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, March 09, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

最高法:认真落实习近平主席特赦令,特赦罪犯31527人 (Supreme People’s Court perfects legal protection of human rights and pardons 31,527 criminals following Xi’s order)
The Paper, March 9, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2023538

Related:
周强:赞成宪法修正案草案 坚决遵守维护宪法 (Supreme People’s Court chief Zhou Qiang: “Sincerely supports constitutional amendments” that “meet the needs of the era” and “fulfils people’s expectations”)
Supreme People’s Court, March 7, 2018
http://www.court.gov.cn/zixun-xiangqing-83992.html

Sweden criticizes China's “unacceptable” behavior in detaining bookseller
The Guardian, March 9, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/09/sweden-china-unacceptable-behaviour-detaining-bookseller

黄琦拒绝认罪 检察院提刑期最高15年 (Huang Qi, founder of pro-democracy website, refuses to confess and faces 15 yrs in jail)
Radio Free Asia, March 8, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql2-03082018103047.html

西藏流亡官方悼念拉萨起义死难者 (Exiled Tibetan gov mourns victims in 1989 Lhasa uprising)
Radio Free Asia, March 8, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/dz-03082018114724.html

Interview: “I wanted her to be safe”
Radio Free Asia, March 8, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/sister-03082018164727.html

China on track for “return to Mao Era" of ideological controls: analysts
习近平高调赞同修宪 评论指友好西方国家会重新评价
Radio Free Asia, March 8, 2018
EN: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/xijinping-control-03082018125136.html
CH: https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/xi-03082018084642.html

Xi Jinping's latest tag: living Buddhist deity, Chinese official says
Reuters, March 8, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-parliament-xi-boddhisatva/xi-jinpings-latest-tag-living-buddhist-deity-chinese-official-says-idUSKCN1GK0V6

Related:
Xi Jinping is using his growing authority to amass even more
The Economist, March 8, 2018
https://www.economist.com/news/china/21738333-hopes-bold-economic-reforms-look-forlorn-xi-jinping-using-his-growing-authority-amass

38位文艺界委员联合提案:制定保护国格与民族尊严专门法 (38 CPPCC members propose legislation to protect national dignity and severely punish Chinese citizens promoting Japanese militarism, insulting national heroes and martyrs)
China Youth Daily, March 8, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2022747

Access to Information (信息公开)

Weibo whack-a-mole
China File, March 8, 2018
http://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/media/weibo-whack-mole

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

"Feminist Five" activist on #MeToo's impact in China
Cable News Network, March 8, 2018
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2018/03/08/newsstream-metoo-china-stout-wei.cnn

番禺手袋厂数百工人连续四天罢工 (Hundreds of handbag factory workers in Guangdong strike for 4 days)
Radio Free Asia, March 8, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf1-03082018103113.html

中国大学生“妇女节”前挂“删掉”、“期限”内容横幅 (Chinese university students put up banners with innuendo about Constitution amendments in protest)
Radio Free Asia, March 8, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/yl-03082018102737.html

媽媽站起來 (Mum, stand up)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 6, 2018
http://bit.ly/2tsCrI9

Government Accountability (政府问责)

We followed a Chinese couple on their annual 1,000-mile journey to see their kids
Vice News, March 9, 2018
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/xw59g3/what-chinese-new-year-largest-migration-on-earth-is-like

批中梵協議荒謬 陳日君:送更多人進入鳥籠 (Joseph Zen slams Vatican-China deal, calling it ridiculous and will send more people into “birdcage”)
Inmediahk, March 9, 2018
http://www.inmediahk.net/node/1055627a/

樓繼偉警告社保制度已經入不敷支 (Former head of Ministry of Finance warns social security runs behind expenses)
i-Cable News, March 8, 2018
http://bit.ly/2Ib2Rl0

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

贵州检察院检察长:大数据让司法公正看得见摸得着 (Guizhou procuratorate chief: Big Data serves justice, makes it more accessible)
The Beijing News, March 9, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/wevideo/2018/03/09/478375.html

China’s answer to Silicon Valley: too much talk and not enough action, official complains
South China Morning Post, March 9, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2136428/greater-bay-area-project-needs-state-leader-helm-or-itll-be

The uncomfortable marriage between China and its tech giants
The Wall Street Journal, March 8, 2018
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-godfathers-of-chinese-tech-get-an-offer-they-cant-refuse-1520510404

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

China not trying to “replace America,” foreign minister says
Agence France-Presse, March 9, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/09/china-not-trying-replace-america-foreign-minister-says/

”No back-room deals, everything is transparent”: China defends belt and road investments
South China Morning Post, March 9, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2136438/no-back-room-deals-everything-transparent-china-defends

Hong Kong (香港)

Edward Yiu needs high turnout rate, pan-dem and localists’ votes to win Kowloon West
Hong Kong Free Press, March 9, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/09/edward-yiu-needs-high-turnout-rate-pan-dem-localists-votes-win-kowloon-west/

Related:
Hong Kong votes in “de facto referendum” on Beijing intervention
Financial Times, March 9, 2018
https://www.ft.com/content/6bec6cd8-2341-11e8-ae48-60d3531b7d11

駱應淦:應修例澄清自決準則 DQ前諮詢提名顧問會 (Lawrence Lok S.C says HK government should clarify definition of self-determination, consult with Nomination Advisory Committees before disqualifying candidates)
Citizen News, March 9, 2018
https://goo.gl/qHEDCU

Related:
Cancel Hong Kong’s by-election and reinstate disqualified lawmakers, UK-based watchdog urges
Hong Kong Free Press, March 8, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/08/cancel-hong-kongs-election-reinstate-disqualified-lawmakers-uk-based-watchdog-urges/

高齡海嘯來襲香港,「虐老院」就是我們的未來居所嗎? (Hong Kong faces “ageing tsunami”: Is living in “elderly torture houses” our future?)
The Initium, March 9, 2018
https://theinitium.com/article/20180309-hongkong-who-care-for-elderly-04/

Commentary (评论)

工人權益 日日退步 (Retreating labor rights)
Mingpao, March 9, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180309/s00022/1520515649651

逆權事業 全民有責 (Everyone has a responsibility to defend rights)
Mingpao, March 9, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20180309/s00012/1520531844815

Reversing reform
China File, March 8, 2018
http://www.chinafile.com/library/excerpts/reversing-reform

China: Allow UN rights experts into Tibet
Human Rights Watch, March 8, 2018
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/08/china-allow-un-rights-experts-tibet