The Legal Research Society

In a time when most countries, bar the likes of South Africa, join PM Gordon Brown in criticism of President Mugabe and the political quandary that Zimbabwe has turned into, it appears that China is instead stepping up its engagement in what is rapidly turning into a failed state. Today’s Independent has the story on Chinese weapon shipments to Zimbabwe and eyewitness sightings of Chinese soldiers in Mutare.

Although many people are heatedly discussing Tibetan issue, Tibetan terrorists or criminals, who infringed on the fundamental human rights of many innocent victims, should be punished according to existing law and the rule-of-law principle. Currently, many websites and newspapers maintained by volunteers exposed some lies and distortions in some western media, which always reported how Tibetan protestors were‘protecting their human rights’, but neglected and scarcely reported expression from Chinese common people. Basically, there is expressive freedom in Western countries and some lies and fabricated stories, especially in some prestigious media are not charged with any legal consequence. From the other perspective, some distorted opinions do arise nationalism within most Chinese people, who reflect totally different from the opinions as to 1989 Tian-an-men Affair. If these reports are prejudicial to China and distorting some truths, should the media freely be forum of helping certain...

Amid tense debate as to whether PM Gordon Brown ought to boycott this summer’s Olympic Games in China or not, little attention seems to be given to the question of what effects such a boycott may or may not have. Traditionally people supporting a boycott of the Games argue that China’s human rights record is so appalling that Western leaders ought to disassociate themselves from China. Such arguments have gained further strength in light of recent Chinese clampdown on Tibetan protestors. For instance, the French President Nicholas Sarkozy has openly threatened to stay away from the opening ceremony in light of the Chinese treatment of Tibetan protestors. Similarly, human rights activists assert that Chinese investment in the oil industry of Sudan ought to lead to Western leaders distancing themselves from China. However, as for the argument about boycotting the Olympic Games, it may be argued that the current level of media attention afforded China and the tour of the Olympic torch as ...

In a week where the highlights from the environment side of the legal research area cou nt goods and bads including the ruling by a federal court in Vermont, US, approving state regulation aimed at curbing carbon emission in lack of federal initiatives; new outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey, UK; and the publishing of the IUCN’s (the World Conservation Union) annual report sounding the alarm bell over the state of worlds wildlife, inter alia , pointing out that 188 further species are in danger of extinction compared to last year, yesterday’s list of the World’s most polluted places only seems to add to the list of bads. The list, compiled by the New York based environmental group The Blacksmith Institute, list the ten most polluted places in the world and includes sites in Russia , Azerbaijan , China , India , Ukraine , Peru and Zambia . Compared to the list from last year, this year’s new entries include Tianying , China and Sukinda in India . The site of Tianying in C...