Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 22:35:06 0600

From: Dan Haig Tibet O R G

To: Multiple recipients of list TSGL

(6) China's Parliament Registers Unprecedented Protest Vote

[CND, 03/15/97] China's law making body the National People's Congress (NPC) ended its annual twoweek session Friday after endorsing drastic criminal law reform and lodging rare displeasure at efforts by the central government to eradicate crime, UPI reports from Beijing on Saturday. NPC deputies said Saturday that they are generally satisfied with the session despite the rare protest vote against a work report on justice and the courts. Many legislators showed their displeasure with current anticrime efforts by refusing to approve two government reports on China's justice system. Nearly 40 percent of the 2,720 delegates rejected or abstained from voting on a motion to accept the summaries. Despite the passage of the motion, the rare vote sent a clear message of dissatisfaction about the central government's anticrime efforts. (Weiwu Zhang )