For the first time since the founding of the People's Republic
of China in 1949, the country's 900 million farmers can expect to
be protected by a law that specifically targets their rights and
interests.
In the middle of June, the teams drafting the Law on the
Protection of Farmers' Rights and Interests opened their first
session. According to the National People's Congress (NPC)
legislative schedule, the first draft will take shape by the end of
the year.
Despite continuous, growing pro-farmer cries, legal efforts to
protect the country's largest disadvantaged group have lagged.
"The ultimate purpose for designing this law is to get rid of it
in the end," said one of the drafters, who described putting the
law on the nation's legislation schedule as a matter of great
significance.
"The fact that farmers' rights and interests have not been
effectively protected is the real cause of many problems," said
66-year-old Professor Wang Weizhong, of northeast China's Jilin
University. Wang is the NPC representative who first submitted
a legislative suggestion to that effect in 1999.
In a proposal to the legislative authority this year, Wang
emphasized the protection of farmers-turned-migrant-workers. He
suggested that "they should be treated the same as [urban]
residents in such aspects as personal safety, work injury, salary
payment, children's education and access to state-sponsored
training."
For decades, farmers working in cities have been suffering
abuses like delayed payment of wages or fraud.
"The legislation is necessary, appropriate and timely," said
Professor Ren Dapeng of China Agricultural
University. "We are now discussing the scope and subjects of
the law, and household registration is one of the core issues."
Ren said that rights and interests related to land, property,
democracy, participation in social affairs, land requisition,
medical care, education, social security, employment and other
issues will be included.
Even with the law, however, problems will remain.
"Their awareness of protecting themselves with the law is rather
poor," said Ren. "The government should raise their awareness of
legal rights and ensure they are fully protected by law."
Economist He Xinggang says that there are two main issues to
resolve with regard to farmers. "One is to protect their interests
related to agricultural production, and the other is to give them
equal status with city residents during the urbanization
process."
(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2004)