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.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Access to Justice (司法公正)

China detains lawyer in Zhejiang amid ongoing cross demolition program
Radio Free Asia, August 26, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/lawyer-08262015111356.html

包龙军涉“煽颠”律师会见被拒 包蒙蒙已开学户口本被没收 (Bao Longjun suspected of “subversion” and is denied meeting with lawyer, son’s Hukou certificate confiscated and he is prevented from leaving country to study abroad)
Radio Free Asia, August 26, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/xl1-08262015120846.html

Related:
Mass suppression of lawyers reveals true nature of Xi’s “rule by law”
对维权律师的大规模镇压揭示了习近平“依法治国”的真实面目
Human Rights in China, July 16, 2015
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/mass-crackdown-chinese-lawyers-and-defenders
CH: http://hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-da-gui-mo-zhen-ya-wei-quan-lu-shi-he-huo-yue-ren-shi

[CHRB] What Happened to the Detained Lawyers: 18 Held in Secret & Several Accused of “Endangering National Security” (8/12-20/2015)
Chinese Human Rights Defenders, August 12-20, 2015
http://chrdnet.com/2015/08/chrb-what-happened-to-the-detained-lawyers-18-held-in-secret-several-accused-of-endangering-national-security-812-202015/

Access to Information (信息公开)

Great Firewall reinforced for WWII anniversary parade
China Digital Times, August 26, 2015
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2015/08/great-firewall-reinforced-ahead-of-ww2-anniversary-parade/

Related:
China won't tolerate anything but praise for its showy World War II parade
Global Voices, August 27, 2015
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2015/08/27/china-wont-tolerate-anything-but-praise-for-its-showy-world-war-ii-parade/

国际记者联合会批评中国继续控制媒体 (The International Federation of Journalists criticizes China's continued control of the media)
Voice of America, August 26, 2015
http://www.voachinese.com/content/voa-news-chinese-authorities-continue-attempts-20150826/2932759.html

Financial journalist detained as China ramps up censorship and cracks down on “market rumors”
Hong Kong Free Press, August 26, 2015
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/08/26/financial-journalist-detained-as-china-cracks-down-on-market-rumours/

Related:
中国财经记者被指散布“虚假信息”遭传唤 (Chinese financial journalist accused of spreading “false information” summonsed by police)
British Broadcasting Corporation, August 26, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/08/150826_china_finance_journalist

Chinese people want to know “How was China’s economy destroyed?”
Quartz, August 27, 2015
http://qz.com/488191/chinese-people-want-to-know-how-was-chinas-economy-destroyed/

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

River crabbed: Tianjin blast victims seek brave lawyers
China Digital Times, August 26, 2015
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2015/08/river-crabbed-tianjin-blast-victims-seek-brave-lawyers/

广东省茂名村民抗议强征土地八人被拘留 (Villagers protest land-grabs in Maoming city, Guangdong province, 8 people detained)
Radio Free Asia, August 26, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-08262015105058.html

Ten are detained in Tibetan protest march in Nangchen
Radio Free Asia, August 26, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/march-08262015152430.html

Chinese Tiananmen Square dissident says seeking asylum in Taiwan
Reuters, August 26, 2015
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/26/us-taiwan-china-asylum-idUSKCN0QV12Y20150826

Related:
Taiwan turns down asylum request by 1989 Chinese democracy activist
Radio Free Asia, August 26, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/taiwan-turns-down-asylum-request-by-1989-chinese-democracy-activist-08262015111923.html

China's migrant workers head home as Beijing faces an economic storm
The Guardian, August 27, 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/27/china-small-time-recyclers-down-on-their-luck-amid-stock-market-turmoil

Human rights groups face global crackdown “not seen in a generation”
The Guardian, August 26, 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/law/2015/aug/26/ngos-face-restrictions-laws-human-rights-generation

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China detains 12 over Tianjin blasts, accuses officials of dereliction
Reuters, August 26, 2015
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/27/us-china-blast-idUSKCN0QW02U20150827

Related:
天津港爆炸有关责任人被采取刑事强制措施--新华 (Xinhua: Those responsible for Tianjin explosion will be subjected to criminal compulsory measures)
Reuters, August 27, 2015
http://cn.reuters.com/article/2015/08/27/tianjin-idCNKCS0QW03T20150827

Chinese work safety regulator Yang Dongliang is sacked
安监总局局长杨栋梁涉“严重违纪”被免职
British Broadcasting Corporation, August 26, 2015
EN: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-34059948
CH: http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/08/150826_china_sacking

The story of China's left-behind children
The Telegraph, August 26, 2015
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/11824563/The-story-of-Chinas-left-behind-children.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China shuts down 300 websites for online extortion and paid post deletions
China Daily, August 26, 2015
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-08/27/content_21720084.htm

Hong Kong (香港)

Trio of Occupy Central student leaders arrive at Hong Kong police HQ facing unlawful assembly charges
South China Morning Post, August 27, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1852958/trio-occupy-central-student-leaders-arrive-hong-kong-police

Hong Kong Christian groups feel new scrutiny from mainland
New York Times, August 27, 2015
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/world/asia/hong-kong-christian-groups-feel-new-scrutiny-from-mainland.html