The country has also adopted laws to restrict the exercise of state power. In 1990, the law on litigation against the administration provided the first way for the common people to sue government departments.

Further, the law on legislation, adopted in 2000, included an article stating that only laws can limit personal freedom. This had the effect of barring any authority, except the legislature, from issuing regulations or rules to limit personal freedom.

"But the implementation of laws remained a problem," Mo said. "The authorities who enforce the laws should be carefully watched."

Li noted that China's unique culture played a role. Traditionally, Chinese seldom talk about "rights" but instead stress the concept of people's obedience to the society.

"Civil right is a concept borrowed from the West. That's why it will take time to make everyone aware of it, especially those holding power," he said.

"But we should not give up because we don't have such a tradition," he said. "China does not need to make itself a Western nation but can explore its own way based on its own culture and reality," he said.

Last year, in the wake of an increasing number of protests nationwide, the government launched a campaign requiring officials to talk with citizens and consider their requests regularly. The move proved to be an effective way to ease public anger and reduce misunderstanding.

A trial program to invite independent inspectors to detention houses in northeast Jilin Province also received acclaim as an innovation in this field.

The two-year program ended late last year. The 20 independent inspectors, who were teachers, doctors, businessmen and community workers, examined conditions in these detention houses and examined their records so as to ensure that custody procedures were in line with the law and detainees were not treated inhumanely.

"The concept of 'putting people first' raised by the present CPC leadership can be regarded as an effort to respect and protect civil rights," Li said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2009)