinese government policies, including Mandarin-focused "bilingual" education. Abdulghani Memetemin completed a nine-year prison sentence in late July for "supplying state secrets" to an overseas group. He had sent information on human rights abuses and translations of Chinese government speeches to an organization in Germany that monitors rights violations against Uyghurs. Other Uyghurs in Xinjiang continue to serve prison sentences for exercising their right to free expression.

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Xinjiang Authorities Implement Ramadan Curbs Amid Renewed Pledges for Tight Controls Over Religion


Authorities in Xinjiang have continued to exert tight controls over the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which occurred this year in August. During the month-long period of daily fasting, local government authorities prohibited students, teachers, and government workers from observing the fast, ordered restaurants to stay open, and increased oversight of mosques and religious personnel. Xinjiang officials have enforced similar restrictions in previous years. The curbs in 2011 also came amid a renewed pledge by Xinjiang authorities to crack down on "illegal religious activities."

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After Monk's Suicide: Coerced Removal and "Education" for Monks; Possible Murder Charges


Tibetan Buddhist monks at Kirti Monastery whom officials suspect of assisting or sheltering a monk who committed self-immolation on March 16, 2011, could face criminal charges, possibly for "premeditated murder." China's state-run media characterized the suicide as a "plot" to "incite other monks to create disturbances," but did not acknowledge monastic resentment against increasing government and Party control over Tibetan Buddhist affairs. On April 21, security officials allegedly beat to death two elderly Tibetans and injured others who tried and failed to block People's Armed Police from removing at least 300 Kirti monks from the monastery. Official media reported the next day that the local government would begin immediately "mass legal education" of Kirti monks to maintain what officials described as "normal religious order." The use of enforced confinement (de facto detention) and coerced participation in a program under the pretext of "education" appears to disregard Article 37 of China's Constitution which prohibits "[u]nlawful deprivation or restriction of citizens' freedom of the person by detention or other means." On June 9, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson dismissed a United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances request for information on the monks and asserted that "there was no question of forced disappearances." Kirti Monastery is located near the seat of Aba (Ngaba) county, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province.

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UN Group Calls for Immediate Release of Liu Xiaobo and Wife Liu Xia


In May 2011, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued two opinions declaring that the Chinese government's imprisonment of prominent intellectual Liu Xiaobo and house arrest of his wife Liu Xia contravene the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The opinions call on Chinese officials to immediately release Liu Xiaobo, immediately end Liu Xia's house arrest, and provide reparations to both persons. Freedom Now, a US-based non-profit organization that filed a petition for the opinions with the Working Group, released the opinions to the public in August 2011.

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Top Official Directs Media To Promote July Anniversary of Party's Founding


A top Communist Party official has directed Chinese media to promote the 90th anniversary of China's Communist Party, founded on July 1, 1921, saying it is their "common responsibility" to do so. The call, which came on April 22, 2011, was directed not only at media organizations closely aligned with the Party but also more commercially oriented newspapers and online media more generally. The call echoes the official policy of the Chinese government and Party that the domestic media serve as an instrument of the Party.

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2011 Annual Report

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China issued its 2011 Annual Report on human rights conditions and the development of the rule of law in China on October 10, 2011.

Full Report: PDF version, text version

Executive Summary: PDF version

Chinese Translation of the Executive Summary: PDF version

Partial List of Political Prisoners Known or Believed to be Detained or Imprisoned in China as of October 10, 2011 (1,441 Cases)

View Record of Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo

Click here to search the full CECC Political Prisoner Database of over 6,638 cases

HEARING

Recent Developments and History of the Chen Guangcheng Case

Thursday, May 3, 2012, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
2172 Rayburn House Office Building

The recent escape of self-trained legal advocate Chen Guangcheng from illegal house arrest has attracted international attention and concern. On April 22, Chen escaped from his home in Dongshigu village, Linyi city, Shandong province, where he and his family had been detained without charge for 19 months. After escaping from home confinement, Chen met the U.S. Ambassador and Administration officials at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and received medical treatment. Recent reports suggest that U.S. and Chinese officials have negotiated an agreement that would permit Chen and his family to remain in China with assurances from the Chinese government that they can live a normal life. The Commission hearing will address ongoing developments in the Chen Guangcheng case and reported prospects for himself, his family and his supporters. Witnesses will discuss details of the previous detention of Chen and his family under an illegal form of "house arrest," as well as his escape to seek safety at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. In addition, witnesses will also address Chen's legal advocacy work.

Chen, a self-trained legal advocate who has represented farmers, the disabled and other groups, is perhaps best known for the attention he drew to population planning abuses, particularly forced abortions and forced sterilizations, in Linyi, in 2005. In deeply flawed legal proceedings, authorities sentenced him in 2006 to four years and three months in prison. Following his release in September 2010, Chen, his wife Yuan Weijing, and their six-year-old daughter were subjected to beatings, home confinement and constant surveillance. Throughout the detention, Chinese authorities undertook forceful measures to prevent and harass journalists and supporters who attempted to visit the family.

View recorded webcast here.

HEARING

China's Repatriation of North Korean Refugees

Monday, March 5, 2012, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
2118 Rayburn House Office Building

In recent weeks, international human rights advocates and organizations have called on the Chinese government not to repatriate dozens of North Korean refugees currently detained in China. There is now growing concern that the refugees and their family members may face public execution if the refugees are forcibly returned to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). In January, Kim Jong-un, the "supreme leader" of North Korea, reportedly threatened to "exterminate three generations" of any family with a member caught defecting from North Korea during the 100-day mourning period for the late Kim Jong-il. Despite its obligations under international law, the Chinese government maintains an agreement with North Korea to repatriate North Korean refugees.

The Commission hearing will address the current predicament of North Korean refugees who have been detained by Chinese authorities in recent weeks. Witnesses will discuss the factors driving North Koreans to flee to China. Witnesses will also address the legality of China's forced repatriations of North Koreans and relevant humanitarian concerns.

View recorded webcast here.

HEARING

The Case and Treatment of Prominent Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng

Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
2118 Rayburn House Office Building

Today, the condition of Gao Zhisheng, one of China's most prominent human rights lawyers, remains a closely guarded secret. In December 2011, the Chinese government announced Gao would be required to serve out his earlier three-year criminal sentence, just as his sentence suspension was about to expire. Gao, a self-taught lawyer who angered Chinese authorities by exposing human rights abuses, had been missing for more than 20 months, since "reappearing" from enforced disappearance in March 2010. Chinese officials have not released any news of Gao's health or condition, and Gao's family members and lawyers have been unable to visit him.

The Commission hearing focused on the latest announcement on Gao Zhisheng's criminal imprisonment and addressed concerns over his current well-being. Witnesses, including Gao Zhisheng's wife, addressed Gao's legal defense of marginalized groups in China—including religious practitioners, rural workers, and human rights activists—and his enforced disappearance. Other experts addressed ongoing international legal and humanitarian advocacy efforts on behalf of Gao. The hearing also featured testimony from the wife of another prominent jailed dissident, Guo Quan, who is serving a 10-year sentence and who, like Gao, has been punished for his human rights and democracy advocacy.

View recorded webcast here.

HEARING

Ten Years in the WTO: Has China Kept Its Promises?

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
2212 Rayburn House Office Building

Ten years ago, on December 11, 2001, China officially joined the World Trade Organization. China's entry into the WTO ushered in a new era in its relationship with the United States and the rest of the world. China made numerous promises to reduce trade barriers, open up markets, increase transparency, protect intellectual property rights, and reform its legal system to make it consistent with WTO requirements. Policymakers hoped at the time that China's WTO membership would lead to advances in the broader development of the rule of law as well. Has China kept its promises and played by the rules? What impact has WTO membership had on the development of the rule of law in China? Has WTO membership leveled the economic playing field as many had hoped?

View recorded webcast here.

HEARING

One Year After the Nobel Peace Prize Award to Liu Xiaobo: Conditions for Political Prisoners and Prospects for Political Reform

Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
2172 Rayburn House Office Building

One year ago, the Nobel Committee awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China." Today, Liu Xiaobo remains in a Chinese prison serving the third year of an 11-year sentence, while authorities hold his wife under a de facto form of house arrest. Across China, authorities persist in harassing and detaining democracy and human rights advocates. This hearing discussed Liu's views on Chinese political reform and society; Charter 08, a grassroots political reform treatise signed by Liu and thousands of Chinese citizens; the essays that formed the basis of the government's "inciting subversion" charges against Liu; and the impact, if any, of Liu's Nobel Peace Prize in China. In addition, witnesses discussed conditions for other political prisoners and activists, as well as the prospects for political reform in China in the near future.

View recorded webcast here.

HEARING

China's Censorship of the Internet and Social Media: The Human Toll and Trade Impact

Thursday, November 17, 2011, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Washington, DC, Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226

View recorded webcast here.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HEARING

Congressional-Executive Commission on China: 2011 Annual Report

Thursday, November 3, 2011, 10:00 a.m.
2172 Rayburn House Office Building

HEARING

Examination into the Abuse and Extralegal Detention of Legal Advocate Chen Guangcheng and His Family

Tuesday, November 1, 2011, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
2118 Rayburn House Office Building

View recorded hearing here.

ROUNDTABLE

The Dalai Lama: What He Means for Tibetans Today (7/13/11)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Russell Senate Office Building, Room 418

View the recorded webcast here.

ROUNDTABLE

Conditions for Human Rights Defenders and Lawyers in China, and Implications for U.S. Policy (6/23/11)

Thursday, June 23, 2011, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Russell Senate Office Building, Room 328A

View the roundtable's recorded webcast.

2010 Annual Report

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China issued its 2010 Annual Report on human rights conditions and the development of the rule of law in China on October 10, 2010. Full report: PDF version, text version.

HEARING

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo and the Future of Political Reform in China (11/9/10)

Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628

View a recorded video of this hearing here.

ROUNDTABLE

2010 Annual Report: New Developments in Human Rights and the Rule of Law in China (10/20/10)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628

HEARING

Will China Protect Intellectual Property? New Developments in Counterfeiting, Piracy, and Forced Technology Transfer (9/22/10)

Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628

View a recorded video of this hearing.

ROUNDTABLE

China and Human Trafficking: Updates and Analysis (8/20/10)

Friday, August 20, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628

View recorded C-SPAN video coverage here.

HEARING

Political Prisoners in China: Trends and Implications for U.S. Policy (8/3/10)

Tuesday August 3, 2010, 10:15 a.m. to 12 noon
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628

View a recorded video of this hearing.

ROUNDTABLE

China's Far West: Conditions in Xinjiang One Year After Demonstrations and Riots (7/19/10)

Monday, July 19, 2010, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628

ROUNDTABLE

Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: Assessing China's International Commitments (7/14/10)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Room 138, Dirksen Senate Office Building

ROUNDTABLE

China's Policies Toward Spiritual Movements (6/18/10)

Friday, June 18, 2010, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Room 628, Dirksen Senate Office Building

ROUNDTABLE

Transparency in Environmental Protection and Climate Change in China (4/1/10)

Thursday, April 1, 2010, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Room 628, Dirksen Senate Office Building

HEARING

Google and Internet Control in China: A Nexus Between Human Rights and Trade? (3/24/10)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Room 628, Dirksen Senate Office Building

View a recorded video of this hearing.

ROUNDTABLE

Women in a Changing China (3/8/10)

Monday, March 8, 2010, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Room B-318, Rayburn House Office Building.

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China issued a special report titled Special Topic Paper: Tibet 2008-2009 on October 22, 2009. The report provides expanded coverage and in-depth analysis of key recent developments and trends in Tibet and builds on the Commission's 2009 Annual Report.

2010 Annual Report: New Developments in Human Rights and the Rule of Law in China (10/20/10)

China and Human Trafficking: Updates and Analysis (8/20/10)

China's Far West: Conditions in Xinjiang One Year After the Demonstrations and Riots (7/19/10)

Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: Assessing China's International Commitments (7/14/10)

China's Policies Toward Spiritual Movements (6/18/10)

Transparency in Environmental Protection and Climate Change in China (4/1/10)

Women in a Changing China  (3/8/10)

China's Citizen Complaint System: Prospects for Accountability  (12/04/09)

Gao Yaojie: Physician, Grandmother, and Whistleblower in China's Fight Against HIV/AIDS  (12/03/09)

Reporting the News in China: First-Hand Accounts and Current Trends  (7/31/09)

China's Human Rights Lawyers: Current Challenges and Prospects  (7/10/09)

The Financial Crisis and the Changing Role of Workers in China  (6/19/09)

What "Democracy" Means in China After Thirty Years of Reform   (5/22/09)

The Rising Stakes of Refugee Issues in China   (5/1/09)

A Year After the March 2008 Protests: Is China Promoting Stability in Tibet?  (3/13/09)

Does China Have a Stability Problem?   (2/27/09)

Human Rights in Xinjiang: Recent Developments (2/13/09)

The UN Human Rights Council's Review of China's Record: Process and Challenges (1/16/09)

Human Rights and Rule of Law in China: Where Are We Now and Where Do We Go From Here? (12/12/08)

On the Eve of the Beijing Olympics: China's Information Lockdown (7/16/08)

Xinjiang: Rights Abuses in China's Muslim Western Region (5/14/08)

2009 Annual Report

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China issued its 2009 Annual Report on human rights conditions and the development of the rule of law in China on October 10, 2009. Click here for the full report (text/(pdf).

2008 Annual Report

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China issued its 2008 Annual Report on human rights conditions and the development of the rule of law in China on Friday, October 31, 2008. Click here for the full report (text/pdf).

2007 Annual Report

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China issued its 2007 Annual Report on human rights conditions and the development of the rule of law in China on Wednesday, October 10, 2007. Click here for the full report (text/pdf).

Xinjiang Demonstrations

See also the CECC Chairman's and Cochairman's Statement on the Xinjiang Demonstrations.

China's Olympic Commitments

See also the CECC Chairman's and Cochairman's Statement on China's Olympic Commitments. Click here for the full transcript and supporting materials from the Commission's Hearing on "The Impact of the 2008 Olympic Games on Human Rights and the Rule of Law in China."

Tibetan Protests

See also the CECC Chairman's Statement on the Tibetan Protests.

China's Household Registration System

Available in English (html or pdf) and Chinese (html or pdf).

Newsletter Archives

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"Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo and the Future of Political Reform in China" (11/9/10)

"Will China Protect Intellectual Property? New Developments in Counterfeiting, Piracy, and Forced Technology Transfer" (9/22/10)

"Political Prisoners in China: Trends and Implications for U.S. Policy" (8/3/10)

Google and Internet Control in China: A Nexus Between Human Rights and Trade? (3/24/10)

Human Rights and the Rule of Law in China (10/7/09)

The 20th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Protests: Examining the Significance of the 1989 Demonstrations in China and Implications for U.S. Policy (6/4/09)

What Will Drive China's Future Legal Development? Reports from the Field (6/18/08)

The Impact of the 2008 Olympic Games on Human Rights and the Rule of Law in China (02/27/08)

Human Rights and Rule of Law in China (09/20/06)

Combating Human Trafficking in China: Domestic and International Efforts (03/06/06)

Law in Political Transitions: Lessons from East Asia and the Road Ahead for China (7/26/05)

Religious Freedom in China (11/18/04)