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, February 01, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

广东:一起特大拐卖儿童案一审宣判26人被判刑 (Guangdong sentences 26 child traffickers to up to suspended death penalty)
Xinhua News Agency, February 1, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/legal/2018-02/01/c_1122352520.htm

司法部公示对42名律师的处罚决定,6人因干扰诉讼活动被罚 (Ministry of Justice punishes 42 lawyers, including 6 for interfering with prosecution)
Legal Daily, February 1, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1979019

Tibetan nun dies after years of ill health following prison term
Radio Free Asia, January 31, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/nun-01312018153945.html

孙林“煽动颠覆国家政权案”即将开庭 (Citizen journalist Sun Lin faces inciting subversion trial in Nanjing)
Radio Free Asia, January 31, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf2-01312018103235.html

Related:
被控提供国家机密 黄琦案移送四川绵阳法院 (Huang Qi, website owner charged with leaking state secrets, transferred to local court in Mianyang, Sichuan)
Radio Free Asia, January 31, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf2-01312018103421.html

Macau’s plan to exclude foreign judges from national security cases violates Basic Law, says top lawyer
Hong Kong Free Press, January 31, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/01/31/macaus-plan-exclude-foreign-judges-national-security-cases-violates-basic-law-says-top-lawyer/

Access to Information (信息公开)

China to block overseas VPN services from end of March
Radio Free Asia, January 31, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-to-block-overseas-vpn-services-from-end-of-march-01312018102313.html

Related:
Interview: Young Chinese developer drops circumvention project over “doxing” threat
Radio Free Asia, January 31, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/threat-01312018103837.html

《劉曉波紀念詩集》周四出版 港台兩地有售 (Collection of poems commemorating Liu Xiaobo published and on shelf in Hong Kong and Taiwan from Thursday)
Mingpao, January 31, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180131/s00004/1517402847961

Related:
The death of Shanghai’s iconic independent bookstore
The Diplomat, January 31, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/01/the-death-of-shanghais-iconic-independent-bookstore/

China orders Muji to destroy catalog over “problem map”
Associated Press, January 31, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-orders-muji-to-destroy-catalog-over-problem-map/2018/01/31/45b5e940-066d-11e8-aa61-f3391373867e_story.html

Related:
无印良品回应问题地图:漏绘钓鱼岛等属实,已按要求整改 (Pressed by China, Japanese retailer Muji destroys “problem map” with “errors” concerning Taiwan and Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands)
The Paper, January 30, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1975469

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

中国律师关于尊重和保障律师执业权利的声明 (Lawyers sign statement calling for respect and protection of lawyers’ rights in China)
Weiquanwang, February 1, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/02/blog-post.html

Related:
逾2000人联署声援维权律师 国保软硬兼施图击破 (Over 2,000 join signature campaign in support of rights lawyers despite police intimidation)
Radio Free Asia, January 31, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/lawyer-01312018071012.html

公民社会自由度调查 中朝沙特垫底 (Report finds China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia worse performers of civil society freedom)
Deutsche Welle, January 31, 2018
http://bit.ly/2GBNJw8

中国各地疫苗患儿家长北京乞讨求助 (Parents of tainted vaccine victims petition for financial aid at health authority in Beijing)
Radio Free Asia, January 31, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-01312018102845.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

31省份监察委主任全选出 省级监察委密集挂牌 (Heads of supervisory commission elected in 31 provinces)
Chinanews.com, February 1, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0201/c1001-29798961.html

充当涉黑组织“保护伞” ,广东清远29名公安民警被处分 (City in Guangdong punishes 29 police officers for shielding local mafia)
Yangcheng Evening News, January 31, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1977601

安徽“垃圾非法倾倒长江案”刑拘5人 环保部门将提公益诉讼 (Anhui criminally detains 5 for dumping industrial waste into Yangtze River, as environment authority pledges to press public interest charges)
The Beijing News, January 31, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/01/31/474755.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

CNNIC发布第41次《中国互联网络发展状况统计报告》 (CINNIC's Internet development report says netizens in China totaled 772 million by end of 2017)
Cyberspace Administration of China, January 31, 2018
http://www.cac.gov.cn/2018-01/31/c_1122346138.htm

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

Mainland spokesperson stresses punishment for national security violations
Xinhua News Agency, January 31, 2018
http://english.sina.com/china/s/2018-01-31/detail-ifyreuzn0583937.shtml

China lashes out at Taiwan over cancellation of flights
Associated Press, January 31, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-lashes-out-at-taiwan-over-cancellation-of-flights/2018/01/31/b33a4a00-065f-11e8-aa61-f3391373867e_story.html

Hong Kong (香港)

立法會新界東補選 陳國強被裁定提名無效 (James Chan Kwok-keung, member of Sha Tin District Council, disqualified and banned from LegCo by-election over political beliefs)
Radio Television Hong Kong, February 1, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1378597-20180201.htm

Related:
Second Hong Kong opposition candidate banned from running in Legislative Council by-election
South China Morning Post, January 31, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2131455/second-hong-kong-opposition-candidate-banned-running

UK Foreign Office urges respect for rights after Agnes Chow banned from Hong Kong election
Hong Kong Free Press, February 1, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/01/uk-foreign-office-urges-respect-rights-agnes-chow-banned-hong-kong-election/

Related:
Theresa May must not sacrifice Hong Kong for trade favors from the People’s Republic
Hong Kong Free Press, February 1, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/01/theresa-may-must-not-sacrifice-hong-kong-trade-favours-peoples-republic/

Baptist U lifts suspensions on student pair involved in Hong Kong campus protest
South China Morning Post, February 1, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2131575/baptist-u-lifts-suspensions-student-pair-involved-hong-kong

Beijing envoy in Hong Kong urges preparedness against “significant political and legal incidents” this year
South China Morning Post, February 1, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2131452/beijing-envoy-hong-kong-urges-preparedness-against

Hong Kong citizens move to Taiwan in waves after political upsets
Voice of America, January 31, 2018
https://www.voanews.com/a/hong-kong-citizens-move-to-taiwan-in-waves-after-political-upsets/4232788.html

Commentary (评论)

香港納入黨國體制對台灣的警訊 (Warning for Taiwan after Hong Kong being included in the 
“Party-State”)
Inmediahk, February 1, 2018
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1054935

Related:
How English can save Hong Kong from becoming “just another Chinese city”
South China Morning Post, February 1, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2131336/how-english-can-save-hong-kong-becoming-just-another-chinese

Hong Kong health crisis in need of long-term cure
South China Morning Post, February 1, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2131478/hong-kong-health-crisis-need-long-term-cure

Disqualified: How the gov’t compromised Hong Kong’s only free and fair election
Hong Kong Free Press, January 31, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/01/31/disqualified-hong-kong-govt-compromised-citys-free-fair-elections/

Related:
北京將會後悔DQ香港眾志 (Beijing will regret disqualifying Demosistō)
The House News Bloggers, February 1, 2018
http://bit.ly/2nvIllr

口炮党人选集 | 新极权下没有所谓公民社会 (There is no so-called civil society under neo-totalitarianism)
China Digital Times, January 31, 2018
http://bit.ly/2BJwW6B

China: Families of Interpol targets harassed
中国:国际刑警红色通告人员家属被骚扰
Human Rights Watch, January 31, 2018
EN: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/01/31/china-families-interpol-targets-harassed
CH: https://www.hrw.org/zh-hans/news/2018/01/31/314426