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.

Monday, August 03, 2015

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Police raids on Chinese lawyers: The view from the inside
中國維權律師披露被抓捕過程細節
The New York Times, July 31, 2015
EN: http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/31/police-raids-on-chinese-lawyers-the-view-from-the-inside/
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20150803/c03sino-raids/zh-hant/

Related:
Mass suppression of lawyers reveals true nature of Xi’s “rule by law”
对维权律师的大规模镇压揭示了习近平“依法治国”的真实面目
Human Rights in China, July 16, 2015
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/mass-crackdown-chinese-lawyers-and-defenders
CH: http://hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-da-gui-mo-zhen-ya-wei-quan-lu-shi-he-huo-yue-ren-shi

Ex-PLA chief Guo Boxiong to be prosecuted for allegedly accepting bribes for promotions
South China Morning Post, July 30, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1845230/retired-chinese-general-guo-boxiong-expelled-communist

“女权五姐妹”的代理律师 提请撤销对五人所立“假案” (Lawyer for the “Feminist Five” applies for expunging records of the “faked cases” against them)
Radio Free Asia, July 31, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yl-07312015110053.html

Tibetan who called for Dalai Lama’s return is said to be freed from Chinese prison
The New York Times, August 2, 2015
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/world/asia/tibetan-who-called-for-dalai-lamas-return-is-said-to-be-freed-from-chinese-prison.html

China seeks businessman said to have fled to U.S., further straining ties
New York Times, August 3, 2015
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/04/world/asia/china-seeks-ling-wancheng-businessman-said-to-have-fled-to-us.html

Uyghur exile pursues life in Turkey after taunts and torture back in China
Radio Free Asia, July 31, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/exile-pursues-life-in-turkey-after-taunts-and-torture-back-in-china-07312015153931.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Can China continue to dictate the news agenda online?
Chatham House, July 2015
http://www.chathamhouse.org/publication/twt/can-china-continue-keep-journalists-short-lead#sthash.4Oytfvb7.dpuf

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Ai Weiwei given extended visa to visit Britain after Theresa May intervenes
The Guardian, July 31, 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jul/31/ai-weiwei-visa-britain-theresa-may

Related:
英政府向艾未未道歉 重发6个月签证 (UK gov’t apologizes to Ai Weiwei and decides to issue 6-month visa)
Voice of America, August 3, 2015
http://www.voachinese.com/content/aiweiwei-visa-20150731/2889879.html

Questions mount over decision to restrict Ai Weiwei’s UK visa
Hong Kong Free Press, July 31, 2015
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/07/31/questions-mount-over-decision-to-restrict-ai-weiweis-uk-visa/

英媒:中國異見藝術家艾未未的簽證風波 (UK media: Visa scandal of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei)
British Broadcasting Corporation, July 31, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/press_review/2015/07/150731_press_review

The dying wish of former gold miner He Quangui
China Labor Bulletin, August 2, 2015
http://www.clb.org.hk/en/content/dying-wish-former-gold-miner-he-quangui

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Beijing’s path to hosting 2022 Olympics
The New York Times, July 31, 2015
http://www.nytimes.com/video/world/asia/100000003830125/beijing-to-host-the-2022-winter-olympics.html

Related:
With China, IOC Turns Its Back on Human Rights
Human Rights in China, July 31, 2015
http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/statement/china-ioc-turns-its-back-human-rights

HRIC Urges IOC to Postpone Host City Election for 2022 Olympics
中国人权敦促国际奥委会推迟选举2022年冬奥会主办城市
Human Rights in China, July 28, 2015
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/statement/hric-urges-ioc-postpone-host-city-election-2022-olympics
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/xin-wen-gong-zuo/sheng-ming/zhong-guo-ren-quan-dun-cu-guo-ji-ao-wei-hui-tui-chi-xuan-ju-2022nian

Beijing quietly celebrates Olympic win
Washington Post, July 31, 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/a-more-subdued-celebration-in-beijing-after-nabbing-2022-winter-olympics/2015/07/31/f89b0e2c-36f5-11e5-ab7b-6416d97c73c2_story.html

Heard in the hutong: Do Beijingers think the city’s air quality is improving?
The Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2015
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/08/03/heard-in-the-hutong-do-beijingers-think-the-citys-air-quality-is-improving/tab/interactive/

Guo Boxiong, Jiang Zemin, and the corruption of the Chinese military
The Diplomat, July 31, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/guo-boxiong-jiang-zemin-and-the-corruption-of-the-chinese-military/

Related:
Chinese military paper warns a corrupt army does not win wars
Reuters, August 2, 2015
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/02/us-china-corruption-idUSKCN0Q704I20150802

”He made Xi Jinping very angry”: the rise and fall of once-powerful Chinese general Guo Boxiang
South China Morning Post, July 31, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1845440/rise-and-fall-top-chinese-general-guo-boxiang

China says former senior police chief suspected of murder
Channel NewsAsia, July 31, 2015
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/china-says-former-senior/2020038.html

Senior Jilin official investigated for graft
Radio Television Hong Kong, August 2, 2015
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20150802/news_20150802_56_1120802.htm

Poor maintenance, lax supervision and extreme cost-cutting to blame for China's lift and escalator deaths
South China Morning Post, July 31, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1845611/poor-maintenance-lax-supervision-and-extreme-cost-cutting

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China pushes to rewrite rules of global internet
Wall Street Journal, July 28, 2015
http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-pushes-to-rewrite-rules-of-global-internet-1438112980

U.S. decides to retaliate against China’s hacking
New York Times, July 31, 2015
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/01/world/asia/us-decides-to-retaliate-against-chinas-hacking.html

Related:
Cyber intrusion into U.S. Office of Personnel Management: in brief
Congressional Research Service, July 17, 2015
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R44111.pdf

A veil of secrecy masks stepped-up cyberattacks in Asia
Bloomberg, July 29, 2015
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-28/a-veil-of-secrecy-abets-surge-in-cyber-attacks-in-asia

Cyber Insecurity: West eyes Dr. Strangelove tactics in cyber wars
Financial Times, July 31, 2015
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2d23d4c8-35d2-11e5-b05b-b01debd57852.html

Exclusive: Secret NSA Map Shows China Cyber Attacks on U.S. Targets
NBC News, July 30, 2015
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/exclusive-secret-nsa-map-shows-china-cyber-attacks-us-targets-n401211

China-tied hackers that hit U.S. said to breach United Airlines
Bloomberg Business, July 27, 2015
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-29/china-tied-hackers-that-hit-u-s-said-to-breach-united-airlines

Stagefright: It only takes one text to hack 950 million android phones
Forbes, July 27, 2015
http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2015/07/27/android-text-attacks/

Hong Kong (香港)

婦女團體指胸部襲警案影響深遠亦違常理 (Women’s rights groups: “Assaulting police officer with breasts” has far-reaching impact and defies common sense)
Radio Television Hong Kong, August 3, 2015
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20150803/news_20150803_55_1120946.htm

Hong Kong “breast walk” held over court ruling
Al Jazeera, August 2, 2015
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/hong-kong-breast-walk-protest-court-ruling-150802110617144.html

陳文敏回應香港大學任命副校長風波 (Johannes Chan responds on HKU pro-vice-chancellor appointment scandal)
British Broadcasting Corporation, August 1, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/china/2015/08/150801_hongkong_johannes_chan_response

受鉛水事件影響居民批評政府行動慢決定追討 (Citizens affected by lead-laced water criticize slow gov’t response and demand compensation)
Radio Television Hong Kong, August 3, 2015
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20150803/news_20150803_55_1120936.htm

Related:
政黨及團體承認鉛水事件追討之路漫長及困難 (Political parties & groups admit finding out those responsible for the lead-laced water issue would be long and difficult)
Radio Television Hong Kong, August 3, 2015
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20150803/news_20150803_55_1120937.htm

有水諮會專家倡毋須裝濾水器 學者憂影響幼童發育 (Water advisory committee expert suggests no need to install water filter, academic worries about young children’s growth and development)
Radio Television Hong Kong, August 2, 2015
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20150802/news_20150802_55_1120795.htm

港團體明信片簽署行動聲援中國維權律師 (HK groups organize postcard signing campaign to support China’s human rights lawyers)
British Broadcasting Corporation, August 2, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/china/2015/08/150802_hk_postcards_support_lawyers

Joshua Wong: “We had no clear goals” in Hong Kong protests
British Broadcasting Corporation, August 3, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-china-blog-33729241

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

When is a Chinese dissident not a Chinese dissident? When he's Ai Weiwei
The Telegrah, July 31, 2015
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/11778130/When-is-a-Chinese-dissident-not-a-Chinese-dissident-When-hes-Ai-Weiwei.html

Related:
Ai Weiwei visa reveals UK-China dynamic
The Financial Times, July 30, 2015
http://video.ft.com/4386834610001/Ai-Weiwei-visa-reveals-UK-China-dynamic/World

HKU under threat as CY Leung wages war on Hong Kong’s core values and institutions
Hong Kong Free Press, August 8, 2015
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/08/02/hku-under-threat-as-cy-leung-wages-war-on-hong-kongs-core-values-and-institutions/

The Observer view on the future of the Olympics
The Guardian, August 2, 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/02/observer-view-on-the-beijing-olympics

何清涟:习近平与规则之间关系的迷思(1) (He Qinglian: The mythic relationship between Xi Jinping and rules (1) )
Voice of America, August 3, 2015
http://www.voachinese.com/content/voa-ne4ws-xijinping-destroy-rules-20150801/2893583.html

China’s foreign policy isn't transparent? You’ve got to be kidding
ChinaFile, August 1, 2015
http://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/two-way-street/chinas-foreign-policy-isnt-transparent-youve-got-be-kidding