Ivan+Planning

=Planning=

=**Are human rights in china and tibet really as bad as they're said to be?**= Why do's china have the one child policy? Why is china demolishing innocent peoples houses? Is the one child policy the answer to chinas popullation problem?
 * Essential Questions.**

Why has china done nothing to improve human rights? "China+human rights" Why are chinas human rights so bad? China+human rights. Who said human rights would improve? China+human rights Why is china making the human rights in tibet worse? Tibet+human rights. Will china do anything about the human rights? China goverment+human rights. When were the human rights say to improve? China+ human rights imroving. What sort of freedoms do the chinese have? China, human rights, freedoms. What sort of rights do chinas workers have? China workers rights Are chinese tortured while imprisned? China+tortue
 * Reasearch questions.**

Answers to questions

During the past two years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of the death penalty in China. This growth in the number of death sentences and executions is partly due to anti-crime campaigns launched by the government. Defendants can be put to death for criminal offenses, including nonviolent property crimes such as theft, embezzlement and forgery. In 1993, 77% of all executions worldwide were carried out in China. On a single day, 9 January 1993, 356 death sentences were handed down by Chinese courts; 62 executions took place that day. During that year alone, 2,564 people were sentenced to death. At least 1,419 of them are known to have been executed. The total number of death sentences and executions is believed to be higher. Defendants do not always have access to lawyers, and when a lawyer is available, he or she usually has no more than one or two days to prepare a defense. Death sentences have been imposed based on forced confessions and are often decided in advance of the trial by "adjudication committees," thereby circumventing defendants' rights to a fair and public hearing and presumption of innocence. = = =Freedom of speech.= Although the 1982 [|constitution] guarantees freedom of speech,[|[7]] the Chinese government often uses the subversion of state power clause to imprison those who are critical of the government.[|[8]] Also, there is very heavy government involvement in the media, with most of the largest media organizations being run directly by the government. Chinese law forbids the advocation of [|independence] or [|self-determination] for territories Beijing considers under its jurisdiction, as well as public challenge to the CCP's monopoly in ruling China. Thus references to democracy, the Free Tibet movement, [|Taiwan] as an independent state, certain religious organizations and anything remotely questioning the legitimacy of the Communist Party of China are banned from use in publications and [|blocked on the Internet]. PRC journalist [|He Qinglian] in her 2004 book //Media Control in China//[|[9]] examined government controls on the Internet in China[|[10]] and on all media. Her book shows how PRC media controls rely on confidential guidance from the Communist Party propaganda department, intense monitoring, and punishment for violators rather than on pre-publication censorship. Recently, foreign web portals including Microsoft Live Search, Yahoo! Search, and //Google Search China//[|[11]] have come under criticism for aiding in these practices, including banning the word "Democracy" from its chat rooms in China. Some North American or European films are not given permission to play in Chinese theatres, although piracy of these movies is widespread.[|[12]] 

[[|edit]] Freedom of movement
//For more details on this topic, see [|Hukou].// The [|Communist Party] came to power in the late 1940s and instigated a [|command economy]. In 1958, Mao set up a residency permit system defining where people could work, and classified an individual as a "rural" or "urban" worker.[|[13]] A worker seeking to move from the country to an urban area to take up non-agricultural work would have to apply through the relevant bureaucracies. The number of workers allowed to make such moves was tightly controlled. People who worked outside their authorized domain or geographical area would not qualify for grain rations, employer-provided housing, or health care.[|[14]] There were controls over education, employment, marriage and so on.[|[15]] One reason for instituting this system was to prevent the possible chaos caused by the predictable large-scale urbanization. It is alleged that people of Han nationality in Tibet have a far easier time acquiring the necessary permits to live in urban areas than ethnic Tibetans do.[|[16]] Urban dwellers enjoy a range of social, economic and cultural benefits while peasants, the majority of the Chinese population, are treated as second-class citizens.[|[17]] An article in [|The Washington Times], reported in 2000 that although migrant laborers play an important part in spreading wealth in Chinese villages, they are treated "like second-class citizens by a system so discriminatory that it has been likened to apartheid."[|[18]] Another author making similar comparison is Anita Chan, who posits that China's household registration and temporary residence permit system has created a situation analogous to the passbook system in apartheid South Africa, which was designed to regulate the supply of cheap labor.[|[19]] Abolition of this policy was proposed in 11 provinces, mainly along the developed eastern coast. The law has already been changed such that migrant workers no longer face summary arrest, after a widely publicised incident in 2003, when a university-educated migrant died in Guangdong province. This particular scandal was exposed by a Beijing law lecturer, Mr Xu, who claims it spelt the end of the [|hukou] system. He further believes that, at least in most smaller cities, the system had already been abandoned. Mr Xu continues: "Even in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, it has almost lost its function".[|[20]] Special administrative regions Also as a result of the [|one country, two systems policy] initiated in the late 20th century, Chinese citizens must gain permission from the government to travel to the [|Special Administrative Regions] of Hong Kong and Macao. 

[[|edit]] Religious freedom
//Main article: [|Freedom of religion in the People's Republic of China]// During the [|Cultural Revolution] (1966-1976), particularly the [|Destruction of Four Olds] campaign, religious affairs of all types were persecuted and discouraged by the Communists with many religious buildings looted and destroyed. Since then, there have been efforts to repair, reconstruct and protect historical and cultural religious sites.[|[21]] Critics say that not enough has been done to repair or restore damaged and destroyed sites.[|[22]] The 1982 Constitution technically guarantees its citizens the right to believe in any religion, however this is not to be confused with the general concept of "Freedom of Religion" as is commonly referred to in the West as the right to practice religion in any way you see fit without government interference.[|[23]] This freedom is subject to restrictions, as all religious groups must be registered with the government and are prohibited from having loyalties outside of China. In addition, the communist government continually tries to maintain control over not only religious content, but also leadership choices such as the choosing of bishops and other spiritual leaders. Considering all party leaders must be communist, the ability of such officials to intelligently choose religious leaders is highly questionable. For example, the recently appointed Bishop in China was not appointed by the Pope as has been the Catholic Church's practice up until this time.[|[24]] The government argues that such restriction is necessary to prevent foreign political influence eroding Chinese sovereignty, though groups affected by this deny that they have any desire to interfere in China's political affairs. This has led to an effective prohibition on those religious practices that by definition involve allegiance to a foreign spiritual leader or organization, (e.g. [|Catholicism] - see [|Catholicism in China]) although tacit allegiance to such individuals and bodies inside these groups is not uncommon. "Unregistered religious groups ... experience varying degrees of official interference, harassment, and repression."[|[25]] Particularly troubling is the lack of transparency involved in recently chosen Tibetan spiritual leaders. China attempts to intervene in the reincarnation of Tibetan spiritual leaders and has indicated it will oversee the search for a new leader after the [|Dalai Lama] passes away. Beijing indicates that spiritual leaders must obtain approval before they reincarnate.[|[26]] Even more troubling is China's dealings with previously identified reincarnations of past leaders. For example, the child who was identified as the new [|Panchen Lama] by Tibetan spiritual leaders was first detained by Chinese authorities and then disappeared. The child has not been seen since, has spent the last 12 years in detention and has effectively been robbed of his childhood. Repeated requests have been made by visitor heads of state, including the Canadian prime minister.[|[27]] Reporters and tourists visiting Tibet note that monasteries are subject to video surveillance. Other examples of the lack of religious freedom are:[|[28]] 1) quotas instituted by Beijing on the number of monks to reduce the spiritual population 2) Forced denunciation of the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader or expulsion 3) Government expulsion from monasteries of unapproved monks 4) Forced recitation of patriotic scripts supporting China or expulsion 5) Restriction of religious study before age 18. Numerous other instances of detention for unpatriotic acts have also been recorded, an example of this would be the detention of monks celebrating the reception of the US Congressional Gold Medal by the Dalai Lama.[|[29]] The effects have been drastic, whereas one large temple in Tibet once was a place of worship for over 10,000 monks, it is now only home to 600 and Beijing now restricts total membership in any monastery to 700.[|[28]] Another instance of religious discrimination is the fact that members of the Communist Party are officially required to be [|atheists].[|[30]] While many party members privately violate this rule,[|[31]] being openly religious can limit their economic prospects. The government of the [|People's Republic of China] tries to maintain tight control over all religions, so the only legal Christian Churches ([|Three-Self Patriotic Movement] and [|Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association]) are those under the [|Communist Party of China] control. It has been claimed by many that the teachings in the state-approved Churches are at least monitored and sometimes modified by the Party. Because [|Chinese House Churches] operate outside government regulations and restrictions, their members and leaders are sometimes harassed by local government officials. This persecution may take the form of a prison sentence or, more commonly, reeducation through labour. Heavy fines also are not uncommon, with personal effects being confiscated in lieu of payment if this is refused or unavailable. Unlike Falun Gong, however, house churches have not officially been outlawed, and since the 1990s, there has been increasing official tolerance of house churches. Most observers believe that the harassment of house churches by government officials arises less from an ideological opposition to religion and support of atheism than out of fears of a center of popular mobilization outside the control of the Communist Party of China. [//[|citation needed]//] 

[[|edit]] Political freedom
 A famous photo, taken on [|5 June] [|1989] by photographer [|Jeff Widener] (AP), depicting a lone protester who tried to stop the [|PLA's] advancing tanks during the Tiananmen Square protests The PRC is known for its intolerance of organized dissent towards the government. Dissident groups are routinely arrested and imprisoned, often for long periods of time and without trial. One of the most famous dissidents is [|Zhang Zhixin], who is known for standing up against the [|ultra-left].[|[32]] Incidents of torture, forced confessions and forced labour are widely reported. Freedom of assembly and association is extremely limited. The most recent mass movement for political freedom was crushed in the [|Tiananmen Square Massacre] in 1989, the estimated death toll of which ranges from about 200 to 10,000 depending on sources.[|[33]][|[34]] Political reforms towards better information disclosure and people empowerment is under way. "The Chinese government began direct village elections in 1988 to help maintain social and political order in the context of rapid economic reforms. Today, village elections occur in about 650,000 villages across China, reaching 75% of the nation's 1.3 billion people."[|[35]] In the year 2008, the city of [|Shenzhen], which enjoys the highest per capita GDP in China, is selected for experimentation. Over 70% of the government officials on the district level will be directly elected.[|[36]]

[[|edit]] Worker's rights and privacy
Worker's rights and privacy are other contentious human rights issues in China. There have been several reports of core [|International Labor Organization] conventions being denied to workers. One such report was released by the [|International Labor Rights Fund] in October 2006 documenting minimum wage violations, long work hours, and inappropriate actions towards workers by management.[|[85]] Workers cannot form their own unions in the workplace, only being able to join State-sanctioned ones. The extent to which these organizations can fight for the rights of Chinese workers is disputed.[|[86]] Although the Chinese government does not interfere with Chinese people's privacy as much as it used to,[|[87]] it still deems it necessary to keep tabs on what people say in public. Internet forums are strictly monitored, as is international postal mail (this is sometimes inexplicably "delayed" or simply "disappears") and e-mail.[|[86]] The issue of refugees from [|North Korea] is a recurring one. It is official policy to repatriate them to North Korea, but the policy is not evenly enforced and a considerable number of them stay in the People's Republic (some move on to other countries). Though it is in contravention of international law to deport political refugees, as illegal immigrants their situation is precarious. Their rights are not always protected.[|[88]] Some of them are tricked into marriage or prostitution.[|[89]] African students in China have complained about their treatment in China, that was largely ignored until 1988-9, when "students rose up in protest against what they called 'Chinese apartheid'".[|[90]] African officials took notice of the issue, and the [|Organization of African Unity] issued an official protest. The organization's chairman, [|Mali]'s president [|Moussa Traoré], went on a fact-finding mission to China.[|[90]] According to a //[|Guardian]// 1989 Third World Report titled //"Chinese apartheid" threatens links with Africa//, these practices could threaten Peking's entire relationship with the continent."[|[91]] In 2005 [|Manfred Nowak] visited [|China] as the [|United Nations] [|Special Rapporteur] on [|Torture]. After spending two weeks there, he concluded that torture remained "widespread". He also complained of Chinese officials interfering with his research, including intimidating people he sought to interview.[|[92]]

As the Chinese government welcomes athletes and spectators from around the world to Beijing, beautified with a staggering sum of $42 billion, the city is also leaving behind a trail of wrecked homes and evicted residents with inadequate or no compensation for their lost properties.
 * ||  || [[image:http://hrichina.org/public/resources/quote-open.gif width="35" height="30"]] Even as the whole world marvels at the dramatic transformation of Beijing, with its impressive and celebrated new architecture, we should not forget those who were made to sacrifice their homes to make this possible.[[image:http://hrichina.org/public/resources/quote-close.gif width="35" height="30" align="top"]] ||
 * — Sharon Hom, Executive Director of HRIC ||  ||   ||

"Even as the whole world marvels at the dramatic transformation of Beijing, with its impressive and celebrated new architecture, we should not forget those who were made to sacrifice their homes to make this possible," said Human Rights in China Executive Director Sharon Hom. "As China aspires to be a responsible stakeholder in the international community, we should remind its leaders that the right to housing is intrinsic to a well-functioning civil society."

This month, Human Rights in China highlights the case of 76-year old **Shuang Shuying (双淑英)**. ([|http://www.ir2008.org]) Shuang, an evictions petitioner, house church activist, and outspoken opponent of the Reeducation-Through-Labor (RTL) system, is currently serving a two-year term as the oldest inmate in Beijing Women's Prison for "intentional damage of public and private property."
 * ||  || [[image:http://hrichina.org/public/resources/quote-open.gif width="35" height="30"]]As China aspires to be a responsible stakeholder in the international community, we should remind its leaders that the right to housing is intrinsic to a well-functioning civil society.[[image:http://hrichina.org/public/resources/quote-close.gif width="35" height="30" align="top"]] ||
 * — Sharon Hom, Executive Director of HRIC ||  ||   ||

In 2002, Shuang saw her home in Beijing demolished to make way for Olympics redevelopment. Having to relocate eight times since, she and her family are among the estimated 3.7 million people who have been forcibly evicted throughout China in the past decade for the sake of development. When she petitioned the government for compensation, she was beaten and detained. As she languishes in prison after protesting her son's detention, her family has suffered repeated harassment. Most recently, on July 2, 2008, her 88-year-old husband, Hua Zaichen, and other family members were tossed out of their home after police forced open their door with an 18 pound iron. In a letter to Human Rights in China, Hua said,

//I lay on the ground, wet with rain from that evening, huddled in my quilt. I waited for dawn, hoping that China's dawn would come more quickly.// Human Rights in China's online resources relating to Shuang's case include her full profile, information about evictions in China, petitioners in China, and ideas about what you can do.

In the //Incorporating Responsibility 2008 Olympics Campaign// ([|http://www.ir2008.org]), Human Rights in China has critically addressed some of the human rights challenges that governments, corporations, and other members of the international community need to engage more effectively.