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, May 08, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

秦永敏案将于2018年5月11日正式开庭 (Veteran political dissident Qin Yongmin to face trail on May 11 in Wuhan on subversion charges)
Weiquanwang, May 8, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/05/2018511.html

著名人权律师江天勇被转到河南第二监狱 (Human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong transferred to Henan No. 2 Prison)
Weiquanwang, May 8, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/05/blog-post_12.html

学者:新疆再教育营关人或近百万 警察抓人有指标 (Xinjiang police puts nearly 1 million in re-education camp to meet quota: Scholar)
Voice of America, May 8, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/4383631.html

Related:
新疆“培训中心”系统性强迫灌服不明药物 女人停经男人丧失生殖功能 (Xinjiang said to systemically sterilize people at re-education camps)
China Aid, May 4, 2018
http://www.chinaaid.net/2018/05/blog-post_89.html?m=1#.WuzezrGp9L0.whatsapp

Chinese writers arrested for online “slurs” about dairy firm as Beijing tightens grip on social media
South China Morning Post, May 7, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2145060/chinese-writers-arrested-online-slurs-about-dairy-firm

中共中央印发《社会主义核心价值观融入法治建设立法修法规划》 (CPC Central Committee issues plan to “integrate socialists core values into” drafting and revision of laws)
Xinhua News Agency, May 7, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-05/07/c_1122796215.htm

最高检:持续加大刑事申诉案件公开审查力度 (Supreme People’s Procuratorate: Will continue to increase open court hearings of criminal appeals )
Supreme People's Procuratorate, May 7, 2018
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2018-05/07/content_7538610.htm

Access to Information (信息公开)

“五四”北大突现大字报 批习近平搞个人崇拜 (73-year-old Peking University alumnus criticizes Xi Jinping for cult of personality on campus posters)
Radio Free Asia, May 7, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yl-05072018105616.html

Xi capitalizes on Marx’s legacy to rally China around communist party
The Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2018
https://www.wsj.com/articles/xi-capitalizes-on-marxs-legacy-to-rally-china-around-communist-party-1525707225

快手党支部:树立正确的网络安全观,用科技提升人民的幸福感 (CPC cell inside video-streaming platform Kuaishou vows to shape a “correct” view of cybersecurity and use technology to enhance people’s sense of well-being, seriously study and implement the spirit of Xi Jinping’s important speeches)
Beijing Internet Association Party Committee, May 7, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2116150

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

家長申訴京維穩 譚作人:校舍問題爛尾 重建談何成就 (Tan Zuoren and deceased students’ parents continue to demand justice 10 years after Sichuan Earthquake)
Mingpao, May 8, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20180508/s00013/1525716432623

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Former top Chinese Communist official Sun Zhengcai jailed for life for bribery
Agence France-Presse, May 8, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/05/08/former-top-chinese-communist-official-sun-zhengcai-jailed-life-bribery/

「全國之愛匯聚」 汶川定512為感恩日 (Wenchuan County authority sets May 12 as “Day of Gratitude” 10 years after devastating earthquake hit Sichuan)
HKET, May 7, 2018
https://bit.ly/2rqIh8w

Related:
The young amputees of the Wenchuan earthquake
Sixth Tone, May 7, 2018
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1002219/The%20Young%20Amputees%20of%20the%20Wenchuan%20Earthquake

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

“车脸识别”神器秒查涉牌违法 1秒分析300余张照片 (Intelligent “car-recognition system” used by Chinese traffic police can analyze over 300 photos per second)
People's Daily, May 7, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/yuqing/2018-05/07/c_129865742.htm

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

Taiwan accuses World Health Organization of bowing to Beijing over invitation to top health meeting
Agence France-Presse, May 8, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2145129/taiwan-accuses-world-health-organisation-bowing-beijing

Related:
US and international airlines risk curbs on mainland operations if they refuse to obey Beijing’s “one-China” rules in Taiwan row
South China Morning Post, May 8, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2145062/foreign-airlines-risk-curbs-mainland-operations-if-they

Chinese missiles are transforming the balance of power in the skies
Bloomberg, May 8, 2018
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-07/chinese-missiles-are-transforming-balance-of-power-in-the-skies

US ramps up criticism of Beijing on Weibo over demands that airlines list Taiwan and Hong Kong as part of China
Agence France-Presse, May 7, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/05/07/us-ramps-criticism-beijing-weibo-demands-airlines-list-taiwan-hong-kong-part-china/

Hong Kong (香港)

U-turn as lawmaker Regina Ip files motion to condemn democrat Ted Hui over phone snatching row
Hong Kong Free Press, May 8, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/05/08/u-turn-lawmaker-regina-ip-files-motion-condemn-democrat-ted-hui-phone-snatching-row/

“Death threat” with nine dead cockroaches sent to Hong Kong lawmaker Elizabeth Quat
South China Morning Post, May 8, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2145092/hong-kong-lawmaker-elizabeth-quat-makes-police-report-after

Controversial Express Rail joint checkpoint bill passes committee stage amid protests; next reading in June
Hong Kong Free Press, May 7, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/05/07/controversial-express-rail-joint-checkpoint-bill-passes-committee-stage-amid-protests-next-reading-june/

Related:
No more ways to convince lawmakers about Express Rail joint checkpoint bill, says Chief Exec. Carrie Lam
Hong Kong Free Press, May 8, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/05/08/no-ways-convince-lawmakers-express-rail-joint-checkpoint-bill-says-chief-exec-carrie-lam/

Commentary (评论)

Hear China’s totalitarian cruelty in this widow’s sobs
The Washington Post, May 7, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/hear-chinas-totalitarian-cruelty-in-this-widows-sobs/2018/05/07/c3b271ec-5221-11e8-abd8-265bd07a9859_story.html

2017 Annual Report on Human Rights Situation in Tibet
2017年西藏人权状况年度报告
Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, May 7, 2018
EN: http://e.issuu.com/embed.html#33384233/61019923
CH: http://e.issuu.com/embed.html#33384233/61021262

Think it's funny that China is cracking down on Peppa Pig? Think again
The Guardian, May 7, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/07/china-cracking-down-on-peppa-pig

Playing with fire: why are Donald Trump and Xi Jinping whipping up nationalist fervor?
South China Morning Post, May 7, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2145008/playing-fire-why-are-donald-trump-and-xi-jinping-whipping

Related:
What role does soft power play in China-US relations?
The Diplomat, May 8, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/05/what-role-does-soft-power-play-in-china-us-relations/

The significance of crane operators across China going on strike
China Change, May 7, 2018
https://chinachange.org/2018/05/07/the-significance-of-crane-operators-across-china-going-on-strike/

You could never replace Cantonese as the language of Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, May 7, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2145001/you-could-never-replace-cantonese-language-hong-kong

High-speed empire: Chinese expansion and the future of Southeast Asia
China File, May 3, 2018
http://www.chinafile.com/library/books/high-speed-empire