July 2005
2005-07-31
*The information contained in this summary is based on information collected by HRIC in July and is not intended as a complete list. Rather, it should be viewed as a representation of larger trends of dissent and repression in China.
Death Penalty
Labor
Media Censorship
Petitions and Protests
Political Dissidents
Religious Persecution
Death Penalty
Financial crime
Li Yingliang (李应良), Deputy Secretary General of CCP Committee in Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, was sentenced to death for taking bribes and embezzling public funds totaling 1.66 million yuan from an estate development project. The verdict, issued by the Jiaozuo City Intermediate People’s Court, was reported in the media on July 7.1
Song Zhang’ai (宋丈艾), 48, was executed in Beijing on July 21, immediately following his conviction by the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People’s Court of fraud involving to 100 million yuan between 1986 and 1998. Song, who maintained his innocence, was an officer at an investment company, where he was responsible for loans and investment transactions.2
Ma De (马德), 55, former secretary of the Party municipal committee of Suihua City, Heilongjiang Province, was sentenced to death with a two year reprieve for bribery. The court verdict was issued by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court on July 28. Ma was found guilty of exploiting his official position to accept bribes and extort money totaling 6.03 million yuan between 1993 and 2002.3
On July 28, the Jilin Provincial Higher People’s Court upheld the death sentence passed by the Jilin Municipal Intermediate People’s Court against Sang Yuechung (桑粤春), 43, for committing a series of organized crimes and fraud. Sang was the president of a trading company and former NPC representative.4
Drug-trafficking crimes
On July 8, the Wuxi Municipal Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu Province handed down death sentences against seven drug traffickers, while one other was sentenced to death with reprieve. The leader of the trafficking ring, Lian Yongmin (连永明), began trafficking drugs in 1995 and had previously served two years in prison.5The other traffickers were Liu Hongwei (刘宏伟), Su Chuwen (苏楚文), Yang Zongming (杨宗明), Lian Yongwei (练永伟), Wu Bing (吴兵), Xian Bao (鲜报), and Tu Qiang (凃强).
On July 20, the Guangdong Intermediate People’s Court upheld on retrial the death sentence previously passed by the same court against three drug traffickers, Yu Zhuoxiong (余卓雄), Guo Mingqing (郭明庆) and Chen Yuhan (陈羽翰). The three were convicted of producing 2.45 kg of methamphetamine ("ice") in Hunan and distributing in Guangzhou. At the first trial in November 2003, the convicted were sentenced to death penalty with immediate execution, but they appealed to the Guangdong Higher People’s Court. In December 2004, the Guangdong Higher People’s Court found evidence insufficiently clear to support an appeal and ordered a retrial at the Intermediate Court.6
The Intermediate People’s Court at Guigang City, Guangxi Province, sentenced Wang Jinxiong (黄锦雄), Tang Dazhang (唐达章) and He Shirong (何世容) to death on July 25 for trafficking 346.5g cocaine between Longzhou County and Pingnan County. Wang took advantage of his position as a police officer at the Pingnan County Public Security Bureau to coordinate the trafficking deal. All three are appealing the death sentence. Li Jie (李杰)), another accomplice, was sentenced to life imprisonment.7
Violent crimes
Wang Gang (王刚), Huang Shanfu (黄山付) and Li Qiang (李强) were convicted of murder and sentenced to death by the Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court on July 4. The three were members of a gang attempting to monopolize the Qingshiqiao Vegetable Market in Chengde City. Wang, the leader of the gang, mobilized a group of people to kill non-gang members who insisted on operating stalls in the market.8
In early July, the Intermediate People’s Court in Suzhou City, Anhui Province sentenced 23-year-old villager Ge Guangzhou (葛广州) to death for rape. Ge had previously been sentenced to prison for rape in 1999 and 2003. On March 10, 2004, Ge became sick and was allowed to serve the rest of his 10-year jail term outside prison for medical treatment. He escaped from police custody in April 2004, and in the following three months abducted and raped three girls.9
The Intermediate People’s Court at Mei Shan, Sichuan Province on July 8 sentenced Yang Aiping (杨爱平) to death for murdering his wife with intent to defraud. Yang attempted to kill his wife, who had been diagnosed with cancer, in order to fraudulently obtain insurance compensation.10
Ma Hanqing (马汉庆), 41, a gang leader from Wuhan, was sentenced to death on July 14 by the Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court for robberies and murders in Wuhan and Urumqi. The court heard that between 1996 and 2004, Ma organized four armed robberies leading to five deaths and six injuries. At one point, Ma topped the Xinjiang police most wanted list.11
Yang Ning (杨宁), 25, was executed on July 12 after the Liaoning Higher People’s Court found him guilty of the 2003 murder of a family of four in Fukuoka, Japan. The Fukuoka District Court sentenced Yang’s accomplices, Wang Liang (王亮), 23, and Wei Wei (魏巍), 25, to life imprisonment and death, respectively.12
On July 12, a 37-year-old self-employed truck driver surnamed Kong was sentenced to death by the Liaoning High People’s Court for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to kill. Kong killed a road inspector and injured three others when he was stopped for exceeding the load capacity of his truck.13
On July 17, Yang Guoqu (杨国瞿), party secretary of Changning County, Yunnan Province, was sentenced to death after being convicted for murdering his mistress on June 14. Yang, who was removed from office immediately after arrest, was also ordered to pay compensation of 260,000 yuan to the victim’s family.14
Dong Hongjian (董洪建), 36, was sentenced to death by the Haikou Intermediate People’s Court on July 18 for organizing a series of robberies in Haikou City, Hainan Province in late 2003. His 22 accomplices were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 15 months to life. Dong had previously served ten years in prison for robbery.15
Zhu Xiufang (朱修芳), 42, living with his family in a rural village in Jieshou, Anhui Province, was sentenced to death for raping eight women between 2000 and 2004. The sentence was announced by the Intermediate People’s Court at Fuyang, Anhui in mid-July. Zhu had previously been sentenced to six years in prison for rape in 1980.16
On July 22, Li Jinjun (李晋军) and Xing Hong (邢红) were sentenced to death by the Linfen Municipal Intermediate People’s Court for kidnapping a senior party official in Linfen City, Shanxi Province, on August 9, 2002. The official died of a drug overdose the day after he was kidnapped by Li and Xing.17
Yang Yugang (杨玉岗), a villager from Yushe County, Shanxi Province, was sentenced to death and ordered to pay a compensation of 300,000 yuan for causing the death of five children in a car crash on May 6. Six adults were also injured in the crash. The Intermediate People’s Court of Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, issued the verdict on July 26 after finding that Yang intentionally crashed the car into his sister-in-law’s house out of revenge because he believed she had advised his wife to divorce him.18
Labor
Officials have announced a plan to limit coal miners’ workdays to six hours a day in an attempt to reduce coal mine accidents. Miners currently work approximately eight hours per day.19
Disasters
A gas explosion killed 36 miners on July 2 at the Jiajiabao coal mine, which was operated illegally in Ningwu County, Shanxi Province.20 The managers originally reported the death of 19 miners, but on July 14 it was revealed that the bodies of 17 other miners had been shipped 90 miles north of Ningwu County, most likely in an attempt to avoid paying compensation to the families. The bodies were discovered in a hospital and crematorium in Ulanqab.21
A flood at the Yongsheng coal mine near Chishan Township, Jiangsu Province on July 7 killed one miner and left 14 missing.
A coal mine explosion in Fukang, Xinjiang Province on July 11 killed 83 workers.22 Eighty-seven miners were working in the Shenlong Coal Mine when the blast occurred at 4:00 a.m.23
The collapse of a roof frame at the Xinfeng Thermal Power Plant in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on July 9 killed six and injured six others. An investigation blamed the poor quality of the frame, which was designed and built by Feihong Group Company in Xuzhou, Jiansu Province last year.24
Rainy weather contributed to the collapse of the shaft of a small coal mine in Liaoyuan City, Jilin Province, on the evening of July 13, which trapped four miners.25
An explosion at the No.5 Coal Mine in Jinsuoguan Town, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province on the afternoon of July 19 caused the death of 26 miners, while rescuers were searching for another three reported trapped.26 China Daily reported that 11 miners escaped without injuries.27
A deserted mining pit in Shi’ao Village, Shaping Township, Hubei Province collapsed in heavy rain on July 20, killing six of seven farmers who had entered the pit to take shelter from the rain. The seventh farmer remains missing.28
Nine people were confirmed dead after a blast at a chemical plant in Jiangsu Province on July 26.29
A gas explosion killed 14 miners at the Fengxiangpo Coal Mine, in Kaiyang County, Guizhou Province on July 27. The coal mine holds a C-level production license, which barely meets the standards of production safety. Five of the miners were killed immediately and nine others suffocated, according to a spokesperson with the provincial coal mine safety supervision bureau.30
Disputes
On July 5, 6, and 7, employees and laid-off workers of the Inner Mongolia North Heavy Industries Group Corp Ltd (NORHEINCO) in Baotou City gathered to demand payment of wages and benefits that had been withheld since 1998. More than 100 police officers were deployed in response to the peaceful demonstration, with 15 workers detained and three injured.31
Media Censorship
Foreign Programming Barred
In a move to heighten control over cooperation between Chinese and foreign media companies, the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) on July 12 announced a ban on partnerships with foreign broadcasters to operate domestic channels. Another regulation taking effect on July 7 bars Chinese broadcasters from leasing channels to foreign companies. This is predicted to affect companies that have formed joint ventures with Chinese partners, or that have sold blocks of programming to Chinese broadcast companies. The new prohibitions arise from growing concerns within the Chinese government regarding “political standards” in broadcasting, with many officials citing foreign programs as a negative influence on society and children. SARFT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will monitor involvement with overseas companies, and international conventions, seminars and program activities.32
Pig-Borne Disease
Hong Kong media reported that China blocked media coverage on the spread of a pig-borne disease. The disease was first revealed in Sichuan, where local officials denied the outbreak. The World Health Organization also expressed concern over the incidents, with 34 reported dead and another 174 people infected with the disease.33
Petitions and Protests
Officials at a Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Standing Committee meeting in early July admitted that the number of protests is increasing across the country.34 Government figures, including those from the Public Security Ministry, indicated that the number of mass protests had reached 74,000, up from about 10,000 just a decade ago.35
Protests
On July 3 and 4, about 400 laid-off workers of a state-owned enterprise in Inner Mongolia took to the streets and gathered at the front gate of the enterprise to protest overdue salaries and unreasonable compensation. Several workers were injured in a clash between the petitioners and the company’s security guards, and 29 were reportedly detained by police for interrogation.36
Beginning on July 4, as many as 15,000 demonstrators gathered in Xinchang, Zhejiang Province, to demand the relocation of a 10-year-old plant that was causing environmental degradation. An explosion earlier this month at the Jinxing Pharmaceutical plant reportedly killed one worker and contaminated the water downstream. Village representatives visited the plant to request compensation on July 4 from factory officials, but were beaten by security guards. They returned with reinforcements to protest the pollution. One man said, “They are making poisonous chemicals for foreigners that the foreigners don’t dare to produce in their own countries.” The villagers were motivated to act by the spring riots in Dongyang, where more than 10,000 residents successfully demanded the closure of a pesticide factory. Clashes occurred throughout the month when the plant attempted to resume production.37
From late June through early July, nearly 600 people in Jianxia Village took control of a battery factory and locked 1,000 workers inside. The residents alleged that the Zhejiang Tianneng Battery factory was producing pollutants that poisoned their children, and staged a series of protests in front of the factory building.38
On July 11, it was reported that all 248 suspects wanted for an attack against farmers in Dingzhou City, Hebei Province, had been detained by police. Contractors with the state-owned Hebei Guohua Power Company were believed to have hired thugs to remove farmers who were occupying land in Shengyou Village to prevent its use by the power plant. Six villagers were killed and 51 injured. Dingzhou Party secretary He Feng was dismissed after the riot, and Kaiyuan Township Party secretary Yang Jinkai was detained for questioning.39
On July 15, 19 petitioners from Jilin wearing T-shirt imprinted with slogans gathered at the South Gate of Beijing Station in an attempt to walk to Zhongnanhai to protest corruption in their localities. Police intercepted the petitioners en route and subsequently charged them with staging an illegal protest.40
Political Dissidents
Appeal
The Guangdong Higher People’s Court rejected an appeal by Yu Huafeng (喻华峰), a Nanfang Dushi Bao senior journalist, against an eight-year jail term for corruption and embezzlement. The Court said that Yu did not submit any “new legal and substantive evidence” for a retrial. Yu’s lawyer said that they would further appeal to the Supreme People’s Court in Beijing. Earlier, Yu’s family petitioned the central government and received a response from Premier Wen, who stated that the Supreme People’s Court in Beijing would follow up on the case. The court decision came after more than 2,300 journalists filed a petition calling for the release of Yu and the newspaper’s former director, Li Minying (李民英), who was convicted on similar charges.41
Charged
The Hunan Provincial Higher People’s Court upheld the ten-year sentence passed by the Intermediate People’s Court against Internet essayist Shi Tao (师涛), following an appeal trial on June 2. Shi, 37, was convicted of leaking state secrets to overseas organizations after he posted an alleged internal communication on the Internet. Shi denied that the document contained state secrets.42
Zhang Lin (张林), freelance Internet journalist and cyber-activist, was sentenced to five years in prison and four years’ subsequent deprivation of political rights on July 28, following a trial at the Bengbu City Intermediate People’s Court in Anhui Province on June 21. His lawyer, Mo Shaping, was notified on August 2. Zhang, who previously spent a total of eight years in prison and labor camps, has submitted a written appeal to the court.43 He has previously spent a total of eight years in prison and labor camps.
Tried
On July 21, Zheng Yichun (郑贻春), 48, a dissident writer from Liaoning, pleaded not guilty to charges of inciting subversion at the Yingkou City Intermediate People’s Court in Liaoning Province on July 21. The case was previously tried at the same court on April 26, but the court did not announce the verdict. Zheng had published essays criticizing the CCP and the government.44
Religious persecution
Released
The Vatican announced that Vincent Kong Guocun (孔国村) the 34-year-old priest of an underground Catholic church in Zhejiang Province, was released on medical parole on June 8. Kong had been confined to house arrest since October 20, 1999, with no one allowed to visit him except for his parents.45
Detained
Jia Zhiguo (贾志国), 70, the priest of an underground Catholic church in Hebei Province, was reportedly taken away by public security officers on July 4. Police warned Jia that he should not tell others that he was arrested and that he should maintain that he had been hospitalized in order to undergo medical treatment. This was the sixth time that Jia had been detained by the police since January 2004.46
In July it was reported that around 600 house church Christians in Jilin had been detained in May. Many of the Christians were students and professors. During the same month, nearly 100 pastors were arrested while at a leadership training meeting in Henan Province.47
Lin Daixian (林戴先), the priest of an underground Catholic church in Fujian, was taken away by police while celebrating mass at the home of a follower. According to a U.S. monitoring group, a seminarian and nine parishioners were also detained, but their identities were unknown. The police also reportedly beat up others attending the mass.48
Charged
Cai Zhouhua (蔡卓华), the pastor of an underground Protestant house church, appeared in court on July 7 on charges of “illegal business practices.” Cai has been detained 10 months earlier for illegally producing Bibles. Although the Bible is not banned in China, only one firm is sanctioned by the government to print it. Cai’s lawyer maintained that that Bibles had been printed for free distribution rather than sale. Cai’s wife and two other church members were also charged.49
1"河南焦作市委原副秘书长李应良被判死刑(Senior official of Jiaozuo city, Henan sentenced to death for corruption)", EastDay.com, July, 7, 2005.
2“亿元金融巨贪被执行死刑 刑前仍不承认有罪(图) (Millionaire executed, despite plead of not guilty of corruption charge)," YahooNew.com (China), July 22, 2005.
3“卖工程又卖官 原绥化市委书记马德被判死缓(Former Ruihua City CCP Secretary General sentenced to death with two years reprieve for corruption)”, Xinhuanet.com, July 28, 2005.
4“全国人大代表桑粤春涉黑案终审 维持一审判死刑(Former NPC representative sentenced to death for corruption)”, China News Agency, August 1, 2005.
5“7 drug traffickers sentenced to death in Jiangsu,” Xinhua News Agency, July 8, 2005.
6“全国最大制贩摇头丸案审结 嫌犯由死刑改判死缓(From death sentence to death penalty with reprieve: Guangzhou Court reviews indictment of drug traffickers)”, People’s Daily, July 21, 2005.
7“廣西省平南公安局教導員策劃指揮販毒被判死刑 (Guangxi Public Security Bureau instructor sentenced to death for involvement in drug trafficking)", CRI Online, July 28, 2005.
8“成都一菜霸团伙持枪滥杀无辜 3人被判死刑(Gang leaders sentenced to death for shooting 3 innocent people in Chengdu)”, CRI Online, July 4, 2005.
9“一罪犯监外执行期间强奸三女性被判死刑(Rapist sentenced to death)”, Xinhuanet.com, July 6,2005.
10“精心设计车祸杀妻骗保 狠丈夫杨爱平被判死刑 (Sichuan men sentenced to death for killing wife to get insurance claims)", Chinesenewsnet.com, July 19, 2005.
11“级通缉犯马汉庆在新疆被判死刑 曾杀害7人(The most wanted killer sentenced to death in Xinjiang for killing seven people)”, EastDay.com, July 15, 2005.
12“Fukuoka family killer executed in China after appeal fails,” Mainichi Daily News, July 25, 2005.
13辽宁一超载司机为避检测打死路政人员被判死刑(Liaoning truck driver sentenced to death for killing highway inspector)”, Chinesenewsnet.com, July 13, 2005.
14“云南昌宁县原县委书记杨国瞿杀害情人被判死刑 (Former township party secretary in Yunan Baoshan city sentenced to death for killing mistress”, EastDay.com, July 19, 2005.
15“扬言一统海口“两抢事业”的主犯一审判死刑 (Haikou gang leader sentenced to death)”, Chinesenewsnet.com, July 18, 2005.
16“安徽界首：骗奸多名女生被告人一审被判死刑 (Serial rapist sentenced to death by Anhui Court)”, Chinesenewsnet.com, July 20, 2005.
17绑架县组织部长两犯获死刑(Kidnappers of county chief sentenced to death)” , The Beijing News, July 24, 2005.
18开车撞死5儿童被判死刑赔30万(Driver sentenced to death for knock-down 5 kids and ordered to give compensation of 300,000 yuan)", Legal Daily, July 27, 2005.
19“22 dead, 60 missing after blast in coal mine,” Agence France-Presse, July 11, 2005.
20“19 miners killed in Shanxi coal mine blast,” China Daily, July 3, 2005.
21“China Mine Co. Hid Dead Bodies,” CBS News, July 14, 2005.
22“Death Toll Rises to 83 in Xinjiang Coal Mine Gas Blast,” Xinhua News Agency, July 13, 2005.
23“Nearly 100 dead or missing in mine disasters,” China Daily, July 11, 2005; “22 dead, 60 missing after blast in coal mine,” Agence France-Presse, July 11, 2005.
24“Factory roof collapse kills 6, injures 6 in N. China,” Xinhua News Agency, July 9, 2005.
25“Coal mine accident traps 4,” Xinhua News Agency, July 15, 2005.
26“Death toll from Tongchuan coal mine blast rises to 20,” China Daily, July 20, 2005.
27“Latest China mine blast kills 26,” CNN, July 20, 2005.
28“6 die in deserted mining pit collapse in central China,” Xinhua News Agency, July 21, 2005.
29“Death toll rises to 9 in E. China chemical plant blast,” Xinhua News Agency, July 27, 2005.
30“Coal mine blast kills 14 people in Guizhou,” China Daily, July 28, 2005.
31China Labour Bulletin, “Inner Mongolian Workers’ Six-year Fight for Unpaid Wages with police Violence: 15 Workers Detained, Several Others Injured,” Press Release, July 7, 2005.
32“China bars some stations on partnerships,” Associated Press, July 13, 2005; Vivian Wu, “Setback for media joint ventures,” July 14, 2005.
33 “港媒体：北京限制猪链球菌病报导 (Hong Kong media reports Beijing blocking media coverage on the spread of pig-borne disease)”, Voice of America, July 31, 2005; and “WHO kept in the dark over outbreak”, SCMP, August 1, 2005.
34Jane Cai, “All suspects in land row attack arrested,” South China Morning Post, July 11, 2005.
35Howard W. French, “Protesters in China get angrier and bolder,” International Herald Tribune (New York Times), July 20, 2005.
36“内蒙数百下岗工人向工厂讨公道”, Voice of America, July 9, 2005.
37Howard W. French, July 20, 2005. ,
38“Villagers seize plant accused of poisoning,” South China Morning Post, July 1, 2005.
39Jane Cai, “All suspects in land row attack arrested,” South China Morning Post, July 11, 2005.
40“图往中南海请愿京拘19上访者(19 petitioners arrested on the way to Zhongnanhai)", Orisun.com, July 21, 2005.
41Journalist jailed for eight years loses appeal”, SCMP, August 1, 2005; and “喻 华 峰 案 法 院 拒 绝 再 审(Guangdong High Court refuses to review the case of former Nanfang journalist)”, Apple Daily, July 26, 2005; 喻 华 峰 律 师 决 定 上 诉(Lawyer of jailed former Nanfang journalist vows to file appeal)”, Apple Daily, July 28, 2005.
42“湖南最高法院维持对师涛原判(Hunan High Court upholds state security verdict against Shi Tao)”, Voice of America, July 1, 2005.
43“Cyber-dissident given five years,” The Times Online,August 4, 2005; “CHINA: Internet essayist Zhang Lin sentenced to five years in prison,” Committee to Protect Journalists, August 2, 2005.
44“异议人士郑贻春重审后等待判决(Dissident charged with endangering state security waiting for court ruling)” , Dajiyuan.com, July 26, 2005.
45中国据报释放地下教会神父 (Catholic priest of underground church released from house arrest)”, BBC.com (Chinese), July 3, 2005.
46 “河北地下教会主教再次被公安带走(Hebei Catholic priest taken away by police for the 6th time since 2004)”, Dajiyuan.com, July, 06, 2005.
47“Wave of arrests submerges hope in new regulations,” Compass Direct, July 20, 2005.
48“中国地下天主教会再度遭到打压 (Underground churches in Fujian harassed by police again)”, BBC.com (Chinese), July 31, 2005.
49“China pastor on trial over Bibles,” BBC News, July 6, 2005.
2011, no. 4
Hong Kong & Mainland China: Building a Shared Future
Inside this issue:
