A leading human rights group has praised the Chinese Government for scrapping a controversial rule which allowed extra-judicial detention of the country's huge floating population. The New York-based Human Rights in China group described the repeal of the regulation that let police round up peasants looking for jobs in cities as a step in the right direction.
The move, also welcomed by Beijing lawyers, comes amid public outrage in China over the death in March of Sun Zhigang.
Sun had been detained by police in Guangzhou for failing to produce a temporary residence certificate, and was later beaten to death in a custody and repatriation centre.
The Chinese authorities did not refer to the case when announcing the repeal of the regulation - which, they say, is no longer suitable - but analysts say it is a direct and speedy reaction to it.
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