1999 is the 50th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC). Over the past half century, under the leadership of the China government, the people of China have made unremitting explorations and struggles to eliminate poverty and backwardness, build a prosperous, strong, democratic and civilized country and realize the lofty ideal of enjoying full human rights, which has brought about earth-shaking changes in the human rights situation in China.
I. A historic turning point in the development of human rights in China
In semi-colonial and semi-feudal old China, the broad masses of people were oppressed by imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism for a long time, and there was no human rights at all. From 65438 to 0949, after the founding of New China, the government and people of China launched a series of large-scale movements, quickly cleaned up the sludge and muddy water left over from the old society, established the basic social and political system for promoting and protecting human rights, and made the country and society look brand-new and initiated a new era of human rights development in China.
-Realizing and defending truly complete national independence and creating an indispensable prerequisite for the development of human rights. Old China was deeply invaded and enslaved by foreign powers, its national sovereignty was lost, and its people's human rights were deprived of the minimum protection. The first important achievement of the victory of the people's democratic revolution led by China's * * * production party was to drive the imperialist powers out of China, thus clearing the way for China to achieve real independence. After the founding of New China, it immediately abolished all the unequal treaties imposed on China by imperialist powers and all the privileges it seized, resolutely confiscated the property of fascist countries in China, completely carved out the political and economic privileges of imperialist colonial rule in China, and realized the complete independence of the country. In the early days of the founding of New China, the western countries led by the United States carried out a comprehensive containment policy of political non-recognition, economic blockade and military encirclement against China, and brazenly launched the 1950 Korean War, which burned the war to the Yalu River in an attempt to strangle the people and the country in the cradle. Under very difficult circumstances, the new China was forced to launch a just war to defend the country without fear of violence, and won a great victory, effectively defending the independence of the country and the safety of the people. At the same time, the new China unswervingly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, actively advocates and exemplary abides by the Five Principles of Peace, develops peaceful and friendly relations of equality and mutual benefit with all countries in the world, successfully overcomes the isolation, blockade, interference and provocation of international hostile forces, and wins wide respect from the international community. Achieving truly complete national independence has created a fundamental premise for the people of China to choose their own social and political system and development path, for the country's opening up, stable and healthy development, and for the continuous improvement of human rights.
-Establish and improve the people's democratic political system and guarantee the people's democratic right to be masters of their own affairs. 1949 The People's Political Consultative Conference of China adopted the Interim Constitution "The Same Program of the People's Political Consultative Conference of China", elected the Central People's Government, and proclaimed the birth of People's Republic of China (PRC). The same program clearly stipulates that state power belongs to the people, who enjoy the right to vote and stand for election, as well as freedom of thought, speech, publication, assembly, association, communication, personal residence, migration, religious belief and demonstration. Abolish all laws, decrees and judicial systems of the reactionary Kuomintang government that oppress the people, formulate laws and decrees to protect the people, and establish a people's judicial system. 1953 In February, China promulgated the Electoral Law of People's Republic of China (PRC), and in February 19, universal suffrage began. Registered voters account for 97% of citizens aged 18 or above, of whom 85.88% participated in the election, and 5.669 million grassroots representatives and 6,669 NPC representatives were elected. This is the first national general election in the history of China, which has realized the people's democratic right to participate in the management of state affairs. 1954 In September, the first meeting of the first National People's Congress was held in Beijing. On the basis of fully embodying people's democracy, the Constitution of People's Republic of China (PRC) was adopted. Before the draft constitution was submitted to the National People's Congress for deliberation, it was announced to the whole country and submitted to the people of the whole country for discussion for more than two months. * * * There were1.500 million people participating in the discussion, and more than1.65438+0.6 million amendments and supplementary questions were put forward. It is not only the first time in the history of China, but also rare in the history of the world to formulate a national constitution on the basis of such extensive national discussion. The constitution stipulates the nature of the country and the functions of state institutions, and stipulates the rights and obligations of citizens, laying the foundation for the construction of democracy and legal system in China. The establishment and improvement of the basic political system of people's democracy has provided a fundamental political guarantee for the people to realize their right to be masters of their own affairs.
-Carry out land reform and other democratic reforms, abolish the old system and customs that oppress the people, eliminate all kinds of social evils, and clear the way for the development of human rights in new China. In old China, landlords and rich peasants who accounted for less than 10% of the rural population occupied about 80% of the land, while poor farm labourers and middle peasants who accounted for more than 90% of the population only occupied about 20% of the land. In order to liberate poor peasants and social productive forces, after the founding of New China, a vigorous land reform movement was launched nationwide, which abolished the land ownership of the feudal landlord class and implemented the land ownership of farmers, so that more than 300 million land-lost farmers across the country obtained 700 million mu of land and a large number of means of production free of charge, relieved them of the burden of paying 70 billion Jin of grain to landlords in the past, and greatly improved their economic status and living conditions. At the same time, we should carry out democratic reform on the production and management system of state-owned industrial, mining and transportation enterprises, abolish the old system of oppressing and enslaving workers, such as the feudal boss system left over by bureaucratic capital enterprises, eliminate the obstacles caused by feudal gangs and regional concepts, establish factory management committees and workers' congresses, and absorb workers to participate in factory management, so as to realize the democratization of enterprise management, make workers truly masters of enterprises, adjust the old wage system and implement the labor insurance system, thus improving workers' welfare and life.
In order to liberate women and abolish the discrimination and oppression of feudal marriage system, New China promulgated the first law "Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China" in 1950, completely abolishing the feudal marriage system of arranged coercion, male superiority and disregard for children's interests, implementing a new marriage system of freedom of marriage, monogamy, equality between men and women, and protecting the legitimate interests of women and children, and launched a large-scale nationwide. The promulgation, publicity and implementation of the marriage law have made the idea of equality between men and women and freedom of marriage deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. A large number of feudal marriages were dissolved, and the phenomenon of beating, scolding and abusing women decreased rapidly, effectively improving the status of women.
Prostitution, drug trafficking and gambling are social evils left over from old China, and they are also social chronic diseases that endanger people's physical and mental health. Since the founding of New China, decisive measures have been taken to resolutely ban it. 1949165438+10 In October, the second Beijing Municipal People's Congress took the lead in making a decision to ban prostitution, immediately closing all brothels, gathering prostitutes for study and education, helping them to reform their minds, treat sexually transmitted diseases, learn labor skills, guide and help them to establish a normal life and become self-reliant workers. After Beijing, major cities in China launched anti-prostitution activities, and in a very short time, this evil pit that lasted for more than 3,000 years in China and seriously damaged women's physical and mental health and dignity was eliminated. With regard to social ills closely related to the reactionary ruling forces and underworld forces in old China, the people's government, on the one hand, mobilized the masses to crack down on and punish gamblers who made drugs, drug trafficking, gambling and profited from them, on the other hand, carried out extensive publicity and education to raise people's awareness, so that drug addicts and gamblers would voluntarily give up drugs and gambling. After two or three years' efforts, these social plagues, which were repeatedly banned in old China, were basically banned in new China, and the social atmosphere took on a new look.
-Oppose ethnic oppression and discrimination, develop ethnic equality, mutual assistance and unity, and implement a system of regional ethnic autonomy. In old China, serious ethnic discrimination and oppression persisted for a long time. Many ethnic minorities are not recognized, and their situation is very miserable. Some of them have to hide in the mountains and live in isolation. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the system of ethnic oppression and discrimination was completely abolished, and the liberation of ethnic minorities was realized. In order to eliminate the estrangement caused by the long-term ethnic oppression in old China, from 1950 to 1952, the Central People's Government sent delegations to the ethnic minority areas to express condolences, and organized ethnic minority delegations to visit the capital and all parts of the motherland, which enhanced the understanding among ethnic groups and harmonized their feelings. 195 1 year, the central people's government promulgated the "instructions on handling appellations, place names and insults to ethnic minorities", explicitly abolishing appellations and place names that are discriminatory and insulting to ethnic minorities. In order to implement the policy of ethnic equality, the China government organized a large-scale ethnic identification survey from 1953, and identified and announced 55 ethnic minorities, making them equal members of the national family of the motherland for the first time in history. Since the 1950s, the China government has also carried out publicity and education activities on ethnic theories and policies among citizens all over the country, vigorously advocated ethnic equality and unity, and opposed nationalism, especially Han chauvinism.
At the same time, in order to change the backward economic and social situation in ethnic minority areas, the China government, on the premise of fully respecting the wishes of ethnic minorities and respecting and protecting their religious beliefs and customs, has actively and steadily carried out democratic reforms in ethnic minority areas, helped them reform backward production methods and social systems, and developed economic and cultural undertakings, thus making the social development of ethnic minorities span several historical stages. In order to protect the special rights and interests of ethnic minorities from the system, China has set up ethnic autonomous organs in areas where ethnic minorities live in concentrated communities, and implemented regional ethnic autonomy. 1952 In August, the Outline for the Implementation of Regional Ethnic Autonomy in China was promulgated, which made detailed provisions on the implementation of the system of regional ethnic autonomy. The successful implementation of the system of regional ethnic autonomy has effectively guaranteed the equal rights of ethnic minorities in the big family of the motherland and their autonomy in managing their own national and local affairs.
-Establishing a socialist system, promoting social and economic development and improving people's human rights. After the founding of New China, the people's government carried out land reform and other democratic reforms, and took effective measures to stabilize prices and promote economic development. It took only three years to quickly heal the wounds of war and restore the national economy and people's life to the highest level in history. On this basis, the China government lost no time in carrying out socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts and capitalist industry and commerce, which fundamentally eliminated the social system of exploitation by man and established the basic socialist economic system. Since then, the people of China have become the masters of the means of production and the beneficiaries of social wealth, thus showing their enthusiasm for building a new country and a new life, and promoting the rapid development of social economy and the improvement of people's living standards. According to statistics, from 65438 to 0957, the ratio of total industrial output value in China increased by 1952 128.3%, with an average annual growth of 18%, the total agricultural output value increased by 25%, and the national average consumption level increased by more than13. The establishment of the socialist system has provided a basic social system guarantee for the people of the whole country to continuously improve the human rights situation on the basis of equal participation in economic development and sharing the fruits of labor.
Through these profound social changes, the new China has not only achieved a historic turning point in the development of human rights, but also opened a new starting point for the further exploration and progress of human rights.
Two. The rights to subsistence, development and economic, social and cultural rights have been greatly improved.
Since the founding of New China 50 years ago, especially since the reform and opening up, the China government has always given top priority to solving the problems of people's right to subsistence and development, adhered to economic construction as the center, vigorously developed social productive forces, achieved rapid economic and social development, significantly enhanced comprehensive national strength, and greatly improved people's living standards, achieving two historic leaps from poverty to food and clothing, and from food and clothing to a well-off society.
From 1952, China's GDP was only 67.9 billion yuan, and from 1998, it has reached 7,939.6 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 7.7%, more than 2.5 times that of the world in the same period. From 1952 to 1998, the industrial added value increased by 158 times at comparable prices, with an average annual growth of11.6%; The added value of agriculture increased by 3.5 times, with an average annual growth rate of 3.3%. Total foreign trade increased from11300,000 US dollars in 1950 to1300,000 US dollars in 1998, an increase of 286 times, with an average annual growth of 12.5%. According to the estimation of relevant United Nations agencies, China's current economic aggregate has leapt to the 7th place in the world, with foreign trade volume ranking 1 1, foreign exchange reserves ranking second and comprehensive national strength ranking ninth in the world. Today, the gross national product created in China 12 days is equivalent to the sum of the whole year of 1952. The output of important industrial and agricultural products such as steel, coal, cement, fertilizer, TV sets and grain, meat, cotton, peanuts, rapeseed and fruits has jumped to the first place in the world. From 1949 to 1998, the total grain output of China increased from 1. 1 100 million tons to 5 1 100 million tons, an increase of 3.5 times, with an average annual growth rate of 3. 1%, which was higher than the world growth rate in the same period. The proportion of China's total grain output in the world grain output increased from 17% to 25%. At present, the total grain output of China has jumped to the top in the world, and the per capita possession of grain, meat, eggs and aquatic products exceeds the world average, which completely changed the long-term hunger and semi-hunger situation of most people in old China and created a miracle of solving the food problem of 22% of the world's population with 7% of the world's arable land.
The life of urban and rural residents has gone up several big steps in succession, and the consumption level has obviously improved. 1949, the per capita annual cash income of urban residents was less than 100 yuan, and the per capita net income of rural residents was less than that of 50 yuan. By 1978, the per capita disposable income of urban residents has increased to 343 yuan, and that of rural residents has increased to 134 yuan. From 1978 to 1998, the per capita income of urban and rural residents increased to 5,425 yuan and 2 162 yuan, respectively. After deducting the price factor, the real increase was 2.3 times and 3.6 times, with an average annual increase of 6. 1% and 7.9%. The actual consumption level of residents increased from the per capita 80 yuan of 1952 to 2,972 yuan in 1998, and the savings deposits of urban and rural residents increased from 860 million yuan to 5,340.8 billion yuan. At the beginning of the founding of New China, urban and rural residents spent 80% on food and clothing, and rural residents accounted for more than 90%. To 1998, the proportion decreased to 55.6% and 59.6% respectively.
Engel's coefficient of urban residents (the proportion of food expenditure to consumption expenditure) has been above 57% before the reform and opening up, and it has dropped to 44.5% by 1998, and the overall living consumption has reached a well-off level. 1954, the Engel coefficient of rural residents was as high as 69%. By 1998, the consumption structure of rural residents has been greatly improved, and the Engel coefficient has been reduced to 53.3%. The proportion of expenditure on culture, entertainment, services and other expenses in living consumption expenditure increased to 25.4%, and the proportion of housing and clothing was 15.5438. This shows that the proportion of subsistence materials in farmers' consumption has obviously decreased, and the proportion of development and enjoyment of materials has obviously increased. Today, more than 95% farmers in China live a well-fed life, and about 25% farmers live a well-off life.
While vigorously developing the economy and generally improving people's living standards, China is committed to solving the problem of food and clothing for the poor. Especially since the reform and opening up, China has taken solving the problem of food and clothing for the poor as its most urgent task. Under the unified planning and deployment of the state, a planned, organized and large-scale poverty alleviation and development work was carried out nationwide, which solved the problem of food and clothing for more than 200 million rural poor people in 20 years, and reduced the rural poor population from 250 million in 1978 to 42 million in 1998. The average annual net income of poor people increased from 206 yuan in 1985 to 13 18 yuan in 0998, and the production and living conditions in poor areas improved obviously. In the past 20 years, the global poverty population has increased year by year, and the poverty level has been deepening. However, the poverty population in China has been decreasing at an average annual rate of100000, which is the fastest in the world. 1999, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme issued a report after a comprehensive study of poverty alleviation and development in China, pointing out: "China is an exception when the number of poor people is generally increasing in many parts of the world." China's achievements in solving the problem of absolute poverty are universally acknowledged.
In old China, every time there was a major natural disaster, there was hunger everywhere. 193 1 year, floods occurred in East China, and145,000 people died. New China attaches great importance to disaster relief, and strives to protect and rescue people's lives and property to ensure the basic livelihood of people in disaster areas. According to preliminary statistics, since the founding of New China in the past 50 years, the central government has allocated more than 30 billion yuan in subsidies for catastrophic natural disasters, which has solved the food shortage problem of more than 2.2 billion people, helped more than 800 million people rebuild their homes, rebuilt more than 6,543.8 billion collapsed houses, provided billions of clothes for more than 200 million people, and cured more than 6,543.8 billion people of diseases caused by disasters.
Workers' rights have been realized to the greatest extent. From 65438 to 0949, the total number of unemployed people reached 4.742 million, and the unemployment rate was 23.65%. In addition, there are tens of millions of bankrupt farmers in rural areas. 1998, the number of urban and rural employees nationwide reached 699.57 million; There are 5,765,438+million registered unemployed people in cities and towns nationwide, and the registered unemployment rate is 3. 1%. Three security lines, namely, the basic living security system for laid-off workers from state-owned enterprises, the unemployment insurance system and the minimum living security system for urban residents, have been established, and the basic living of laid-off workers and unemployed people has been effectively guaranteed. The wages of workers have increased rapidly. The average annual wage of urban workers in China has increased from 445 yuan in 1952 to 7479 yuan in 1998, an increase of 2.8 times at comparable prices. According to the law, employees' working hours have been shortened from 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week at present. Before 1949, there were few schools in China that trained skilled workers, and the scale was very small. At present, a multi-form and multi-level vocational education and training system has been formed, which basically meets the needs of economic construction, and the proportion of new urban laborers receiving various types of training has reached 70%.
In old China, the broad masses of workers had no real social security system. New China invested a lot of money to develop and improve social security, and gradually formed a gradually improved social security system. At present, except that some employees' retirement expenses are still borne by enterprises, 94.33 million employees have participated in the social pooling of enterprise basic old-age insurance, covering 84% of employees, and more than 28 million retirees have participated in enterprise basic old-age insurance. By the end of 1999, unemployment insurance had covered 99 120000 employees. Through unemployment insurance, the state provides relief to more than150,000 unemployed people, and at the same time helps more than 7.5 million unemployed people find jobs. After the founding of New China, the state established a system of free medical care and labor insurance medical care. By the end of 1998, there were 1778 1 10,000 people in China who enjoyed free medical care and labor insurance medical care. At present, more than 1700 cities and counties across the country have implemented social pooling of industrial injury insurance expenses, involving more than 37.8 million employees; There are 14 12 cities and counties that have implemented social pooling of maternity insurance expenses, involving 27.77 million employees. By the end of June, all 668 cities and 1638 counties in China had established a minimum living security system for residents, benefiting more than 2 million poor residents.
People in old China could not enjoy the most basic medical care. Nowadays, medical institutions are all over urban and rural areas, and the medical and health service system has basically taken shape. From 65438 to 0949, there were only 3670 medical and health institutions in China, with 84600 medical beds and 505000 health technicians. Every thousand people have 0./kloc-0. 5 medical beds, 0.93 health technicians, 0.67 doctors and 0.06 nurses (teachers). By 1998, the number of health institutions nationwide had reached 3 1.4 1.0000, with 3 1.43 million medical beds and 4,423,700 health technicians. There are 2.40 medical beds per thousand population, 3.64 health technicians, 0/.65 doctors and 0/.00 nurses (teachers). The people's health level has been greatly improved. The incidence of acute infectious diseases decreased from 20,000 /65438+ 10,000 before 1949 to 203.4/65438+ 10,000. The death rate of population decreased from 33‰ before 1949 to 6.49‰ before 1994. The national average life expectancy has increased from 35 years before 1949 to 70.80 years at present, which is higher than the average index of developing countries by 10 years and reaches the level of moderately developed countries.
In old China, the level of culture and education was extremely low, and the broad masses of working people had few opportunities for education. New China has taken various measures to vigorously develop education, and citizens' right to education has been effectively guaranteed and realized. From 65438 to 0998, nine-year compulsory education was popularized in 73% population areas of China. The enrollment rate of primary school-age children increased from about 20% before 65438 to 99.3%, and the gross enrollment rate of junior high school reached 87.3%, exceeding the average level of developing countries in the same period. In the 50 years since the founding of New China, 230 million people have been illiterate, and the illiteracy rate of the whole population has dropped from over 80% to 14.5%, with the illiteracy rate of young and middle-aged people falling below 5.5%. In 1998, the number of students in ordinary colleges and middle schools increased by 2 1.99 times and 40.1/kloc-0 times respectively compared with the highest year before 1949. China has an educated population of nearly 300 million, and the number of students in school has reached 230 million. According to statistics, from 1949 to 1990, the total number of graduate students, undergraduate students and junior college students trained by ordinary colleges and universities reached 7,608,200, nearly 40 times of the total number of graduates from 19 12 to 1948 in old China.
Over the past 50 years, China has made universally recognized achievements in realizing people's rights to subsistence, development and economic, social and cultural rights. The New York Times's editorial on June 5438+0999+1 October1Sunday and the article in the International Herald Tribune on September 29 respectively pointed out: "China's great achievements in solving the problem of food, clothing, housing and transportation for a quarter of the world's population will go down in history"; Ordinary citizens in China now enjoy a higher standard of health, nutrition, education and living than at any time in the history of the Middle Kingdom.
Three. Civil and political rights have been effectively guaranteed.
Since the founding of New China, great progress has been made in the construction of democracy and legal system in China, and the civil and political rights of the people have been safeguarded and guaranteed according to law.
The Constitution of China clearly stipulates: "All power of the people and the state of China belongs to the people." The National People's Congress and local people's congresses at various levels, as organs for the people to exercise state power, are democratically elected by the people, accountable to them and supervised by them. In China, except those who are deprived of political rights according to law, all citizens who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote and stand for election, regardless of nationality, race, sex, occupation, family background, religious belief, education level, property status and length of residence. At present, 99.97% of China citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote and stand for election. Judging from the election situation, the national participation rate has been above 90%. In people's congresses at all levels, all regions, nationalities, classes and organizations have a certain proportion of representatives. 1998 There were 65,438+2,979 deputies to the Ninth National People's Congress elected in early 1998, including workers and peasants 18.9%, intellectuals/0.08%, cadres/33. 17% and patriots without party affiliation/kloc-.
The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power. It formulates national laws, decides major national issues, and elects and supervises state administrative organs, judicial organs and procuratorial organs. China governs the country according to law. Since the reform and opening up, the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee have formulated more than 360 laws and decisions on legal issues, and local people's congresses at various levels have formulated more than 7,000 local regulations. The National People's Congress and its Standing Committee listen to and consider the work reports of the State Council and its departments, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and inspect the implementation of laws and decisions on legal issues. The special committees of the National People's Congress also carry out various forms of law enforcement inspections. The National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) also accepts people's letters and visits, supervises the work of judicial organs and protects citizens' legitimate rights according to law.
The system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the China Party is an important part of China's democratic political system. Democratic parties, as participating parties closely cooperating with the * * * production party, participate in the state power, the consultation of state policies and leaders, the management of state affairs and the formulation and implementation of state policies, laws and regulations. Important issues concerning the country, the ruling Chinese * * * production party must repeatedly solicit the opinions of the democratic parties and resolve them through consultation. In the Ninth National People's Congress, democratic parties and personages without party affiliation accounted for 30% and 265,438+0.9% of the members of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) and the Standing Special Committee of the National People's Congress. At present, members of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation hold leading positions in relevant ministries and commissions in the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. In 3 1 province, autonomous region, municipality directly under the central government and 15 sub-provincial cities, there are also members of democratic parties and people without party affiliation as deputy provincial (city) governors or assistant provincial (city) governors.
Political consultative conferences at all levels are composed of political parties, people's organizations and personages without party affiliation, and their members are widely representative. The members of the Ninth Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference came from 34 sectors, among which the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and personages without party affiliation accounted for 59.5% and 63.4% of the members and the CPPCC Standing Committee respectively. CPPCC organizations play an important role in national political life through political consultation, democratic supervision and participation in state affairs. According to statistics, since 1990, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have held more than 100 consultations and symposiums with the central authorities of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation. From 1992 to 1998, the Central Committee of eight democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce put forward more than 100 important suggestions to the Central Committee, the State Council and relevant departments on major issues such as reform and opening up, economic construction, democracy and legal system construction and anti-corruption, many of which were adopted by the Central Committee and the State Council.
Grass-roots democracy is an important way to ensure citizens to directly exercise their democratic rights. Rural people decide major affairs in their villages through direct election of villagers' committee members and democratic discussion, and fully exercise their rights of democratic election, decision-making, management and supervision. Since 1988, there have been three or four general elections of villagers' committees in rural areas throughout the country, and most villagers' committees have established villagers' meetings, villagers' representative meetings and village affairs openness systems. After the promulgation and implementation of the new Organic Law of Villagers' Committees (65438-0999), nearly half of the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have promulgated laws and regulations on the election of village committees in their respective administrative regions. The election of village committees has become more and more standardized, villagers' right to nominate has been respected, and the procedures for protecting voters' rights, such as pre-selection of official candidates, equal competition between official candidates, differential election, speech, secret ballot counting, public vote counting and announcement of election results on the spot, have gradually been standardized. According to statistics, in the provinces that completed the election of village committees in 1999, the participation rate of farmers was mostly above 90%, and the lowest was above 85%.
China protects citizens' extensive basic freedoms and rights in accordance with the law. The Constitution clearly stipulates that citizens have freedom of speech, publication, assembly, association, procession, demonstration and religious belief; Citizens' personal freedom, personal dignity and residence are inviolable; Citizens' freedom and privacy of communication are protected by law. The state vigorously develops the press and publication to provide good conditions for citizens to exercise their freedom of speech and publication. According to statistics, in 1998, there were 30.04 billion copies of 2053 newspapers, 2.54 billion copies of magazines and periodicals in 7999 and 7.24 billion copies of books130,000. * * * There are 294 radio stations, 560 central and provincial cable and wireless TV stations, 287 county-level radio and TV stations 1, and 75 educational TV stations. The national TV population coverage rate reached more than 89%, and the TV audience reached more than 654.38+0 billion. 1999 by the end of June, there were1460,000 computers with 4 million users nationwide. In China, all social organizations that meet the requirements of the Constitution and laws and fulfill the necessary registration procedures are protected by the state. By the end of 1998, there were 165600 associations in China, and their organizational activities were protected by the Constitution and laws.
The state protects citizens' freedom of religious belief and normal religious activities. No state organ, social organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in or not believe in religion, and may not discriminate against citizens who believe in or not believe in religion. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 654.38 billion followers of various religions in China, more than 85,000 registered venues for religious activities, about 300,000 teaching staff of various religions, more than 3,000 national and local religious groups and 74 religious colleges. Every religion publishes its own classics, books and periodicals, among which the Bible alone is printed in 20 million copies. Religious groups in China have established contacts with religious organizations and religious figures in more than 70 countries and regions around the world. In China National People's Congress and CPPCC, people of various religious beliefs and people from various social groups and organizations were elected as deputies and members, and more than 65,438+07,000 religious people were elected as deputies and members of the people's congresses at all levels of CPPCC.
Public security and judicial organs crack down on crimes according to law and protect citizens' legitimate rights from infringement. According to statistics, from 65438 to 0998, courts at all levels in China tried 5.4 million cases of first instance, including 480,000 criminal cases, 3.37 million civil cases, 6,543,800 economic disputes and nearly 6,543,800 administrative cases. The public security and judicial organs severely cracked down on serious criminal activities such as murder, explosion, poisoning, robbery, major theft, rape, kidnapping, organized crime of underworld nature, and gun-related crimes. Effectively protect people's lives and property; At the same time, the legal rights of criminal suspects and defendants have been guaranteed according to law. Since 1983, the people's courts have acquitted more than 40,000 people whose insufficient evidence does not constitute a crime.
In recent years, in order to strictly enforce the law and strengthen the protection of human rights in all aspects of justice, the people's courts have thoroughly reformed the trial methods, comprehensively promoted public trials according to law, strengthened social and public supervision over trials, and ensured judicial justice. Cases of first instance are all heard in public except those that are not heard in public according to law, and the trial rate of cases of second instance is gradually increasing; All cases tried in public or not will be pronounced in public; In the trial of a case, evidence, cross-examination, authentication and debate are conducted in court to improve the rate of sentencing in court. Procuratorial organs have stepped up supervision over law enforcement and corrected problems such as non-compliance with laws, lax law enforcement and unfair justice according to law. 1998, the national procuratorial organs failed to file a case for investigation, requiring the public security organs to explain 9335 reasons for not filing a case according to law and notify 5207 cases to be filed; Put forward 70992 corrective opinions on the situation of extended detention; Put forward 9964 corrective opinions on violations in investigation activities; Accepted 689,025 criminal suspects transferred by public security and state security organs for examination and approval of arrest, concluded 582 120 people for approval of arrest, pursued 6,957 people according to law, and made 932 18 people for disapproval of arrest; 668,425 criminal suspects were transferred for prosecution, 557,929 were prosecuted, 3,094 were prosecuted according to law, and it was decided not to prosecute 1 1225; 379 1 protest against criminal judgments and rulings found to be wrong, and put forward rectification opinions on illegal situations in trial activities 12 1 1; In 9672 cases, the relevant departments put forward rectification opinions on the illegal situations in commutation, parole and temporary execution outside prison. Prison authorities adhere to the rule of law, vigorously promote the openness of prison affairs, and increase