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 22, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

联合国人权专家敦促中国释放藏语保护者 (UN human rights experts urge China to free Tibetan language activist Tashi Wangchuk)
Voice of America, February 22, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/un-china-tibet-rights-20180221/4265402.html

Related:
China: UN experts denounce the criminalization of linguistic and cultural rights advocacy
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, February 21, 2018
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22683&LangID=E

Trial of Macau lawmaker fuels new wave of activism in casino hub
Reuters, February 22, 2018
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/trial-of-macau-lawmaker-fuels-new-wave-of-activism-in-casino-hub-9980960

“A very scary movie”: how China snatched Gui Minhai on the 11.10 train to Beijing
The Guardian, February 22, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/22/how-china-snatched-gui-minhai-train-beijing-bookseller-hong-kong

汉中“2·15杀人案”续:官方通报称嫌疑人对母亲被杀怀恨在心 (22 years after witnessing mother gets beaten to death, veteran, 35, knifes 3 in Shaanxi on eve of Lunar New Year)
The Beijing News, February 21, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/02/21/476652.html

Related:
“Hero” status for murderer sparks online controversy
Global Times, February 21, 2018
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1089998.shtml

Chinese court upholds jail term amid nationwide crackdown on complaints
到北京上访 访民被控「寻衅滋事」判刑4年半
Radio Free Asia, February 21, 2018
EN: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/upholds-02212018112227.html
CH: https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/sentence-02212018084442.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

习近平谈家风 (Xi Jinping talks about family ethics)
People’s Daily, February 22, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0222/c1001-29827638.html

A dance for Tibetan New Year, then 17 hours in custody
藏历新年,时报记者被拘留的17个小时
The New York Times, February 18, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/18/world/asia/tibet-china-journalists.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20180222/tibet-china-journalists/

Related:
藏历新年达赖喇嘛法像遭禁供 (Qinghai bans people from worshipping picture of Dalai Lama during Tibetan New Year)
Radio Free Asia, February 21, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/dz-02212018111847.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

上海46万“镇保”失地农民的81名维权代表第41次到上海市人力资源和社会保障局维权 要求享受“城保”同等待遇 (81 reps of Shanghai peasants demand urban social security after losing land rights)
Weiquanwang, February 22, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/02/468141.html?spref=tw

日内瓦人权民主峰会:中国政府愚弄了国际社会 (Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy: Chinese government has fooled the international community)
Radio Free Asia, February 21, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/wy-02212018111548.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Transparency International: China climbs two places in global corruption perception ranking as President Xi Jinping wages war on graft
South China Morning Post, February 22, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2134145/transparency-international-china-climbs-two-places

Blue-sky thinking: how China's crackdown on pollution is paying off
The Guardian, February 22, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/22/blue-sky-thinking-how-chinas-crackdown-on-pollution-is-paying-off

我省18700户建档立卡贫困户获赠电视机 (300,000 impoverished families to receive free TV sets from authorities to better study Xi Jinping Thought and 19th party congress)
Anhui Daily, February 21, 2018
http://epaper.anhuinews.com/html/ahrb/20180221/article_3642474.shtml

Seven years old and kicked out of Beijing
被赶出北京的7岁女孩
The New York Times, February 14, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/15/world/asia/girl-leaving-beijing.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20180222/girl-leaving-beijing/

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

专访政治学家韩博天:数字列宁主义下,中国将如何重塑全球秩序? (Interview with Sebastian Heilmann: How will China reshape the world under digital Leninism?)
The Initium, February 22, 2018
https://theinitium.com/article/20180222-mainland-sebastian-heilmann-interview/

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

China's soft diplomacy at the Munich security conference
The Diplomat, February 21, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/chinas-soft-diplomacy-at-the-munich-security-conference/

Hong Kong (香港)

Amnesty International decries “chilling effect” of Hong Kong’s prosecution of pro-democracy figures
Hong Kong Free Press, February 22, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/22/amnesty-international-decries-chilling-effect-hong-kongs-prosecution-pro-democracy-figures/

Related:
Amnesty International Report 2016/17: The state of the world's human rights
Amnesty International, February 22, 2018
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol10/4800/2017/en/

Hong Kong pan-democrat sees Legco by-election slim hopes worsen over illegal structures
South China Morning Post, February 21, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2134151/hong-kong-pan-democrat-sees-legco-election-hopes-dim-over

Related:
Pro-democracy election candidate Au Nok-hin accuses rival of witch hunt over Basic Law burning row
Hong Kong Free Press, February 22, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/22/pro-democracy-election-candidate-au-nok-hin-accuses-rival-witch-hunt-basic-law-burning-row/

Pro-Beijing election hopeful Bill Tang apologizes for mailing pamphlet with inadequate postage
Hong Kong Free Press, February 22, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/22/pro-beijing-election-hopeful-bill-tang-apologises-mailing-pamphlet-inadequate-postage/

Proposed changes to media ownership rules may have “little impact” on mainland investment trend, Hong Kong lawmaker says
Hong Kong Free Press, February 22, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/22/proposed-changes-media-ownership-rules-may-little-impact-mainland-investment-trend-hong-kong-lawmaker-says/

Prosecutors accuse Hong Kong activist Edward Leung of inciting crowd on first day of Mong Kok riot trial
South China Morning Post, February 21, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2134148/prosecutors-accuse-hong-kong-activist-edward-leung-inciting

民建聯再倡於廣東設「香港村」 (DAB suggests, again, to build “Hong Kong village” in Guangdong)
Mingpao, February 21, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180221/s00001/1519204974728

Commentary (评论)

Mapping the Silk Road: State propaganda and the race against history
Hong Kong Free Press, February 22, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/22/mapping-silk-road-state-propaganda-race-history/

Stronger vetting system needed for Hong Kong officials
South China Morning Post, February 22, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2134176/stronger-vetting-system-needed-hong-kong-officials

Easing concerns of Hong Kong helpers should start with mandatory code
South China Morning Post, February 21, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2134177/easing-concerns-hong-kong-helpers-should-start-mandatory

China’s detention law: CCP curbs courts
The Diplomat, February 21, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/chinas-detention-law-ccp-curbs-courts/

The limits of quiet diplomacy with China
Taiwan Sentinel, February 14, 2018
https://sentinel.tw/limits-quiet-diplomacy-china/