Briefings - 1180. page

On October 30, 2008, Nan Fang Daily published an article by Du Guang, a retied party official. The title is “Why do they slander democracy and freedom?” The author criticized an article “Democracy in the Fists” in “Beijing Evening” on October 22, 2008. The latter article cited recent incidents in Taiwan and Thailand to ridicule democracy and freedom in other countries. This is an old tactic used by the Communist party since Mao’s era to belittle western values. What’s usually about Du Guang’s article is his strong defense of universal values such as democracy, freedom, equality and human rights. When talking about the role of Chinese media, he wrote: “What common understanding (among medias) should be achieved? Is it maintaining a complete agreement with the Party and be the Party’s tamed tool, or forming a common understanding on universal values?”

Source: Nan Fang Daily, October 30, 2008 
http://www.nfdaily.cn/opinion/opinionlist/content/2008-10/30/content_4678061.htm

Huang Songyou, a judge of the China’s highest court, was removed from position and now under investigation for connection with corruption, reported Dong Fang Morning News. On October 28, 2008 the 5th session of the 11th Standing Committee announced the removal of Huang Songyou from the position of Vice President of Supreme People’s Court. It was reported that he was led away by Communist Party disciplinary staff in earlier in October and has not been home since. His family indicated that Huang has been assisting in the investigation of a top level official at the High Court of Guangdong Province for suspected illegal activities in connection with the auction of a piece of real property. Huang is considered the highest-ranking official in China’s judiciary system that has been disciplined since 1949.

Source: The Supreme People’s Court of China, October 29, 2008 http://www.court.gov.cn/news/bulletin/release/200810290004.htm Dong Fang Morning News, October 29, 2008 http://epaper.dfdaily.com/dfzb/html/2008-10/29/content_91392.htm

4,525 county-and-above-level government officials were convicted from 2003 to 2008, said by Wang Shengjun, the Supreme Court’s chief justice, in a report to the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress on October 26. The figure is 77.52% higher than five years before. The courts trialed 1.2 million criminal cases that seriously harm the social security, including crimes endangering national security, terrorist, gang crimes, murder, kidnap, robbery, and drug abuse. 1.6 million people were put in jail.

Source: Xinhua, October 26, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/26/content_10254667.htm