China strives to safeguard citizens' civil and political rights

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 30, 2004

China strives to safeguard citizens' civil and political rights

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China had spared no efforts to widen the scope of its citizens' orderly political participation and to safeguard their civil and political rights in line with the law, according to a white paper titled Progress in China's Human Rights Cause in 2003.

The white paper, issued by the Information Office of the State Council on Tuesday, reiterated that all power in the People's Republic of China belonged to the people, which is stipulated in the state's Constitution. The National People's Congress (NPC) and local people's congresses at various levels are the organs through which people exercise state power.

In this March, the Second Session of the 10th NPC approved new amendments to the Constitution, which enshrined "the state respects and safeguards human rights" and other provisions closely related to the people's vital interests.

Last year, the NPC Standing Committee adopted 10 laws and decisions, including the "Law on Residents' ID Cards", "Law on Road Traffic Safety," and "Law on the Prevention and Control of Radioactive Pollution", which all displayed the basic spirit of serving, facilitating and benefiting the people as well as respecting and safeguarding their human rights.

The NPC and its Standing Committee had also strengthened inspection of law enforcement and supervision over the administrative, judicial and procuratorial organs over the past year. They made a thorough inspection to clear up the government-invested projects that owed payment to migrant workers and examined the enforcement of five laws, including the "Law on Rural Land Contracts", "Construction Law" and "Law on the Protection of Minors", which helped maintain the judicial justice effectively.

Meanwhile, the white paper pointed out that the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has further played its role in China's political life.

Last year, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) made in-depth investigations in poverty-relief work, the government's functions in employment, and ways of increasing farmers' income in ethnic-inhabited areas, which resulted in 37 specific reports and 114 proposals.

The white paper also said that China respected the democratic rights of the masses in rural areas. Currently, 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China have formulated procedures for the election of villagers' committees. The election of villagers' committees of the fifth or sixth terms have been completed in most areas of China. Over 90 percent of villages have formed a system to publicize the village, financial and administrative affairs regularly among the farmers.

In addition, the white paper also stressed that citizen's civil rights had won better legal protection in China.

The newly-adopted amendment to the Constitution states clearly that citizens' lawful private property is inviolable. The spokesperson system gradually established by governments at all levels, the investigation in the legislation of "Measures for Protecting the Copyright of the Information Network" and the revision and promulgation of "Publications Administration Regulations" and "Regulations Governing the Administration of Audio-Visual Products" all aimed at safeguarding citizens' freedom of information, of speech and of the press as prescribed by law.

Employees' rights to participate in and organize trade unions were well protected, said the white paper.

Statistics show that by the end of September 2003, the total number of grass-roots trade union organizations had increased by 79.1 percent as compared with the figure five years ago, and the number of trade union members nationwide also rose by 38.8 percent.There were 808,000 non-public enterprises with trade union organizations, boasting a membership of 29.6 million people.

The white paper also said Chinese citizens enjoyed the freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law, and their normal religious activities were protected.

According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 100,000venues for religious activities in China with about 300,000 clergy members, over 3,000 national and local religious organizations, and 74 religious colleges and schools. Domestic religious organizations have established relations with overseas ones in more than 70 countries and regions.

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