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.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Chinese lawyer held for more than 500 days in civil rights crackdown has mental disorder
South China Morning Post, January 14, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2062246/chinese-lawyer-held-more-500-days-civil-rights

Related:
中国维权律师李春富被释放后“精神失常” (Rights defense lawyer Li Chunfu suffers “mental disorder” after release)
British Broadcasting Corporation, January 14, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-38624049

709 Lawyer Released on Bail in Psychological Distress
“709”被捕律师李春富取保候审,身心状况异常
Human Rights in China, January 13, 2017
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/hric-bulletin/709-lawyer-released-bail-psychological-distress
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/xin-wen-gong-zuo/zhong-guo-ren-quan-jian-xun/709bei-bu-lu-shi-li-chun-fu-qu-bao-hou-shen-shen-xin

China's top judge warns courts on judicial independence
Reuters, January 15, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-policy-law-idUSKBN14Z07B

Related:
中国最高法院长周强公开拒绝“宪政民主”“司法独立”引热议 (President of SPC Zhou Qiang sparks heated debate after he publicly rejects “constitutional democracy” and “judicial independence”)
Radio Free Asia, January 15, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf2-01152017103002.html

扎实做好人民法院各项工作 以优异成绩迎接党的十九大胜利召开 (Solid performance by courts, welcoming the Party’s victorious opening of the 19th National Congress with outstanding achievements)
China Court Daily, January 14, 2017
http://www.chinacourt.org/article/detail/2017/01/id/2512789.shtml

决不落入西方错误思潮“陷阱” (Never fall into the “trap” of western erroneous ideologies)
China Court Daily, January 15, 2017
http://www.chinacourt.org/article/detail/2017/01/id/2512848.shtml

How nine Wukan villagers were illegally tried and sentenced after rising up against corruption
China Change, January 14, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/01/14/how-nine-wukan-villagers-were-illegally-tried-and-sentenced-after-rising-up-against-corruption/

Access to Information (信息公开)

Clearing the air
China Media Project, January 13, 2017
http://cmp.hku.hk/2017/01/13/40112/

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

China's Zhou Youguang, father of Pinyin writing system, dies aged 111
The New York Times, January 14, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/world/asia/zhou-youguang-who-made-writing-chinese-as-simple-as-abc-dies-at-111.html

China fears sovereignty rows with neighbors may spark “patriotic” protests at home
South China Morning Post, January 13, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2061884/china-fears-sovereignty-rows-neighbours-may-spark

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China's president calls on law enforcement to protect party rule
Radio Free Asia, January 13, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/rule-01132017135358.html

Hong Kong (香港)

Localist duo’s final appeal over oath row rejected
Hong Kong Free Press, January 16, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/01/16/breaking-localist-duos-final-appeal-oath-row-rejected/

Related:
上訴庭駁回梁頌恆游蕙禎上訴至終院申請 兩人須付政府訟費 (Court of Appeal rejects Sixtus "Baggio" Leung and Yau Wai Ching’s appeal application to Court of Final Appeal, they must pay gov’t legal costs)
Mingpao, January 16, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170116/s00001/1484530354145

Activist Joshua Wong returns safely to Hong Kong after Taiwan visit marred by multiple protests
South China Morning Post, January 16, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2062444/activist-joshua-wong-returns-safely-hong-kong-after-taiwan

Controversy follows election for Hong Kong leaders
Voice of America, January 13, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/controversy-follows-election-for-hong-kong-leaders/3674785.html

Related:
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive race heats up
The Diplomat, January 13, 2017
http://thediplomat.com/2017/01/hong-kongs-chief-executive-race-heats-up/

Beijing wants to crush youth activists in Taiwan and Hong Kong trying to band together
Quartz, January 16, 2017
https://qz.com/883640/beijing-wants-to-crush-youth-activists-in-taiwan-and-hong-kong-trying-to-band-together/

Commentary (评论)

Xiaolu Guo: “There was no private or personal space in China”
The Guardian, January 15, 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jan/15/xiaolu-guo-meet-the-author-once-upon-a-time-in-the-east

雾霾与中国人觉醒的“公民性” (Smog and the awakening of Chinese “citizenship”)
Financial Times, January 16, 2017
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001070990