The HRIC Daily Brief is a daily selection of news stories and commentary related to human rights in China, drawn from Chinese- and English-language news and online media sources that we monitor daily. In addition to headlines and source links, HRIC also provides English translation of Chinese headlines.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Top News

酒店因“维稳”需要违约被判败诉 (Hotel Loses Case in Breaching Contract for “Stability Maintenance”)
Caixin, March 25, 2013
http://china.caixin.com/2013-03-25/100506031.html

Related:
“维稳”非“不可抗力,”NGO首获胜诉 (Court Says “Maintaining Stability” is Not “Force Majeure,” Anti-Discrimination NGO Wins Case against Hotel)
NGO Information Website, March 26,2013
http://www.lvngo.com/ngo-31467-1.html

[HRIC note: In a precedent-setting ruling, a court in Suzhou ruled on March 18 that a hotel may not exclude clients using “temporary government requisition” (政府临时征用客房开会) as a pretext. The case concerns Tianxiagong—an anti-discrimination NGO based in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, www.tianxiagong.org—which sought damages for room reservations for a conference that a hotel refused to honor. The Suzhou Motai hotel (苏州莫泰酒店管理有限公司)said that it canceled Tianxiagong’s reservations by order from the Pishijie substation of Suzhou Public Security Bureau, and the police admitted that its order was necessary to “maintain stability.” The court ordered the hotel to pay Tianxiagong 21,570 yuan in damages, in addition to returning the original deposit of 5,000 yuan.]

Censorship and Surveillance

中国删除记述彭丽媛当年为戒严部队唱歌的微博 (1989 Photo of First Lady Singing to Martial Law Troops in Tiananmen Square Removed from Weibo)
Voice of America, March 28, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/content/china-peng-liyuan-64-20130328/1630707.html

Education

北京教育平权活动遭驱散 京沪两地有特权?(Police Thwart Scheduled Beijing Protest Calling for Equal Rights Education)
Voice of America, March 29, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/content/equal-education-in-beijing-20130328/1630493.html

Human Rights Defenders

刘霞的弟弟刘辉被北京警方拘留 (Liu Xiaobo’s Brother-in-Law Detained by Beijing Police)
Radio Free Asia, March 29, 2013
hhttp://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/liu-03292013101457.html

上海公民谢丹遭国保绑架关押 考验新政?(Shanghai Activist Kidnapped, Black Hood Placed over Head for 21 Hours)
Voice of America, March 29, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/content/xiedan-shanghai-20130329/1631204.html

美国务院回应酷吏网:尽力不让美国成为迫害人权者的安全之地 (US State Department Responds to Kuli (酷吏网) Website: US Will Try Hard Not to Harbor Human Rights Violators)
Radio Free Asia, March 28, 2013
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ck-03282013105209.html

[HRIC note: Kuli website collects and verifies information on officials and government employees in China who have grossly violated basic human rights].

Human Rights Activist Chen Guangcheng Honored with Whig-Clio’s Highest Award
The Daily Princetonian, March 29, 2013
http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2013/03/28/33192/

For more information on Chen Guangcheng, see:
“鸟儿已经出笼”——协助陈光诚获得自由
“The bird is out of the cage”: Helping Chen Guangcheng Reach Freedom
China Rights Forum, 2012, no. 2
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/cn/crf/article/6464
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/crf/article/6463

International Relations (Human Rights, Security, Trade and Investment)

The 'Soft Power' Push
Caixin, March 29, 2013
http://english.caixin.com/2013-03-29/100508186.html

Population

How Old Fears of Famine Keep China’s One-child Policy Alive
Caixin, March 28, 2013
http://www.worldcrunch.com/opinion-analysis/how-old-fears-of-famine-keep-china-039-s-one-child-policy-alive/one-child-birth-control-demography-culture-food/c7s11202/

Reeducation-Through-Labor

Chinese Leaders Pledge Labor Camp Reforms
Voice of America, March 28, 2013
http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-leaders-pledge-labor-camp-reforms/1630354.html

Religion

RFA独家:各地家庭教会聚会点告急 牧师遭调查信徒被威胁 (House Churches in Shanghai, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Yunnan Face Forced Eviction)
Radio Free Asia, March 28, 2013
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shehui/ql2-03282013125810.html

Rule of Law

Row between China's Elite Spills into Open
The Age, March 30, 2013
http://www.theage.com.au/world/row-between-chinas-elite-spills-into-open-20130329-2gz9u.html

Society

Two Boys 'Beaten to Death' in China School
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 29, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21973487

Tibet

China Expands List of Activities Forbidden to Tibetans
Radio Free Asia, March 28, 2013
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/forbidden-03282013163454.html

United Nations

China Agrees to UN Intervention Force for DRC "As Exceptional Case"
Xinhua News Agency, March 29, 2013
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.asp?id=133678

Opinion

Taiwan Quietly Forging Ahead in Human Rights Protection
South China Morning Post, March 29, 2013
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1202004/taiwan-quietly-forging-ahead-human-rights-protection