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.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

时事大家谈:中国律师执业权利保障何在 (Current Affairs Discussion: What guarantees lawyers’ rights to practice the profession)
Voice of America, March 16, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/VOAWeishi-IssuesandOpinions-20160315-how-to-protect-the-practice-rights-of-lawyers-in-china/3237110.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Two writers publicly resign amid the Chinese Communist Party's tightening grip on culture
Global Voices, March 16, 2016
https://globalvoices.org/2016/03/16/two-writers-publicly-resign-amid-the-chinese-communist-partys-tightening-grip-on-culture/

Former Xinhua reporter takes a swipe at Chinese censorship
Radio Free Asia, March 14, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/former-xinhua-reporter-takes-a-swipe-at-chinese-censorship-03142016141611.html

Chinese website publishes, then pulls, explosive letter calling for President Xi’s resignation
Washington Post, March 16, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/03/16/government-linked-website-published-then-pulled-call-for-president-xis-resignation/

Related:
关于要求习近平同志辞去党和国家领导职务的公开信 (Requesting Xi Jinping to resign from Party and state leadership positions)
Mingpao, March 5, 2016
http://news.creaders.net/china/2016/03/05/1647666.html

【新華社錯失】錯稱習近平「最後領導人」 報道指「政治錯誤」 發稿編輯停職及取消預備黨員資格 ([Xinhua News blunder] Mistakenly called Xi Jinping “the last leader,” reportage accused as “politically incorrect,” editor dismissed and lost status as probationary party member)
Ming Pao, March 16, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160316/s00001/1458102932793

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Do not admire the “strength” that crushes lives and tramples over human rights
China Change, March 16, 2016
http://chinachange.org/2016/03/16/do-not-admire-the-strength-that-crushes-lives-and-tramples-over-human-rights/

Chinese parliamentary delegate's rare act of dissent
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 16, 2016
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35817298

The good—and bad—about China’s new charity law
The Wall Street Journal, March 16, 2016
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/03/16/the-good-and-bad-about-chinas-new-charity-law/

Related:
HRIC Law Note: Draft Law on Foreign NGOs Undermines Chinese Civil Society and China’s International Engagement
中国人权法律评论:境外非政府组织管理法草案损害了中国的民间社会和中国政府的国际参与
Human Rights in China, May 5, 2015
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/legal-resources/hric-law-note-draft-law-foreign-ngos-undermines-chinese-civil-society-and-chinas
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-ren-quan-fa-lu-ping-lun-jing-wai-fei-zheng-fu-zu-zhi-guan-li-fa-cao-sun-hai-liao-zhong-guo

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Watch: From My Lai to Ferguson, China blasts U.S. human rights abuses in a new documentary
Quartz, March 15, 2016
http://qz.com/639275/watch-from-my-lai-to-ferguson-china-blasts-us-human-rights-abuses-in-a-new-documentary/

Related:
China at the UN: Shouting Down the Critics
Human Rights in China, March 15, 2016
http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/press-release/china-un-shouting-down-critics

Rising political star of northern China feels the heat of coal miners’ protests
South China Morning Post, March 15, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1925693/rising-political-star-northern-china-feels-heat-coal

Corrupt officials move money through Hong Kong, says Chinese anti-corruption official
Hong Kong Free Press, March 13, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/03/13/corrupt-officials-move-money-through-hong-kong-says-chinese-anti-corruption-official/

时事大家谈:联合国为何猛批中国人权 (Current Affairs Discussion: Why the U.N. severely criticizes China’s state of human rights)
Voice of America, March 16, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/VOAWeishi-IssuesandOpinions-20160315-why-did-the-un-lash-out-at-human-rights-in-china/3237102.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

网络安全、反恐:北京希望与FBI合作 (Beijing would like to cooperate with the FBI on cyber security and counterterrorism)
Deutsche Welle, March 15, 2016
http://www.dw.com/zh/网络安全反恐北京希望与fbi合作/a-19118067

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong and Macau to be integrated with nine mainland provinces: State Council plan
South China Morning Post, March 15, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1925690/hong-kong-and-macau-be-integrated-nine-mainland-provinces-state-council

Pro-Beijing figures slam Hong Kong separatism as “impossible,” “impractical”
Hong Kong Free Press, March 16, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/03/16/pro-beijing-figures-slam-hong-kong-separatism-as-impossible-impractical/

學苑前總編:港暫無能力獨立 冀2047前豐富獨立條件 (Former chief editor of HKU publication “Undergrad”: Hong Kong is unable to become independent at the moment, but hopefully enabling factors grow towards 2047)
Ming Pao, March 16, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160316/s00001/1458096621942

Is Scholarism over? Hong Kong student activist group behind Occupy movement mum on future despite report it will disband
South China Morning Post, March 16, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1925809/scholarism-over-hong-kong-student-activist-group-behind

港大民研梁振英民望跌2.1分 續低於警戒線 (HKU survey finds that CY Leung’s popularity drops 2.1 points, continues to be lower than alert level)
Ming Pao, March 15, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160315/s00001/1458039386580

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

China suggests terror convictions surged. Did they?
The Wall Street Journal, March 13, 2016
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/03/13/china-suggests-terror-convictions-surged-did-they/

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

The rule of law needs more than lip service to survive in Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, March 16, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1925805/rule-law-needs-more-lip-service-survive-hong-kong

What’s driving the current storm of Chinese censorship?
ChinaFile, March 15, 2016
http://www.chinafile.com/conversation/whats-driving-current-storm-chinese-censorship