When lawyers are beaten, "disappeared," or jailed, theirplight generally attracts wide attention. Far more often, though,says Wang Songlian, a researcher with the Hong Kong -based China Human Rights Defenders, it is "unqualified"legal advocates such as Chen who are abused for taking casesthe government regards as sensitive. "There are probablydozens of them in jail, most of whom are not well known," shesays. Qualified lawyer's status gives them a measure of protection, butthey are vulnerable to all kinds of official pressure. Crucially,they are obliged to renew their licenses with their local barassociation each year a hurdle Jiang failed to surmount in 2009. This means most lawyers pay attention when the Justice Ministry orthe bar association issues "guidance" or"opinions" that they do not take sensitive cases, or thatthey handle them in a certain way, says Eva Pils, a legal expert atthe Centre for Rights and Justice at the Chinese University of HongKong. If they don't, she says, the authorities often warn the head of arecalcitrant lawyer's firm that his business risks trouble."At the point when it is felt that neither the Ministry ofJustice nor the bar association nor a lawyer's firm can controlhim, the security apparatus gets involved," Professor Pilssays. Human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang says that "99 percent oflawyers will be affected by this sort of pressure." He adds,"There is no organization in China supporting lawyers doingpro bono work, so very few will take it on because of all thetrouble it gets you in." The pressure on lawyers has been mounting for several years, saysPils, amid "fears that the [ruling Communist] Party might losecontrol over lawyers, who are not oriented to upholding party rule,but toward working for clients." In 2008, the judicial authorities proclaimed the "ThreeSupremes" doctrine, according to which judges were told touphold the cause of the Communist Party, the interests of thepeople, and the Constitution and the law, in that order. Earlierthis year, the Justice Ministry published a regulation requiringnewly licensed lawyers to swear an oath of loyalty to the party. Mr. Pu dismisses this new rule. "Lawyers serve society and thecountry, not a party," he says. "They should abide by thelaw and respect facts, not be government employees." Despite the difficulties he and his colleagues face, Pu isoptimistic. "Though the authorities would like to control thesituation, society is getting more open, and I think it willcontinue to do so," he says. Twenty years ago, Mr. Kamm says, "there was no such thing as a[human] rights defender in China. Now we have a very differentsituation. Nothing encourages anyone to take on a human rightscase, but the fact that there are people doing it is tremendouslyheartening.". We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Electronic Hour Meter Manufacturer , China Mechanical Hour Meter for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Tach Hour Meter.
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