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, January 11, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

余文生就遭受酷刑提起的国家赔偿申请书 (Rights lawyer Yu Wensheng demands state compensation for being allegedly tortured by Beijing police)
Weiquanwang, January 11, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/01/blog-post_35.html

山东农民丁汉忠抗拆致两死案终审维持死缓判决,家人称将申诉 (Shandong top court upholds suspended death penalty of Ding Hanzhong, peasant who killed 2 in forced eviction dispute; family says will appeal)
The Paper, January 11, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1946542

最高法研讨裁判文书说理改革:让法官愿说理、敢说理、会说理 (Supreme People’s Court discusses reforms to reasoning of judgment decisions: Judges must be willing, daring, and capable to provide arguments)
Supreme People’s Court, January 10, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1943650

江苏江阴:“一体四翼”立体化刑执信息网络实现业务全覆盖 (Jiangyin City Procuratorate in Jiangsu Province installs parallel monitoring system in detention centers to automatically back up CCTV footage)
Procuratorate Daily, January 10, 2018
http://www.spp.gov.cn/zdgz/201801/t20180110_208485.shtml

Access to Information (信息公开)

习近平获保护记者委员会“严控媒体奖” (Xi Jinping awarded winner of Tightest Grip on Media by Committee to Protect Journalists)
Voice of America, January 11, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/press-freedom-under-attack-20180110/4202421.html

Related:
In response to Trump's fake news awards, CPJ announces Press Oppressors awards
Committee to Protect Journalists, January 8, 2018
https://cpj.org/blog/2018/01/press-oppressor-awards-trump-fake-news-fakies.php

人教部编初中历史课本送审版删除文革十年一课 (Cultural Revolution downplayed in upcoming official history textbook for junior high schools)
Radio France Internationale, January 10, 2018
http://bit.ly/2AQjHk5

工业和信息化部办公厅关于印发《工业和信息化部政府信息主动公开基本目录(试行)》的通知 (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology publishes interim catalog for open government information: Regulations, normative documents on telecommunication and Internet administration should be published proactively)
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, January 9, 2018
http://www.miit.gov.cn/n1146295/n1652858/n1652930/n3757016/c6008072/content.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

全国社会组织、社会工作、志愿服务管理系统学习贯彻2018年全国民政工作会议精神视频会议在京召开 (Ministry of Civil Affairs Social Organization Administration Bureau hosts videoconference with regulatory organs: Top priority for 2018 is “political building” and have registered social organizations, social workers and volunteers to “listen to the party, follow the party and be grateful to the party”)
Ministry of Civil Affairs, January 10, 2018
http://www.mca.gov.cn/article/zwgk/mzyw/201801/20180100007256.shtml

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Chinese authorities demolish well-known evangelical church
Associated Press, January 11, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinese-authorities-demolish-well-known-evangelical-church/2018/01/11/947ef21a-f696-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042_story.html

Related:
国际组织:亚洲基督徒受迫害比例高,中国情况仍堪忧 (Open Doors USA says Christians’ situation in China is worrying)
Voice of America, January 11, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/open-door-usa-releases-world-watch-list-20180110/4202261.html

Greenpeace says China is winning battle against pollution in big cities but other areas falling behind
South China Morning Post, January 11, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2127736/china-winning-pollution-battle-big-cities-other-areas

China’s graft-busters set to unveil “super agency" as war on corruption hots up
South China Morning Post, January 11, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2127775/chinas-graft-busters-set-unveil-super-agency-war

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

How China's tech empire is being used to gather data on its citizens
Forbes, January 9, 2018
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielrechtschaffen/2018/01/09/how-beijing-built-a-tech-empire-and-then-turned-it-against-its-citizens/#2565ae442472

National Security & Counterterrorism (国家安全和反恐)

Xi orders armed police to uphold CPC's absolute leadership
Xinhua News Agency, January 11, 2018
http://english.sina.com/china/d/2018-01-11/detail-ifyqqciz4868503.shtml

Hong Kong (香港)

稱買樓時已有 呈銀行資料無提地庫 按揭文件揭鄭若驊講大話 (Justice chief Teresa Cheng claims illegal structures existed when she bought the property, bank document proves otherwise)
Apple Daily, January 11, 2018
https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/daily/article/20180111/20270867

Related:
Illegal structures not shown in Justice Sec. Teresa Cheng’s 2008 mortgage docs despite prior claims
Hong Kong Free Press, January 11, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/01/11/illegal-structures-not-shown-justice-sec-teresa-chengs-2008-mortgage-docs-despite-prior-claims/

“Incompatible with reality”: Leader Carrie Lam says criticism of joint checkpoint mechanism 
“irrational”
Hong Kong Free Press, January 11, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/01/11/incompatible-reality-leader-carrie-lam-says-criticism-joint-checkpoint-mechanism-irrational/

李國章:從沒打算辭退馬斐森 未到適合時機談續約 (Arthur Li says he never plans to fire HKU head Mathieson, claiming the time wasn’t right to discuss contract extension)
Radio Television Hong Kong, January 10, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1374450-20180110.htm

Related:
Beijing’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong did not interfere with university affairs, says HKU council chief Arthur Li
Hong Kong Free Press, January 10, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/01/10/beijings-liaison-office-hong-kong-not-interfere-university-affairs-says-hku-council-chief-arthur-li/

Commentary (评论)

女童之死與制度之亡 (Death of a girl and failure of the system)
Mingpao, January 11, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180111/s00022/1515588605338

China 2017: Year in review
The Diplomat, January 10, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/01/china-2017-year-in-review/