Delegates to the National People’s Congress which adopted the

new Chinese constitution were chosen in the first democratically con-

ducted national elections ever held in China, with women (TOP),
whose equal rights are guaranteed by the constitution, Participating
at every level. Mao Tse-iung (BOTTOM, centre), chairman of the

Chinese People’s government, was elected to a four-year term in the
‘Chinese People’s Republic‘s highest office.

BASIC FREEDOMS SAFEGUARDED

rights of 600 million citizens

HINA’s 600 million people now
have a constitution safeguard-
ing their rights to freedom of
press, speech, religion as well as
to work, own property and par-
ticipate fully in determining gov-
ernment policy.

The constitution has been
adopted by delegates to the first
session of the National People’s
Congress. Delegates were picked

in the first nationwide democratic _

election in China’s history.

A far-reaching charter of peo-
ple’s rights was written into
Chapter III of the constitution
entitled “Fundamental Rights and
Duties of Citizens.”

General* principies written into
the constitution inclide:

+ “The People’s Republic of
China is a people’s-democratic
state led by the working class
and based on the alliance of
workers and peasants. :

+ “All nationalities are equal.
Discrimination against and op-
pression of any nationality and
actions which undermine the
unity of the nationalities are
prohibited. :

+ “The People’s Republic of
China shall ensure the step-by-
step abolition of systems of ex-
ploitation and the building of a
socialist society by relying on
the organs of state and the social
forces, and through socialist
transformation.”

While emphasizing the role of
socialist, state-owned
the constitution also states:

+ “The state protects the
right of the peasants to own land
and other means of production
according to law... .

+ “The state protects the
right of handicraftsmen and
other non-agricultural working
people to own the means of pro-
duction according to law. ...

+ “The state protects the
right of capitalists to the owner-
ship of the means of production
and other capital according to
law.” :

Defining the goals of China’s °

new government, the constitution
states in its preamble:

+ “The system of people’s de-
mocracy — new democracy — of

economy,

the People’s Republic of China
cnsures that China can in a peace-
ful way eliminate exploitation
and poverty and build a prosper-
ous and happy socialist society.”

+ “The period from the foun-
cing of the People’s Republic of
China to the attainment of a
socialist society is one of transi-

The central task of the

tion. E
eriod

state during this transition P
is to bring about, step by ste?»
the socialist industrialization ©
the country and to accomplis#,
step by step, the socialist trans

formation of agriculture, hand _

crafts and capitalist industry 2
commerce,”

: “You
could ‘sometimes hear them @

Selling a subscription

JACK DEVON, Vancouver, B:C:.

Old Jock is a Scot; tall, burly,
eyes the color of the blue haze
over the Highlands at dusk, with
a braw nose, a veritable crag:
face deep-furrowed but not fine-
ly wrinkled, a strong face, still
‘and contained, quiet, like the
heather-clad misty hills of his
native land, but ready to sparkle
with humor as when the sun lifts
the mists and the bonny blue-
bells dance by the sombre brack-
en and grey stone.

Old Jock, just past 76 and still
going strong, maybe because he’s
a bachelor and loves the horses

and the dogs.

He went eagerly to a drawer
and pulled out a handful of silk
ribbons, blue, red, gold and
green — special, first, second,
winner of winners.

“She was a good dog,” he said
with pride, “best little whippet
1 ever had, smooth skinned and
light brown. Just like this little
fellow,” stroking a wee Chihuah-
ua. :
“How about your Pacific Trib-
une sub, Jock?” I said.

“Sure, sure,” rolled the Scots
brogue, “and you know there was
a time ‘when I thought you fel-
lows were crazy.”

“Well, Jock, there are 900 mil-
lion workers enjoying free, un-
exploited lives today, and the

' ¢apitalist world is growing ever

smaller.”

“Many’s the argument we’ve
had over socialism in this old

house,” rumbled Jock.
mile away. Of course, that ih
when Knight Road and Kingey ie
was the city limits| and I wil
blowing stumps for the city. - D
I remember the one that went Ea
and came down through
garage.” '

“What did you do before
that?” I urged. e

“Oh, I managed an estate
Montreal for an English lord, |
that was a poor job for 4 ~~
Then there was the section JO”
out of Winnipeg and then I woe
ed on the Field tunnel, thé
railroading at Medicine Hat. :

“But the best yet was the Me
naimo strike in 1909, when we
let all the horses and ponies low
to run wild over town,
chuckled.

“Then I dredged gold in Alask@-
There wasn’t much chance +0
the lone prospector when !
dredges started. A man digginé
a shaft was like child’s play, D¥
the dredges had to be awash oA
the steam points would thaw t é
ground so far ahead, and as Wi0™
as a road, you’d hear the hiss @
the steam hit gravel and 3
bedrock. Why, I’ve seen pocket
of gold as big as that little radi°
come up!” 4

Sure, I thought, as I looke?
around the bare little shack. 44
lions in gold; railroads; mountal?
tunnels; roads and mines. ;
built this country? And who 1?
hell owns it? But not for long

“Here’s your receipt, Jock.
Thanks and goodnight.”

cent

PROTEC TION: of “the

_ ctutl liberties of China's
citizens 1s
Chapter III of ‘the new
Chinese. Constitution
titled “Fundamental Rights
and Duties of Cittzens.”’
Text of the section fol-

lows:

‘Article 85. All citizens of
the People’s Republic of China
are equal before the law.

Article 86. All eitizens of
the People’s Republic of China
who have reached the age of
18 have the right to elect and
be elected irrespective of na-
tionality, race, sex, occupation,
social origin, religious belief,

.2ducation, property status and
length of residence, except in-
sane persons and those who
are by law deprived of their
right to elect and‘be elected.

Women have equal rights
with men to elect and be elect-
ed, :

Article 87. Citizens of the
People’s Republic of China
have freedom of speech, - the
press, assembly, association,
procession and demonstration.

‘The state provides the neces-
sary material facilities to guar-

guaranteed in

en-—

antee to citizens the enjoy-
ment of these freedoms.

Article 88. Citizens of the
People’s Republic of China
have freedom of religious be-
lief.

Article 89. The freedom of
the person of citizens of the
People’s Republic’ of China is
inviolable.
placed under arrest except by
decision of a people’s court or
with the sanction of 4 people’s
procurators’ office. ‘

Article 90. The homes of
citizens of the People’s Repub-
lic of China are inviolable, and
privacy of correspondence js
protected by law.

Citizens of the People’s Re-
public of China have freedom
of residence and change of
residence.

Article 91. Citizens of the
People’s Republic of China
have the right to work. The
state guarantees this right by
planned development of the
national economy, by increas-
ing employment step by step,
improving working conditions
and raising real, wages.

Article :92. The working
people of the People’s Repub-

No citizen may be ~

New constitution sets out fundamental rights, duties

lic of China have the right to
rest. To guarantee to working
people the enjoyment of this
right, the state prescribes
working hours and _ institutes
vacations for workers and of-
fice employees and steadily
expands the material condi-
tions for the working people
to rest and build up ‘their
health.

Article 93. The working
people of the People’s Repub-
lic of China have the right to
material assistance in old age,
in illness or in disability. To
guarantee to working people
the enjoyment of this right,
the state provides social insur-
ance, social relief and public
health services and, step by
step, expands these facilities,

Article 94. Citizens of the
People’s Republic of China
have the rgiht .to education.
To guarantee to citizens the
enjoyment of this right the
state establishes and step by
step expands the various kinds
of schools and other cultural
and educational instit:tions.

The state gives special at-
tention to the physical and
mental development of youth.

Article 95. The People’s Re-
public of China safeguards the
freedom of citizens to engage
in scientific research, literary.
and artistic creation and other
cultural activities, The state

“encourages and assists citizens

who are engaged in scientific,
educational, literary, artistic
and other cultural pursuits in
their creative work.

Article 96. Women in the
People’s Republic‘ of China
enjoy equal rights with men in
all spheres of political, econ-
omic, cultural, sotial and do-
mestic life.

The state protects marriage,
the family, the mother and
child.

Article 97. Citizens of the
People’s Republic of China
have the right to make written
or oral charges to any state
organ at any level against any
government worker for trans-
gression of law or negligence
of duty. Persons who sustain
loss by reason of infringement
of their rights as citizens by
government personnel have
the right to compensation.

Article 98. The People’s
Republic of China protects

defend the homeland.

the proper rights and inter-

ests of Chinese residents
abroad. |

Article 99. The People’s
Republic of China grants

asylum to any foreign national
persecuted for supporting 4
just cause, for taking part in
the peace movement or for scl-
entific activities. : ;

Article 100. Citizens of the
Peoples Republic of China
must abide by the Constitu-
tion and the law, preserve la-
bor discipline and public or-
der and respect social ethics.

Article 101. The public prop-.
erty of the People’s Republic
of China is sacred and inviol-
able. It is the duty of every
citizen to respect and -safe-
guard public property.

Article 102. It is the duty of
citizens of the People’s Repub-
lic of China to pay taxes ac-
cording ‘to law. ;

Article 103. It is the sacred
duty of every citizen of the
People’s Republic of China to

It is the honorable duty of
citizens of the People’s Repub-
lic of China to perform mili-
tary service according to law.

rs es ee es re ee ee TT

TTT Si ee TOUT Ramey Veet rele

SR NC) ey Geet oa ie oe et 1.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCTOBER 15, 1954 — PAGE 4

‘

Chinese constitution guarantees

i