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 15, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

警方要求构陷隋牧青 杨霆剑拒绝遭殴 (Activist Yang Tingjian beaten by police after refusing to frame rights lawyer Sui Muqing)
Radio Free Asia, February 14, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf2-02142018100943.html

Related:
律师联署 吁尊重保障律师执业权利 (Lawyers in China join signature campaign urging protection of their rights to practice)
Radio Free Asia, February 14, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf1-02142018102735.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Ai Weiwei: The artwork that made me the most dangerous person in China
The Guardian, February 15, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/feb/15/ai-weiwei-remembering-sichuan-earthquake

China’s online quiz shows must not promote greed, extravagance, media regulator says
Reuters, February 15, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2133495/chinas-online-quiz-shows-must-not-promote-greed

Chinese government gave money to Georgetown Chinese student group
Foreign Policy, February 14, 2018
http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/14/exclusive-chinese-government-gave-money-to-georgetown-chinese-student-group-washington-china-communist-party-influence/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

北京卫计委:北京血液供应可满足临床需求 将配合公安打击“血头血霸” (Beijing health authority bans people from donating blood to family members, pledges to work with police to crack down on underground blood dealers)
The Beijing News, February 15, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/02/15/476469.html

Chinese migrant workers call on Xi Jinping to see them get wages and holidays back
Voice of America, February 15, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/chinese-migrant-workers-at-beijing-railway-station/4255521.html

Related:
“Come back to scold me, Mum”: China’s “Ice Boy” Wang Fuman’s Lunar New Year wish
South China Morning Post, February 15, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2133315/come-back-scold-me-mum-chinas-ice-boy-wang-fumans-lunar-new-year

For China’s Catholics, state-controlled Church is “like a tree with no roots”
The Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2018
https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-catholic-parishes-rattled-by-prospect-of-more-control-from-beijing-1518652580

Related:
On Ash Wednesday, China Catholics mull Vatican-Beijing ties
Agence France-Presse, February 15, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/15/ash-wednesday-china-catholics-mull-vatican-beijing-ties/

習近平:推動「中國號」巨輪駛入新水域 (Xi Jinping claims to drive giant ship of “China” into uncharted waters)
Mingpao, February 14, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180214/s00004/1518611498429

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China’s AI agenda advances
The Diplomat, February 14, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/chinas-ai-agenda-advances/

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

China has built seven new military bases in South China Sea, US navy commander says
Kyodo, February 15, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2133483/china-has-built-seven-new-military-bases-south-china

A beam, a bomb and a burning question: could China be rebooting a nuclear doomsday device?
South China Morning Post, February 14, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2133385/beam-bomb-and-burning-question-could-china-be-rebooting-nuclear

Hong Kong (香港)

特首高官齊賀歲 瑞犬護香江 安居樂同行 (Carrie Lam and other senior officials send Chinese New Year wish: As auspicious dogs watch over Hong Kong, let‘s walk together and live peacefully)
Wen Wei Po, February 15, 2018
http://paper.wenweipo.com/2018/02/15/YO1802150001.htm

兩警質疑認人證供 上訴庭受理上訴 (Court of Appeal grants two police officers charged with assaulting Occupy activist to appeal their sentences on basis of allegedly questionable testimony)
Apple Daily, February 15, 2018
https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/realtime/article/20180215/57836037

Education University “strictly” handled discipline for two students in poster row, but refuses to reveal details
Hong Kong Free Press, February 15, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/15/education-university-strictly-handled-disciplinary-two-students-poster-row-refuses-reveal-details/

Hong Kong’s domestic workers share stories of ill-treatment, poor living conditions and rights abuses
South China Morning Post, February 15, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2133421/hong-kongs-domestic-workers-share-stories-ill-treatment

Bar Assoc. says Hong Kong introduced equivalent of “political screening behind closed doors” for election candidates
Hong Kong Free Press, February 14, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/14/bar-assoc-says-hong-kong-introduced-equivalent-political-screening-behind-closed-doors-election-candidates/

Related:
Statement of the Hong Kong Bar Association on Disqualification
Hong Kong Bar Association, February 14, 2018
http://bit.ly/2Ew2y63

Hong Kong gov’t lagging behind in surveillance laws and routine disclosure, HKU researchers say
Hong Kong Free Press, February 14, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/14/hong-kong-govt-lagging-behind-surveillance-laws-routine-disclosure-hku-researchers-say/

香港支联会年宵摊位悼念六四抗中共威权 (HK Alliance sets up booth at Victoria Park during Chinese New Year to commemorate June Fourth in defiance of CPC’s authoritarian rule)
Radio Free Asia, February 14, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/cp-02142018105917.html

Commentary (评论)

吳凱宇:香港選舉已被全面操控 (Elections in Hong Kong under total control)
Inmediahk, February 15, 2018
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1055200

李立峯﹕什麼使青少年開始看新聞?數碼時代的新聞使用社會化 (What makes the young people start reading news: Socialization of news consumption)
Mingpao, February 15, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20180215/s00012/1518630778354

China: Release human rights lawyers
Human Rights Watch, February 15, 2018
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/15/china-release-human-rights-lawyers

Looking back to look ahead: National identity at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
China Film Insider, February 14, 2018
http://chinafilminsider.com/9416-2/