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, September 18, 2015

Access to Justice (司法公正)

沈德咏在第二次全国法院案例指导工作会议上强调, 加强案例指导统一裁判标准(Shen Yongde speaks at 2nd National Court Cases Guidance Work Conference, emphasizes need to strengthen uniform decision making standards in case guidance)
Legal Daily, September 17, 2015
http://epaper.legaldaily.com.cn/fzrb/content/20150917/Articel02003GN.htm

China relaxes adoption rules for abandoned, trafficked children
Reuters, September 18, 2015
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/18/us-china-familyplanning-idUSKCN0RI09P20150918

What’s New In The New Domestic Violence Law Draft?
China Law Translate, September 16, 2015
http://chinalawtranslate.com/major-changes-in-the-domestic-violence-law/?lang=en

Access to Information (信息公开)

PEN Appeals to Xi Jinping for Release of Imprisoned Chinese
The New York Times, September 18, 2015
http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/china-xi-jinping-writers-pen-america/

Related:
Dear President Xi: A message from America's writers
PEN America, September 18, 2015
http://www.pen.org/blog/XiJinping2015

Report details harassment of journalists in China
China Digital Times, September 17, 2015
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2015/09/report-details-harassment-of-journalists-in-china/

Related:
Recent incidents of interference with reporting
Foreign Correspondents' Club of China, September 15, 2015
https://cpj.org/blog/FCCC-09-15.pdf

As zombie rumors fly, China punishes social media pranksters
《三体》热令科幻走红,禁忌仍在
The New York Times, September 18, 2015
http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20150918/c18sino-scifi/dual/

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

"无违法犯罪证明”应由单位申请开具仍有个人要求公安机关出证明 “无违法犯罪证明”使用过滥是问题根源 (“Certificates of No Criminal Record” should be issued on application by work units but individuals still seek them from public security organs, the root cause of why such certificates are being used excessively)
Legal Daily, September 17, 2015
http://epaper.legaldaily.com.cn/fzrb/content/20150917/Articel04002GN.htm

Daring sailboat escape by Chinese dissidents ends in rescue, detention by Taiwan
Radio Free Asia, September 17, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/sailboat-09172015110152.html

Chinese man attempts suicide outside government headquarters in Beijing
Radio Free Asia, September 17, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/attempts-09172015111805.html

China’s Communist Party hails its own legitimacy amid online skepticism
Foreign Policy, September 17, 2015
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/09/17/china-communist-party-legitimacy-government-wang-qishan-internet/

Tianjin blast victims protest for better compensation
Wall Street Journal, September 17, 2015
http://www.wsj.com/articles/tianjin-blast-victims-protest-for-better-compensation-1442532484

香港团体中大校园讲座声援中国维权律师 (Hong Kong group organizes conference on CUHK campus to rally support for Chinese human rights lawyers)
Voice of America, September 18, 2015
http://www.voachinese.com/content/hk-chinese-rights-20150917/2967462.html

HRC Statement Reaffirms Right to Freedom of Expression Including Creative and Artistic Expression
Permanent Mission of the United States of America, September 18, 2015
https://geneva.usmission.gov/2015/09/18/hrc-statement-reaffirms-right-to-freedom-of-expression-including-creative-and-artistic-expression/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

袁永长被宣告无罪获国家赔偿 (Former leader of Sichuan industrial company receives $72 thousand in state compensation after exoneration)
Yangzhou Times, September 16, 2015
http://roll.sohu.com/20150916/n421275866.shtml

法律援助案件质量评估在湖南开展 (Qualitative assessment of legal aid cases begins in Hunan)
Legal Daily, September 17, 2015
http://epaper.legaldaily.com.cn/fzrb/content/20150917/Articel02006GN.htm

公安机关规范执法内外兼修促进公平正义 系列改革给执法权力戴上“紧箍咒” (Public security organs aim to standardize law enforcement activities to “advance justice inside and out”: A series of reforms will keep law enforcement officers’ power on a tight leash)
Legal Daily, September 17, 2015
http://epaper.legaldaily.com.cn/fzrb/content/20150917/Articel05002GN.htm

Chinese officials deny blame after man died in fire while workers demolished his house
South China Morning Post, September 17, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1859053/chinese-officials-deny-blame-after-man-died-house-fire

The spread of corruption is being contained, says China's chief graft-buster
South China Morning Post, September 17, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1859252/spread-corruption-being-contained-says-chinas-chief

U.S. government forcibly repatriates first “Sky Net” Chinese fugitive ahead of Xi Jinping’s state visit
South China Morning Post, September 17, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1859321/us-government-forcibly-repatriates-first-chinese

China defends Xi visit to UN forum despite activists' detention
Channel NewsAsia, September 17, 2015
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/china-defends-xi-visit-to/2133052.html

Ahead of Xi's U.S. trip, China defends record on human rights
The Diplomat, September 18, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/09/ahead-of-xis-us-trip-china-defends-record-on-human-rights/

Related:
Xi Jinping’s US visit: itinerary, issues and delegation
South China Morning Post, September 18, 2015
http://multimedia.scmp.com/xi-jinping-us-visit/

中国环保部核算环保的经济损失 (Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection should calculate financial losses incurred by environmental protection)
Financial Times, September 18, 2015
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001064026

习近平访美前 多族人权团体在白宫前谴责中国人权状况 (Prior to Xi Jinping’s visit to U.S., multiple ethnic groups and human rights organizations gather in front of White House to condemn human rights situation in China)
Radio Free Asia, September 17, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/ks-09172015150533.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

The CEOs facing off during Chinese president Xi Jinping’s state visit to the U.S. shows the importance of tech
Quartz, September 18, 2015
http://qz.com/505220/the-list-of-ceos-facing-off-during-chinese-president-xi-jinpings-state-visit-to-the-us-shows-the-importance-of-tech/

The Chinese cyber threat in the South China Sea
The Diplomat, September 18, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/09/the-chinese-cyber-threat-in-the-south-china-sea/

Father's Day Climbing generational walls – by Mia Li
the Anthill, September 18, 2015
http://theanthill.org/fathers-day

中国承诺打击网络黑客 (China promises to crack down on internet hacking)
Voice of America, September 18, 2015
http://www.voachinese.com/content/china-us-cyberattack-20150917/2967388.html

Hong Kong (香港)

Occupy co-founder Benny Tai says he regrets not ending protests sooner
Hong Kong Free Press, September 18, 2015
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/09/18/occupy-co-founder-benny-tai-says-he-regrets-not-ending-protests-sooner/

Pan-democrats to take on Occupy activist groups in 14 constituencies in Hong Kong district council polls
South China Morning Post, September 18, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1859240/pan-democrats-take-occupy-activist-groups-14-constituencies-hong-kong

不靠中联办 港泛民成立联络小组协调与中央沟通 (Not relying on Liaison Office, Hong Kong pan-dems set up contact groups for coordinating communication with Beijing)
South China Morning Post, September 18, 2015
http://www.nanzao.com/sc/hk-macau-tw/14fdf22f54f2cd1/bu-kao-zhong-lian-ban-gang-fan-min-cheng-li-lian-luo-xiao-zu-xie-diao-yu-zhong-yang-gou-tong

Counterterrorism (反恐)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s growing pains
The Diplomat, September 18, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/09/the-shanghai-cooperation-organizations-growing-pains/

新疆反恐基金设立一年4万余人献爱心 (By Anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Anti-Terrorism Foundation, more than 40,000 people have donated)
Legal Daily, September 17, 2015
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index/content/2015-09/17/content_6273307.htm?node=20908

利川特警为客车司机传授反恐知识技能 (Lichuan, Sichuan SWAT police teach counterterrorism skills and techniques to bus drivers)
Xinhua, September 17, 2015
http://www.hb.chinanews.com/news/2015/0917/225785.html

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

Obama: Cyber theft “an act of aggression” but U.S. and China can develop norms
The Diplomat, September 18, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/09/obama-cyber-theft-an-act-of-aggression-but-us-and-china-can-develop-norms/

From China, messages to President Obama before Xi Jinping’s visit (2)
China Change, September 17, 2015
http://chinachange.org/2015/09/17/from-china-messages-to-president-obama-before-xi-jinpings-visit-2//

Related:
Letter to President Obama. Re: Xi Jinping Visit
Human Rights in China, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International USA et. al., September 9, 2015
http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/joint-statement/letter-president-obama

Don't forget about China's big UN speech
The Diplomat, September 18, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/09/dont-forget-about-chinas-big-un-speech/