北京兩位老人王秀英（左）和吳殿元一直堅持上訪
中國人權執行主任譚競嫦表示：「中國人權歡迎北京市當局這一決定，同時認為，對兩位老人處以勞動教養的決定本身就是荒謬的。在國際社會的強烈關注下，中共政府自己都不得不改正這個嚴苛、不適當的懲罰。」
中國的勞動教養制度早就為人詬病，不僅違反國際人權標準，而且與中共政府宣稱的「依法治國」、建設一個法制社會背道而馳。中國人權敦促中共政府儘早採取切實行動，取消這一踐踏人權的勞教制度。
欲進一步了解關於吳殿元和王秀英的相關信息，請參閱：
中國人權新聞發佈：申請遊行示威的兩名北京居民被處以勞教 2008年8月19日
http://gb.hrichina.org/gate/gb/big5.hrichina.org/public/contents/16583（簡體）
[English]
Authorities Relent on Reeducation-Through-Labor Sentence for Elderly Women who Applied for Protest Permit
August 29, 2008
Human Rights in China has learned that, on August 29, the Beijing Municipal Reeducation-Through-Labor Decision Committee rescinded its decision to sentence two elderly women to a year of Reeducation-Through-Labor (RTL) – less than two weeks after the decision was delivered. Wu Dianyuan (吳殿元), 79, and Wang Xiuying (王秀英), 77, were sentenced after applying for permits to demonstrate in the officially designated 「protest zones」 during the Beijing Olympics.
「Human Rights in China welcomes this action but strongly believes that the original RTL decision was baseless,」 said Sharon Hom, executive director of Human Rights in China. 「In the glare of international attention, it seems that even the government itself has acknowledged that this punishment was harsh and inappropriate,」 she said.
China’s RTL system has long been widely criticized, not only because it violates international standards of human rights, but also because it is in direct conflict with the Chinese government’s self-professed 「rule by law.」
Human Rights in China urges the Chinese government to immediately take practical measures to abolish the RTL system, which tramples on human rights.
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For additional information on Wu Dianyuan and Wang Xiuying, see:
HRIC Press Release: 「Two Beijing Residents Sentenced to Reeducation-Through-Labor After Applying for Permits to Demonstrate in Olympics 『Protest Zones』,」 August 19, 2008, http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/72405;
Human Rights in China's Incorporating Responsibility 2008 Olympics Campaign, updated monthly http://www.ir2008.org.
