China Human Rights and Rule of Law Update - December 2008

 
 
 

CECC Special Topic

CHARTER 08 and the Detention of Liu Xiaobo

On the eve of December 10, 2008, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, over 300 Chinese citizens signed and posted online a document titled "Charter 08," calling for political reform and greater protection of human rights in China. Signers included leading intellectuals, lawyers, writers, farmers, and workers. Over the past week, many hundreds more people in China have signed, with some reports placing the number of signers in the thousands. Chinese abroad have signed the Charter as well.

Over 300 Citizens Issue "Charter 08"; Several Activists Detained

More than 300 Chinese citizens--including scholars, writers, lawyers, and activists--issued Charter 08 (English / Chinese), an open statement calling for greater rights and political reform in China on the eve of December 10. The date coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Human Rights Day. The prominent intellectual Liu Xiaobo has been detained under suspicion of "inciting subversion" in connection with Charter 08, according to a December 10 Independent Chinese Pen Center article (in Chinese). Several other activists also have been detained in advance of Human Rights Day.

Propaganda Head Liu Yunshan Calls for Positive Spin on Economy

Liu Yunshan, head of the Communist Party's Central Propaganda Department (CPD), called on propaganda officials to prioritize "economic propaganda work" to deal with the current economic downturn, according to remarks he made on November 18, 2008, as reported in a Xinhua article (in Chinese) of the same date.

Xinjiang Authorities Continue Security Measures, Propaganda Campaigns

Authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have continued to promote restrictive security measures and widespread propaganda campaigns throughout fall 2008, according to various reports from the region. As noted in the Congressional-Executive Commission on China 2008 Annual Report (via the Government Printing Office Web site), repression increased in the region earlier in the year amid preparations for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, limited reports of terrorist activity, and protests among Tibetan and Uyghur communities in China.

Local Governments Target "Illegal" Worship Sites and "Illegal" Religious Activities Throughout Fall

Local governments in China reported in fall 2008 on measures to prevent "illegal" religious gatherings and curb other "illegal" religious activities, continuing longstanding controls over religious practice in China. As noted in Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) Annual Reports (see, for example, reports from 2007 and 2008), religious communities must apply to register with the government and must submit to state control over their affairs. Registered groups must receive government approval to establish sites of worship.

Authorities Pressure Lawyers, Prevent Courts from Handling Milk Cases

According to a September 22 Takungpao article and an October 16 New York Times (NYT) article, Chinese lawyers in Beijing and the provinces of Hebei and Henan reported that officials have pressured them not to take cases related to milk powder tainted with the toxic chemical melamine, the widespread sale of which was revealed to the public in September 2008. The major dairy producer Sanlu has been at the center of the scandal, which has led to the deaths of at least four infants and sickened at least 53,000 children, according to the NYT article.

Inner Mongolia Legal Provisions Include Focus on Ethnic Minority Women

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) government has included focus on ethnic minority women in recent legislation on women's rights, but its impact may be limited given a track record across China of weak implementation of provisions to protect both women's rights and ethnic minority rights. The IMAR implementing measures for the national Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women (IMAR implementing measures), adopted November 14, 2008, and effective March 1, 2009, include three articles with provisions on ethnic minority women.

Xinjiang Authorities Recruit More Teachers for Mandarin-focused "Bilingual" Education

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) government recently announced steps to increase the number of "bilingual" elementary school and preschool teachers in the region, according to several reports from XUAR media. As noted by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China in its 2008 Annual Report (via the Government Printing Office Web site), educational policies described as "bilingual" by the XUAR government have placed primacy on Mandarin Chinese, undercutting provisions in Chinese law to protect ethnic minority languages and promote their use in XUAR schools.

State-Controlled Church Continues To Align Protestant Doctrine to Communist Party Policy

The state-controlled Chinese Protestant church marked the 10th-year anniversary of a program of theology that aligns Protestant doctrine to Communist Party policy, according to several November 2008 reports from the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA). As noted in the Congressional-Executive Commission on China 2008 Annual Report (via the Government Printing Office Web site), the state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), which leads the registered Protestant church in China, suppresses denominational differences among Protestants and imposes a Communist Party-defined program of "theological construction" on registered churches. "Theological construction," according to one TSPM official, is intended to "weaken those aspects within Christian faith that do not conform with the socialist society."

New Science and Technology Plan for Ethnic Minorities Raises Questions About Ethnic Minority Rights

The Chinese central government has issued direction on advancing science and technology development among ethnic minorities and in ethnic minority areas, combining potentially beneficial provisions with those that may clash with the protection of ethnic minority rights. The Opinion Concerning the Increased Strengthening of Science and Technology Work Among Ethnic Minorities and Ethnic Minority Regions (Opinion)--issued November 3 by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, and the China Association for Science and Technology--builds off of two national programs on science and technology as well as China's first "five-year" program devoted specifically to ethnic minorities and ethnic minority areas.

China's Anti-Trafficking Efforts Remain Inadequate One Year After Government's Release of National Action Plan

The Chinese government's anti-trafficking response remains inadequate and noncompliant with international standards one year after the State Council issued the National Action Plan on Combating Trafficking in Women and Children (2008-2012) on December 13, 2007, (English version via the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-region's China Office, or UNIAP China).

Inner Mongolia Press and Publication Bureau Suspends China Business Post

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Press and Publication Bureau (Inner Mongolia PPB) ordered the China Business Post (Caijing Shibao) on September 8 to suspend publication for three months after the financial newspaper published a July 11 report (reprinted in Sina.com) critical of the Agricultural Bank of China, according to a September 25 South China Morning Post (SCMP) article (subscription required).

Xinjiang Work-Study Programs Continue; Cotton-Picking Activities Limited

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) government continued this year to force students to participate in controversial "work-study" programs, but have restricted students in junior high school and lower grades from participating in cotton-picking activities. According to a September 19 Tianshan Net article, the XUAR Department of Education issued a circular this fall stopping all students enrolled in the state's compulsory nine years of elementary and junior high school education from picking cotton in work-study programs.

Government Improves Anti-Domestic Violence Efforts; Victim Protection Remains Limited

In order to provide better protection to domestic violence victims, four Ministries (Public Security, Civil Affairs, Health, and Justice), one Party-controlled organization (All-China Women's Federation), the Party's Central Propaganda Department, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate jointly issued the Opinions on Preventing and Deterring Domestic Violence (Opinions) on July 31, 2008.