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.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

China cracks down on human rights lawyers challenging the system
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 11, 2016
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-11/human-rights-lawyers-taking-extraordinary-risks-in-china/7406494

Related:
李和平案“连坐”涉及妻女 王俏岭办暂住证受阻 (Li Heping’s wife and daughter suffer collective punishment—Wang Qiaoling fails to get temporary residence permit)
Radio Free Asia, May 11, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf1-05112016103545.html

Mass Crackdown on Chinese Lawyers and Defenders
中国大规模镇压维权律师和活跃人士
Human Rights in China, February 5, 2016
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

新疆一维族男子因看“敏感”电影被判七年 (Xinjiang Uyghur sentenced to 7 years for watching “sensitive” film)
Voice of America, May 11, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/voa-news-china-sentences-man-to-7-years-in-jail-for-watching-a-film-20160511/3325792.html

【川震8周年】樂見一線希望 譚作人透露民事訴訟首獲法院接受待審批 ([Sichuan earthquake 8th anniversary] Tan Zuoren glad to see a gleam of hope as first civil action accepted by court)
Ming Pao, May 12, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160512/s00004/1463034250952

中国国有企业利用“主权豁免权”免于法律诉讼 (Chinese state owned enterprises use “sovereign immunity” to be exempted from lawsuits)
Voice of America, May 12, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/voa-news-chinese-state-entities-argue-they-have-sovereign-immunity-20160511/3325874.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Extraordinary moment China censors BBC coverage of the Queen's unguarded comments
The Telegraph, May 11, 2016
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/11/extraordinary-moment-china-censors-bbc-coverage-of-the-queens-co/

Related:
英女王批習訪問團無禮 《環時》反斥西方媒體「蠻夷」 (The British Queen criticizes Xi’s visiting mission as rude, “Global Times” rebuts Western media as “barbaric”)
Ming Pao, May 12, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160512/s00004/1463033433916

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Former students call for full inquiry into “suspicious” death of Beijing university alumnus in police custody
Agence France-Presse, May 11, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1943580/former-students-call-full-inquiry-suspicious-death-beijing

Kardze mine work halted pending “resolution” of community concerns
Radio Free Asia, May 11, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/halted-05112016151524.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Were authorities really tricked into hosting a Cultural Revolution throwback concert? Chinese are skeptical.
Global Voices, May 12, 2016
https://globalvoices.org/2016/05/12/were-authorities-really-tricked-into-hosting-a-cultural-revolution-throwback-concert-chinese-are-skeptical/

How political hatred during Cultural Revolution led to murder and cannibalism in a small town in China
South China Morning Post, May 11, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1943581/how-political-hatred-during-cultural-revolution-led

China refuses entry to German chair of human rights committee
Deutsche Welle, May 11, 2016
http://www.dw.com/en/china-refuses-entry-to-german-chair-of-human-rights-committee/a-19249261

德人权专员:中国打压维权人士有损形象 (German human rights Commissioner: China’s crackdown on rights defenders harms her image)
Deutsche Welle, May 11, 2016
http://www.dw.com/zh/德人权专员中国打压维权人士有损形象/a-19249300

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Apple’s uphill battle with China is a reminder that there’s no such thing as “borderless” tech
Quartz, May 11, 2016
http://qz.com/680952/apples-uphill-battle-with-china-is-a-reminder-that-theres-no-such-thing-as-borderless-tech/

Hong Kong (香港)

Rioting charge against another accused dropped as court adjourns Mong Kok unrest cases till June
Hong Kong Free Press, May 10, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/10/rioting-charge-against-another-accused-dropped-as-court-adjourns-mong-kok-unrest-cases-till-june/

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

If you want to anger China you should criticize its human rights record not its etiquette
The Independent, May 11, 2016
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/if-you-want-to-anger-china-you-should-criticise-their-human-rights-record-not-their-etiquette-a7024586.html