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, January 26, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Chinese doctor told bookseller Gui Minhai to seek medical care abroad, daughter says
South China Morning Post, January 25, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2130624/chinese-doctor-told-bookseller-gui-minhai-seek-medical

杀警案死囚许有臣二审维持原判 (Henan top court upholds death penalty of petitioner Xu Youcheng who stabbed an officer to death in 2014)
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf3-01252018105348.html

河北法院网络直播抓“老赖”,超38万网民感受执行现场 (Live stream of “deadbeat” arrests by Hebei courts get over 380,000 views)
Hebei Daily, January 25, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1968108

Access to Information (信息公开)

国内网络青年开发翻墙软件遭“人肉”威胁 (Youngster develops software that breaks through the “Great Firewall” but gets threatened)
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/ck-01252018100414.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

内蒙古毕拉河林业局强行退耕还林 农民集体抗议 (Inner Mongolia peasants protest for land rights at local forestry authority)
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/yf2-01252018103935.html

Related:
China jails dozens of ethnic Mongolian herders who blockaded highway construction
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/mongolia-herders-01252018135138.html

Students fight back against forced factory labor
Sixthtone, January 25, 2018
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1001615/students-fight-back-against-forced-factory-labor

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Xi Jinping puts China’s mafia in cross hairs, but fears of judicial abuse remain
South China Morning Post, January 26, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2130629/xi-puts-chinas-mafia-cross-hairs-fears-judicial-abuse

大兴将建宿舍式“打工者之家” (Beijing to build dormitories and pubic canteens for migrant workers)
Beijing Youth Daily, January 26, 2018
http://epaper.ynet.com/html/2018-01/26/content_277288.htm

China needs high-quality, equal for all education: vice premier
Xinhua News Agency, January 26, 2018
http://english.sina.com/china/s/2018-01-26/detail-ifyqyqni3017478.shtml

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

滴滴成立AI Labs 加大人工智能领域投入 (Taxi-hailing app developer Didi Chuxing launches AI Labs to further research on artificial intelligence)
ifeng.com, January 26, 2018
http://wemedia.ifeng.com/46680235/wemedia.shtml

法律专家谈“儿童邪典”:就算不涉黄,传播暴力内容也可获罪 (Legal experts discuss “ElsaGate” in China: Dissemination of violent contents may constitute a crime, even without pornography)
The Paper, January 25, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1968398

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

China denies plan to build military base in Afghanistan
Reuters, January 25, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-afghanistan/china-denies-plan-to-build-military-base-in-afghanistan-idUSKBN1FE196

China signaling it may finally “militarize” the South China Sea officially
The Diplomat, January 25, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/01/china-signaling-it-may-finally-militarize-the-south-china-sea-officially/

Hong Kong (香港)

Mainland law in Hong Kong: Gov’t begins final step to enact controversial joint checkpoint mechanism
Hong Kong Free Press, January 26, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/01/26/mainland-law-hong-kong-govt-begins-final-step-enact-controversial-joint-checkpoint-mechanism/

Will activist duo be banned from by-elections? Pan-dems demand answers from beleaguered justice chief
South China Morning Post, January 26, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2130621/pan-dems-demand-answers-justice-minister-amid-mounting

Related:
Interview: Pro-democracy by-election candidate Agnes Chow: who is she and why does she want your vote?
Hong Kong Free Press, January 25, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/01/25/interview-pro-democracy-election-candidate-agnes-chow-want-vote/

Baptist University lecturer decries “cultural revolution”-style attacks on students protesting Mandarin tests
Hong Kong Free Press, January 26, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/01/26/baptist-university-lecturer-decries-cultural-revolution-style-attacks-students-protesting-mandarin-tests/

Related:
浸大教職員發起聯署:老師總不應該被威脅或恐嚇 (Baptist University staff launch signature campaign in support of language center colleagues claiming teachers shouldn’t be threatened or intimidated)
Mingpao, January 25, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180125/s00001/1516880655237

China's top advisory body gains over 50 new Hong Kong faces
South China Morning Post, January 26, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2130595/dozens-new-faces-hong-kong-join-top-china-advisory-body

Commentary (评论)

Hong Kong students the real losers in language battle
South China Morning Post, January 26, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2130639/hong-kong-students-real-losers-language-battle

Hong Kong should replace its justice chief Teresa Cheng, and refine rules on illegal structures
South China Morning Post, January 25, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2130564/hong-kong-should-replace-its-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-and