US Accuses China of Backsliding on Human Rights [VOA]

A Senior U.S. Humanitarian official accuses China of backsliding on human rights and says the United States will introduce a resolution critical of China's record at this session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

5:08:10 PM    

All Typepad Sites Banned in China [glutter.typepad.com]

All typepad.com and blogs.com hosted sites are banned in China starting this morning, a week after China has agreed to amend its constitution to respect human rights. This is another move by the Central government to curb free speech and freedom of information on the Internet. This is the first time in two years that China has blocked access to foreign servers that host personal sites. (Correction SECOND time in two years as the last event was in Jan 2003)

Last week saw two hosting services within China, blogbus and blogscn banned. After shutting down forums and message boards within the country, it’s now using blocking software to stop information from leaking into the county via personal sites, an increasingly vibrant China internet community, and a place where users are slipping in banned information. Some sites in the blogging community are turning black in protest of this event while others are reporting the incident. So far sites in Hong Kong, US, Canada, and the Netherlands has done so.

81% of all cyber dissidents in the world are held in China: 59 out of 72 logged by Reporters Without Borders compared to 38 out of 48 in November 2003.

[filed by Yan Sham-Shackleton]

9:35:12 AM    

US moves a step forward in protecting rights of the unborn.

Senate Passes Fetus Protection Bill. "The Senate voted Thursday to make it a separate crime to harm a fetus during commission of a violent federal crime, a victory for those seeking to expand the legal rights of the unborn.

The 61-38 vote on the Unborn Victims of Violence Act sends the legislation, after a five-year battle in Congress, to President Bush for his signature, which he promised to provide.

"Pregnant women who have been harmed by violence, and their families, know that there are two victims - the mother and the unborn child - and both victims should be protected by federal law," the president said in a statement applauding congressional passage. The House passed the bill last month." [Christdot]

9:17:02 AM