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.

Tuesday, February 06, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Sweden condemns China's “brutal” detention of bookseller Gui Minhai
The Guardian, February 6, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/06/sweden-condemns-chinas-brutal-detention-of-bookseller-gui-minhai

Related:
“He might not have that much time left”: Daughter’s fears grow over bookseller Gui Minhai missing in China
Agence France-Presse, February 5, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/05/might-not-much-time-left-daughters-fears-grow-bookseller-gui-minhai-missing-china/

史庭福因宣讲六四真相而被“寻衅滋事罪”案将在2018年2月8日南京开庭审理 (Rights defender Shi Tingfu faces trial in Nanjing for “picking quarrels” after giving public speech about June Fourth)
Weiquanwang, February 6, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/02/201828.html

Tibetan monk freed after five-year prison term for “politically sensitive” writings
青海藏人刑满获释后仍无人身自由
Radio Free Asia, February 5, 2018
EN: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/freed-02052018141331.html
CH: https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/dz-02052018104217.html

内蒙公安枪击致死以钱封口 遗孀揭尸检造假讨公道 (Inner Mongolia widow denies hush money, unveils fake autopsy report and demands justice for husband who was shot dead by police)
Radio Free Asia, February 5, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf1-02052018100445.html

李静瑜为丈夫李明哲案前往联合国 (Wife of jailed Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che petitions at UN for support of husband’s release)
Radio Free Asia, February 5, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hcm-02052018103855.html

Chinese anti-censorship activist Zhen Jianghua denied access to lawyer
Hong Kong Free Press, February 5, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/05/chinese-anti-censorship-activist-zhen-jianghua-denied-access-lawyer/

Access to Information (信息公开)

一家书店的葬礼,和它告别的时代 (Funeral of a bookstore and the era it bids farewell to)
The Initium, February 6, 2018
https://theinitium.com/article/20180206-mainland-monsoon-bookstore/

浙江网信办关闭“叔叔不约”等一批违法违规网站及用户账号 (Zhejiang censors a group of “illegal” websites and social media accounts)
Zhejiang Branch of Cyberspace Administration of China, February 6, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1985586

Related:
有偿删帖 有偿炒作——“网络水军”违法犯罪活动调查 (Crackdown on “Internet water army” has led to 200 arrests, shutdown of 5,000 Internet accounts and nearly 10,000 websites since May 2017)
Xinhua News Agency, February 4, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/legal/2018-02/04/c_1122366587.htm

严格执法形成震慑 规范执法彰显法治——2017年全国网信行政执法工作扎实推进 (Cyberspace Administration of China reports “clear results” in 2017 administrative law enforcement work, including shutting down 22,587 websites, 3.17 million accounts and chat groups)
Cyberspace Administration of China, February 5, 2018
http://www.cac.gov.cn/2018-02/05/c_1122368756.htm

国家新闻出版广电总局关于《电影行政处罚裁量办法(征求意见稿)》公开征求意见的公告 (State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television solicits public opinions on draft of “Administrative Punishment Discretionary Measures for Films”, contents that damage national dignity, honor and social stability will result in heavy punishments)
State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, February 2, 2018
http://zqyj.chinalaw.gov.cn/readmore?id=2377&listType=2

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

#MeToo with Chinese characteristics
The Atlantic, February 6, 2018
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/02/metoo-in-china/552326/

律师申请会见余文生遭拒 千人联署促放人 (Over 1,000 sign petition urging release of rights lawyer Yu Wensheng)
Voice of America, February 5, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/news-attorney-refused-to-visit-detained-yu-wensheng-20180205/4239387.html

Related:
律师发函公安部门查询高智晟下落 (Lawyers write letter to Ministry of Public Security asking for whereabouts of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng)
Radio Free Asia, February 5, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/hdc-02052018101354.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

首钢水钢公司煤气中毒致9死 安监总局通报存在问题 (Gas leak kills 9 at Guizhou steel mill as State Administration of Work Safety recognizes safety issues)
Chinanews.com, February 6, 2018
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2018/02-06/8442292.shtml

State-run Chinese paper confident China will establish ties with Vatican
Reuters, February 6, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2132205/state-run-chinese-paper-confident-china-will-establish

Related:
陳日君點名批教廷國務卿:內地教友最大痛苦 是遭「親人」負賣 (Former Bishop of Hong Kong Joseph Zen criticizes Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin for not understanding the suffering of mainland believers)
Mingpao, February 5, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180205/s00001/1517828867312

河南周口50所民办学校遭关闭强拆 (Henan shuts down and demolishes over 50 private schools and kindergartens)
Radio Free Asia, February 5, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/kejiaowen/ql2-02052018095551.html

江西全面部署扫黑除恶工作 已抓获涉案人员1111人 (Jiangxi arrests 1,111 people amid fully-implemented “remove the black and eradicate the evil” campaign)
Xinhua News Agency, February 5, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-02/05/c_1122372781.htm

Related:
广东部署扫黑除恶,要建“全国最安全地区” (Guangdong pledges to become “the nation’s safest area” amid “remove the black and eradicate the evil” campaign)
China News Service, February 6, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1985780

China boosts intellectual property protection – for its own tech at least
South China Morning Post, February 5, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2132135/drones-dredgers-stop-chinas-top-tech-falling-foreign

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

刷脸进站、AI机器视觉 高科技助春运更快速便捷 (Guangzhou South Railway Station uses facial recognition on passengers during Spring Festival travel)
Legal Daily, February 5, 2018
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2018-02/05/content_7468039.htm

Related:
逃犯无处可逃 全国铁路第一款人像比对警务眼镜投入实战 (Fugitives have nowhere to run as China's first wearable facial recognition device put to use by police at Henan high-speed railway station)
QQ.com, February 5, 2018
http://new.qq.com/omn/20180205/20180205A0MBQ8.html#p=1

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

China’s meddling poses greater threat to EU than Kremlin, says study
Politico. February 5, 2018
https://www.politico.eu/article/chinas-meddling-poses-greater-threat-to-eu-than-kremlin-says-study/

Related:
Authoritarian advance: Responding to China’s growing political influence in Europe
Mercator Institute for China Studies and the Global Public Policy Institute, February 5, 2018
https://www.merics.org/sites/default/files/2018-02/GPPi_MERICS_Authoritarian_Advance_2018_1.pdf

Is China inflicting a “century of humiliation” on the world?
The Diplomat, February 4, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/is-china-inflicting-a-century-of-humiliation-on-the-world/

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong democracy activists Joshua Wong, Alex Chow, Nathan Law free to go after Occupy sentence appeal
Hong Kong Free Press, February 6, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/06/breaking-hong-kong-democracy-activists-joshua-wong-alex-chow-nathan-law-free-go-occupy-sentence-appeal/

Journalism NGO reports “unprecedented hardship” for Hong Kong’s media industry and “bleak” trends in China
Hong Kong Free Press, February 6, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/06/journalism-ngo-reports-unprecedented-hardship-hong-kongs-media-industry-bleak-trends-china/

Election ban rules “very clear”, Carrie Lam insists, but says government will “seriously consider” clarifying them if needed
South China Morning Post, February 6, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2132202/election-ban-rules-very-clear-carrie-lam-insists-says

Related:
Embattled Demosisto party hangs large black banners protesting banning of Hong Kong by-election candidates
Hong Kong Free Press, February 5, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/05/embattled-demosisto-party-hangs-large-black-banners-protesting-banning-hong-kong-election-candidates/

In Pictures: Hong Kong students in UK protest banning of pro-democracy candidates from by-election
Hong Kong Free Press, February 5, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/05/pictures-hong-kong-students-uk-protest-banning-pro-democracy-candidates-election/

林鄭月娥冀議員盡快完成審議及落實一地兩檢條例草案 (Carrie Lam urges lawmakers to review draft co-location arrangement and implement it ASAP)
Radio Television Hong Kong, February 5, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1379269-20180205.htm

Commentary (评论)

曲蕃夫:特雷莎·梅访华与褪色的中英“黄金时代” (May’s China trip and the faded “Gold Age” of Sino-British relations)
The Initium, February 6, 2018
https://theinitium.com/article/20180206-international-qiu-theresa-may/

Hong Kong’s Nobel nominees should aim for the bigger prize: democracy, not “self-determination” from China
South China Morning Post, February 5, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2132031/hong-kongs-nobel-nominees-should-aim-bigger-prize-democracy

Hong Kong’s courts have defended its freedoms. Is Beijing changing that?
北京重压下,香港司法系统能继续捍卫自由吗?
The New York Times, February 5, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/world/asia/china-hong-kong-courts.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20180206/china-hong-kong-courts/

桂民海再被捕 只有一個原因 (There is only one reason for Gui Minhai getting arrested again)
Stand News, February 5, 2018
http://bit.ly/2BGMtIP

What it’s like to live in a surveillance state
新疆:天罗地网下的监控世界
The New York Times, February 3, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/opinion/sunday/china-surveillance-state-uighurs.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/opinion/20180205/china-surveillance-state-uighurs/