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A regulation outlawing forced labor and protecting the rights of the detained was published by the State Council on Thursday. The regulation forbids detention houses from forcing those in custody to work, "a major step forward" compared with the current guideline on detention house management, experts said. The existing regulation allows the detained to do "proper work" in custody, but said the revenues have to be used to subsidize accommodation and buy daily necessities for the detained. The regulation, which will take effect in April, was drafted to replace the current one issued in 1990. Wang Hongjun, director of the public order research office at the Chinese People's Public Security University, said the new regulation has attached great importance to rights of people under detention. "Previously, people faced a harsh situation after being held in custody, and their rights could barely be protected by the old rules," Wang said. Tang Hongxin, a Beijing-based criminal lawyer, said the changes are "up to international standards", and can better protect the rights of the detained "if they can be enforced well". "It is the first time forced work in China's detention-house has been explicitly ruled out by a regulation," he said. Apart from this, the regulation also requires detention houses to respect the dietary habits of different ethnic groups, and to ensure outdoor activities for the detained are not fewer than two hours each day. | 
