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 29, 2013

Top News

酒店因“维稳”需要违约被判败诉 (Hotel Loses Case in Breaching Contract for “Stability Maintenance”)
Caixin, March 25, 2013
http://china.caixin.com/2013-03-25/100506031.html

Related:
“维稳”非“不可抗力,”NGO首获胜诉 (Court Says “Maintaining Stability” is Not “Force Majeure,” Anti-Discrimination NGO Wins Case against Hotel)
NGO Information Website, March 26,2013
http://www.lvngo.com/ngo-31467-1.html

[HRIC note: In a precedent-setting ruling, a court in Suzhou ruled on March 18 that a hotel may not exclude clients using “temporary government requisition” (政府临时征用客房开会) as a pretext. The case concerns Tianxiagong—an anti-discrimination NGO based in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, www.tianxiagong.org—which sought damages for room reservations for a conference that a hotel refused to honor. The Suzhou Motai hotel (苏州莫泰酒店管理有限公司)said that it canceled Tianxiagong’s reservations by order from the Pishijie substation of Suzhou Public Security Bureau, and the police admitted that its order was necessary to “maintain stability.” The court ordered the hotel to pay Tianxiagong 21,570 yuan in damages, in addition to returning the original deposit of 5,000 yuan.]