China has launched a study to determine if human rights have been
protected for people resettled to make way for the world's largest
hydropower project under construction at the Three Gorges on the
Yangtze River.
The research is a joint undertaking of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
(CASS)and the Resettlement Affairs Bureau of the Three Gorges
Project Construction Committee under the
State Council.
In
charge of the research are Long Yongshu, former vice director of
the CASS, Qi Lin, director of the Resettlement Affairs Bureau and
Yu Quanyu, a renowned Chinese human rights expert.
Long said that the study, to be conducted by resettlement officials
and scholars from CASS, and China Agricultural
University, is aimed to be an objective, comprehensive analysis
and commentary on the human right status of Three Gorges
resettlers.
The mammoth hydropower project will involve over one million
resettlers upon completion in 2009. Their human rights condition
has become an issue of international concern since the project
started in 1993.
Researchers will begin field studies in January next year to
collect information from 1,200 families, or about 4,000 resettlers,
accounting for 3.3 percent of the total number of people
resettled.
The research will be divided into nine categories including rights
and obligations, the rights of employment, work, culture and
education of Three Gorges resettlers.
The study is expected to be completed by the end of 2002, when a
report with the findings will be issued.
( 09/14/2001)