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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 INTERNATIONAL China drafts first domestic violence law BEIJING: China has drafted its first national law zations. “At the very least, there’s finally move- ‘Not a private issue’ Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China”. from experience that many victims are not nec- against domestic violence, with activists hailing ment on this law,” she said. But advocates also Less than two decades ago, physical abuse “Despite the shortcomings we need to essarily at that point of seeking divorce or some it yesterday as a step forward in a country say the draft law, released by the Legislative was not even acceptable as grounds for divorce acknowledge that this is important legislation other kind of legal action that would be where abuse has long been sidelined as a pri- Affairs Office of China’s State Council on in China. In 2001 the marriage law was amend- and a very important first step towards tackling required to maintain the legal protection rul- vate matter. The new law formally defines Tuesday, excludes unmarried and divorced cou- ed to explicitly ban domestic violence for the this epidemic of domestic violence in China,” ing.” domestic violence for the first time and stream- ples and falls short in some other areas. first time. But without a legal definition of the she said. Currently little protection is available if Nearly 40 percent of Chinese women who lines the process for obtaining restraining Julia Broussard, country program manager term, many victims-if they report abuse at all- a partner threatens violence against a victim are married or in a relationship have experi- orders-measures long advocated by anti- for UN Women, said that UN agencies were have been shuffled from police to women’s fed- who tries to leave, activists note, as restraining enced physical or sexual violence, the state-run domestic abuse groups. “Over the years, we’ve “thrilled” to see the law made public after more eration to neighborhood committee, with orders are rarely issued in China and shelters China Daily newspaper reported yesterday, cit- many times felt powerless ourselves to help vic- than a decade of efforts by Chinese advocates, authorities reluctant to intervene unless serious are nearly non-existent. ing figures from the All China Women’s tims,” said Hou Zhiming, a veteran women’s “but we did note right away that it doesn’t injury is involved. Courts must rule on restraining order Federation. The group, which is linked to the rights advocate who heads the Maple Women’s extend to any non-family relations”. “We know “It’s very important for China to have some requests within 48 hours, according to the draft ruling Communist Party, has previously report- Psychological Counseling Centre in Beijing. that domestic violence is also occurring in the kind of nationwide, targeted domestic violence law-but if one is granted, the victim must start a ed that abuse takes place in nearly a quarter of “If this law is actually enacted-because the context of other relationships not defined as legislation on the books, because it has not had lawsuit within 30 days or it will lapse. Experts Chinese families. “Domestic violence is illegal issuing of a draft means it will now enter the family relationships,” including dating, cohabiting it, and it’s been a real legal barrier for a lot of say that it is rare for domestic violence laws to and affects family members physically and psy- law-making process-we will be very pleased,” and same-sex couples, Broussard said. “And so, women seeking to extricate themselves from require victims to undertake a lawsuit in order chologically,” Tan Lin, head of the federation, said Hou, whose centre is one of China’s our concern is that some of the violence is not very abusive relationships,” said Leta Hong- to obtain or maintain a restraining order. “This is told the China Daily. “It is not a private issue but longest-running anti-domestic violence organi- going to be addressed by the law,” she added. Fincher, author of “Leftover Women: The a bit problematic,” Broussard said. “We know a social problem.” —AFP Afghan police taught how to stay alive as casualties soar Poor tactical awareness blamed for devastating toll KABUL: At a training centre near focused on improving the survival understand, but they still have a lot impart the importance of avoiding Kabul, one overriding lesson is skills of government forces. During of casualties.” The Afghan army and risks through reconnaissance, disci- drilled into Afghan police by their a mock assault exercise using plas- police have suffered badly in pline and planning. Lessons French instructors-don’t become tic weapons, one wayward recruit recent years, with 4,634 killed in include how to storm a house with- yet another unnecessary battlefield takes a dangerous position oppo- combat from January to the begin- out exposing oneself or colleagues casualty. Every day this year more site a doorway. “Always think of ning of November this year, on top to gunfire, and how to use than a dozen Afghan police and your own safety, guys!” the exas- of 4,350 killed during 2013, accord- weapons safely and accurately. But soldiers have died in the fight perated instructor shouts, before ing to the US military. not all goes to plan as two Afghan against Taleban insurgents, with reflecting: “They just don’t have Lieutenant General Joseph policemen try to show off their poor tactical awareness a key fac- basic training, either for shooting Anderson, the number two US officer best routines. The French instruc- tors use an interpreter to call out “where’s the danger?” and they berate officers who stand in the wrong place with their guns point- ing at the floor rather than held up, ready to fire. “Look, we could easily A Siberian tiger prowls at the Federal Center for rehabilitation of rare gun them all down from here,” species of animals in the village of Alexeyevka in the Russian Far East during whispers one instructor observing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit. A rare Siberian tiger released into the scene. the wild by Russian President Vladimir Putin is keeping farmers in north- Then the whole scenario is replayed with the police advised eastern China on edge. —AP how to improve their tactics. On the firing range, the instructors run China blames Putin tiger through the basic shooting posi- tions and stress the need for strict safety standards.”Put your weapon for goat slaughter spree in the belt holster when you are BEIJING: An endangered tiger set free in attacks occurred, known as Bolshoi not on the firing line!” shouts one Russia has killed 18 Chinese goats after Ussuriysky in Russian and Heixiazi in French trainer as a policeman crossing the frontier, with Beijing’s state Chinese, was the subject of a border dispute holds his gun casually by his side. media saying yesterday that the feline felon between the two powers before they The weapons being used-Beretta had been freed by President Vladimir Putin. agreed to divide it in 2004. and P38 handguns-are ancient and The Siberian tiger, named Ustin, wreaked Relations between Beijing and Moscow in bad repair. caprine carnage as it carried out repeated have warmed significantly in recent years, One gun gets a bullet jammed nighttime raids on a farm on a border island, with Russia turning to its Asian neighbor as in the barrel during the exercise, the official Xinhua news agency reported. a trading partner as the US and Europe have and ammunition is in short supply. “Dead goats were everywhere,” farmer enforced harsh sanctions over the crisis in “Ten rounds each is not enough. It Guo Yulin told Xinhua of the scene which Ukraine. Russia is a major exporter of raw is not worth even wasting money greeted him on Monday morning. Five materials to China, often from the Siberian KABUL: In this photograph, Afghan policemen look at targets after a pistol shooting session dur- on petrol to drive us out for so lit- goats were killed on one night and 13 on region which is home to the big cats, also ing a training program by their French instructors at the police training centre in Kabul. —AFP tle,” said one young Afghan police- another, Xinhua said, adding experts were known as Amur tigers. Hundreds of them man after firing off his bullets. pointing the finger at Ustin after its foot- once roamed the lush pine and oak forests tor blamed for the devastating toll. weapons or on the tactical level.” At in Afghanistan, recently said the local Another challenge is the risk of so- prints were found around Guo’s goat house of Manchuria, but due to centuries of poach- The high casualty rate is one of the the invitation of Kabul police chief security forces were increasingly called “green-on-blue” attacks- and on the roof. Xinhua said the tiger was ing only a couple of dozen are believed to biggest concerns for Afghan lead- Zahir Zahir, the RAID team has capable but he admitted the casualty when Afghan soldiers or police one of five big cats released into the wild by still survive in China. ers as the US-led NATO coalition taught practical exercises and live rate was “not sustainable in the long turn their guns on international Putin in May. Listed as “endangered” by the International ends its 13-year war next month firing sessions to several groups of term”. Afghan battlefield tactics are troops-a major problem during But according to the Kremlin’s website Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red and the national security forces 30 police cadets.

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