China morning round-up: Action plan for human rights
BBC News, 12 June 2012
Many newspapers highlight Beijing’s second four-year action plan announcement on human rights.
The National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2012-15), published by the State Council, “has set out targets, tasks and measures for China’s human rights development in the next four years”, says the People’s Daily.
China Daily and Beijing News say the country will enforce measures to prevent extortion of confession by torture and illegal methods of evidence collection.
The plan states that no one will be forced to prove guilt, say the reports.
Beijing Time says that the plan also seeks to improve channels for public petition, while Shanghai Morning Post says recruitment and appointment of government officials will be made more transparent.
The Global Times’ English edition says the new plan “reflects many publicised issues of the past few years”, such as monitoring of air quality and provision of school buses and school security.
Liu Huawen, an academic from the official Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who participated in drafting the plan, told the paper that he was impressed by how such issues were addressed in the plan.
Mr Liu also told the Global Times’ Chinese edition that countries like the US that frequently “find fault” with China’s human rights progress have not even published plans like this.
The front page commentary in the People’s Daily Overseas Edition also picks up on this point, saying that China has taken “concrete action” by publishing this report to prove the country’s “firm will” in pushing for the protection and respect of human rights.
China Daily’s editorial says the latest plan is an “inspiring” one.
In a brief report, Metro Daily Hong Kong points out that the plan does not mention press freedom.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong newspapers such as Ming Pao Daily News and AM730 continue to lead their coverage with the strange death of Chinese dissident Li Wangyang, after a massive rally in Hong Kong on Sunday in his memory.
People’s Daily says that China’s imminent launch of the country’s Shenzhou 9 manned space mission has attracted international attention.
Hong Kong newspapers such as The Standard and its sister publication Sing Tao Daily focus on the potential candidates for the first Chinese female astronauts in space.
Ming Pao Daily News reports that only one of them will eventually be able to join two other male colleagues on this mission.
It also noted that these Chinese astronauts would be able to enjoy hot meals on board the spacecraft for the first time.
As the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft will perform China’s first docking mission with the Tiangong 1 module, Shanghai Daily also points out that a female lavatory was already built in Tiangong 1.