2.23.2010

Oxfam barred from recruiting PRC lawyers

The Ministry of Education's party group has issued an emergency notice requesting mainland universities to cease any form of cooperation with Oxfam, signalling a possible tightening of controls on NGOs - and on legal training programmes perceived as potentially threatening.

Since 2005 Oxfam and mainland rights defence groups have been cooperating in training law students in rights defence 维权 lawyering. Recently the NGO launched an online campaign to recruit volunteers for a three months' internship.

As the training programme came to the ministry's attention, Oxfam personnel was labelled as "hard-core [elements] of an opposition group" (反对派骨干). Universities and their offices for carreer development were ordered to be "tense inside and relaxed outside" 内紧外讼 and implement the following measures:

  1. sever all links to Oxfam, and cease all forms of cooperation with it;
  2. refrain from advertising Oxfam's training programmes;
  3. prohibit the enrollment of students, and "educate" those teachers and students who already cooperate with Oxfam;
  4. tighten control on student organizations, prohibit their funding by Oxfam
  5. prohibit students to accept internships by rights defence groups and organizations

(Source: ChinaLaw, reported by S.K.)

中共教育部党组织关于防止香港"乐施会"中国分部通过互联网在我高校招聘"大学生志愿者"紧急通知

各省、自治区、直辖市党委教育(高校)工委、教育厅(教委),新疆生产建设兵团教育局,部属各高等学校党委:

据有关部门掌握,2005年以来香港乐施会中国分部一直与境内部分维权组织合作开展大学生志愿者训项目。近期,该机构决定采取联网群发方式,将招聘信息直接发布到境内各高校指导中心,鼓励院校教师推荐人员,再由其筛选出合适人安排到各大城市有合作关系的维权机构实习。实习期为20103-6月。

香港乐施会属于竭力向我内地渗透的非政府组织,且其负责人是反对派骨干。鉴于我教育系统特别是高校的特殊性,要断绝与起任何来往,不与其有任何形式的合作。各地教育部门和高校要统一思想,提高警惕,认识到香港乐施会招聘我大学生志愿者的用心不善,切实做好防范工作。现将有关要求通知如下:

一、加对香港乐施会在我高校招聘大学生志愿者监控,特别是要有针对性地加强对我高校就业指导中心及校园网招聘信息版面的管理。高校广播电视、校报校刊、板报墙报和校园网等不得刊载任何与所谓培训项目有关的信息。

二、要求高校就业指导中心及各院(系)不得以任何形式为所谓培训项目推荐人员。如发现师生已参与所谓培训项目,要立即采取妥善措施加以劝阻,并做好教育引导工作。

三、规范学生社团活动审批程序,坚决防止香港乐施会及其合作机构以资助、赞助等形式,在校内宣传造势。加强对毕业生就业实习的组织管理,认真做好就业指导服务,进一步加大对特殊群体毕业生的就业帮扶力度,防止毕业生到所谓维权机构实习

各地和高校在开展工作时,既要旗帜鲜明、态度坚决,又要内紧外讼、注意方式方法,防止别有用心的人的借机炒作。凡涉及重要情况,要及时报告当地党委、政府和教育部。

中共教育部党

OO年二月四日

2.19.2010

Beijing - criminal trial reforms

One of the goals of criminal trial reforms outlined by the Third Five-Years Reform Plan of the People's Courts, is reducing courts' discretion in determining criminal sentences:

We shall regulate the discretionary power, incorporate sentencing into the court trial procedures, study and issue the Guiding Opinions on Sentencing Procedures of the People’s Courts. We shall improve the criminal procedures for the first and second instances, implement the relevant provisions on the roles of the procuratorial organs and lawyers in criminal trials, and strive to improve the quality and efficiency of trials.

After a first round of experiments began in 2008, in June the SPC issued substantive and procedural rules on sentencing, mandating their use by one intermediate and three basic people's courts in each province. This far sentencing guidelines however have been used only in certain cases, namely disruption of traffic, intentional wounding, crimes against property, and drug-related offences.

Reportedly, courts in Beijing have extended the application of guidelines to a greater number of criminal cases, involving crimes against public order, the person and of course some corruption crimes. This further step in court reform should ideally introduce slightly more adversarial trial procedures, as the defendant and his legal representative will have a chance to discuss the sentence publicly asked by the prosecutor.

One possible side-effect of this reform may be a reduction of appeal cases - if the defendant understands the principles behind the court's decision to sentence him to X years and he is persuaded that the very same principles will be applied also by the court of second instance, he might choose not to appeal against the sentence.

But if you've got enough luck, wealth or power to hire a lawyer like Li Zhuang then a different set of rules may apply to you.




2.05.2010

Petition (documentary)

Tomorrow 1-5 PM New York University Tisch will be screening "Petition", a new documentary by Zhao Liang.

Here´s the movie synopsis from the Cannes film festival website:

“Petition – The court of the complainants”, directed by Zhao Liang, is a unique testimony about China today. Since 1996 Zhao Liang has filmed the “petitioners”, who come from all over China to make complaints in Beijing about abuses and injustices committed by the local authorities. Gathered near the complaints offices, around the southern railway station of Beijing, living in most cases in makeshift shelters, the complainants wait for months or years to obtain justice. Peasants thrown off their land, workers from factories which have gone into liquidation, small homeowners who have seen their houses demolished but received no compensation..., all types of cases are represented. Faced with the most brutal intimidation from the local authorities, the complainants who stubbornly continue despite everything find that their hopes are often vain. Zhao Liang has accompanied several of them, particularly a mother and her daughter, whose full story we follow over ten years. A film shot right up to the start of the Olympic Games in direct contact with realities, showing the persistent contradictions of China in the midst of powerful economic expansion.
Those who cannot find the DVD can watch the movie with French subtitles on YouTube (try accessing the site through KTunnel if you are behind the GFW).





























Kudos to lokisky812!

2.03.2010

China's internet watchdog seeks to avoid network intrusions (sic!)

A few days after Google highly sophisticated hack attack, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has passed the latest piece of administrative rule on network security in a bid to avoid network intrusions, the loss, leakage or falsification of data.

The document, entitled Measures on Telecommunication Networks' Safety Protection (通信网络安全防护管理办法) will become effective on March 1.

The Measures give the MIIT broad powers to make security enquiries to employees at telecommunication companies (art. 17 par. 3) [defined as telecom companies and DNS providers 电信业务经营者和互联网域名服务提供者] and examine their equipment and facilities (art. 17 par. 4)

On their part companies will have the obligations to:

  • provide the MIIT any information deemed important for network security (art. 9 par. 5), besides detailed technical information about their networks.
  • perform security checks and risk assessment procedures once a year and before "important state activities" (国家重大活动举办前) (art. 12).
  • Backup data (art. 13)
  • Take part to security drills organized by the MIIT (art. 14)
Failure to comply with any of these obligations, the rejection of the MIIT's enquiries or inspections can be punished with fines from 5.000 to 30.000 yuan (art. 22) or criminal penalties.

--------------------
通信网络安全防护管理办法

  第一条为了加强对通信网络安全的管理,提高通信网络安全防护能力,保障通信网络安全畅通,根据《中华人民共和国电信条例》,制定本办法。

  第二条中华人民共和国境内的电信业务经营者和互联网域名服务提供者(以下统称“通信网络运行单位”)管理和运行的公用通信网和互联网(以下统称“通信网络”)的网络安全防护工作,适用本办法。

  本办法所称互联网域名服务,是指设置域名数据库或者域名解析服务器,为域名持有者提供域名注册或者权威解析服务的行为。

  本办法所称网络安全防护工作,是指为防止通信网络阻塞、中断、瘫痪或者被非法控制,以及为防止通信网络中传输、存储、处理的数据信息丢失、泄露或者被篡改而开展的工作。

  第三条 通信网络安全防护工作坚持积极防御、综合防范、分级保护的原则。

  第四条中华人民共和国工业和信息化部(以下简称工业和信息化部)负责全国通信网络安全防护工作的统一指导、协调和检查,组织建立健全通信网络安全防护体系,制定通信行业相关标准。

  各省、自治区、直辖市通信管理局(以下简称通信管理局)依据本办法的规定,对本行政区域内的通信网络安全防护工作进行指导、协调和检查。

  工业和信息化部与通信管理局统称“电信管理机构”。

  第五条通信网络运行单位应当按照电信管理机构的规定和通信行业标准开展通信网络安全防护工作,对本单位通信网络安全负责。

  第六条通信网络运行单位新建、改建、扩建通信网络工程项目,应当同步建设通信网络安全保障设施,并与主体工程同时进行验收和投入运行。

  通信网络安全保障设施的新建、改建、扩建费用,应当纳入本单位建设项目概算。

  第七条通信网络运行单位应当对本单位已正式投入运行的通信网络进行单元划分,并按照各通信网络单元遭到破坏后可能对国家安全、经济运行、社会秩序、公众利益的危害程度,由低到高分别划分为一级、二级、三级、四级、五级。

  电信管理机构应当组织专家对通信网络单元的分级情况进行评审。

  通信网络运行单位应当根据实际情况适时调整通信网络单元的划分和级别,并按照前款规定进行评审。

  第八条通信网络运行单位应当在通信网络定级评审通过后三十日内,将通信网络单元的划分和定级情况按照以下规定向电信管理机构备案:

  (一)基础电信业务经营者集团公司向工业和信息化部申请办理其直接管理的通信网络单元的备案;基础电信业务经营者各省(自治区、直辖市)子公司、分公司向当地通信管理局申请办理其负责管理的通信网络单元的备案;

  (二)增值电信业务经营者向作出电信业务经营许可决定的电信管理机构备案;

  (三)互联网域名服务提供者向工业和信息化部备案。

  第九条 通信网络运行单位办理通信网络单元备案,应当提交以下信息:

  (一)通信网络单元的名称、级别和主要功能;

  (二)通信网络单元责任单位的名称和联系方式;

  (三)通信网络单元主要负责人的姓名和联系方式;

  (四)通信网络单元的拓扑架构、网络边界、主要软硬件及型号和关键设施位置;

  (五)电信管理机构要求提交的涉及通信网络安全的其他信息。

  前款规定的备案信息发生变化的,通信网络运行单位应当自信息变化之日起三十日内向电信管理机构变更备案。

  通信网络运行单位报备的信息应当真实、完整。

  第十条电信管理机构应当对备案信息的真实性、完整性进行核查,发现备案信息不真实、不完整的,通知备案单位予以补正。

  第十一条通信网络运行单位应当落实与通信网络单元级别相适应的安全防护措施,并按照以下规定进行符合性评测:

  (一)三级及三级以上通信网络单元应当每年进行一次符合性评测;

  (二)二级通信网络单元应当每两年进行一次符合性评测。

  通信网络单元的划分和级别调整的,应当自调整完成之日起九十日内重新进行符合性评测。

  通信网络运行单位应当在评测结束后三十日内,将通信网络单元的符合性评测结果、整改情况或者整改计划报送通信网络单元的备案机构。

  第十二条通信网络运行单位应当按照以下规定组织对通信网络单元进行安全风险评估,及时消除重大网络安全隐患:

  (一)三级及三级以上通信网络单元应当每年进行一次安全风险评估;

  (二)二级通信网络单元应当每两年进行一次安全风险评估。

  国家重大活动举办前,通信网络单元应当按照电信管理机构的要求进行安全风险评估。

  通信网络运行单位应当在安全风险评估结束后三十日内,将安全风险评估结果、隐患处理情况或者处理计划报送通信网络单元的备案机构。

  第十三条 通信网络运行单位应当对通信网络单元的重要线路、设备、系统和数据等进行备份。

  第十四条 通信网络运行单位应当组织演练,检验通信网络安全防护措施的有效性。

  通信网络运行单位应当参加电信管理机构组织开展的演练。

  第十五条通信网络运行单位应当建设和运行通信网络安全监测系统,对本单位通信网络的安全状况进行监测。

  第十六条 通信网络运行单位可以委托专业机构开展通信网络安全评测、评估、监测等工作。

  工业和信息化部应当根据通信网络安全防护工作的需要,加强对前款规定的受托机构的安全评测、评估、监测能力指导。

  第十七条 电信管理机构应当对通信网络运行单位开展通信网络安全防护工作的情况进行检查。

  电信管理机构可以采取以下检查措施:

  (一)查阅通信网络运行单位的符合性评测报告和风险评估报告;

  (二)查阅通信网络运行单位有关网络安全防护的文档和工作记录;

  (三)向通信网络运行单位工作人员询问了解有关情况;

  (四)查验通信网络运行单位的有关设施;

  (五)对通信网络进行技术性分析和测试;

  (六)法律、行政法规规定的其他检查措施。

  第十八条 电信管理机构可以委托专业机构开展通信网络安全检查活动。

  第十九条通信网络运行单位应当配合电信管理机构及其委托的专业机构开展检查活动,对于检查中发现的重大网络安全隐患,应当及时整改。

  第二十条电信管理机构对通信网络安全防护工作进行检查,不得影响通信网络的正常运行,不得收取任何费用,不得要求接受检查的单位购买指定品牌或者指定单位的安全软件、设备或者其他产品。

  第二十一条电信管理机构及其委托的专业机构的工作人员对于检查工作中获悉的国家秘密、商业秘密和个人隐私,有保密的义务。

  第二十二条违反本办法第六条第一款、第七条第一款和第三款、第八条、第九条、第十一条、第十二条、第十三条、第十四条、第十五条、第十九条规定的,由电信管理机构依据职权责令改正;拒不改正的,给予警告,并处五千元以上三万元以下的罚款。

  第二十三条电信管理机构的工作人员违反本办法第二十条、第二十一条规定的,依法给予行政处分;构成犯罪的,依法追究刑事责任。

  第二十四条 本办法自2010年3月1日起施行