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, May 23, 2016

Access to Information (信息公开)

哈佛研究稱「五毛」年發5億留言影響輿論 環時駁斥「一知半解」 (Harvard study finds “Wumaos” post 500 million comments yearly to impact public opinion, Global Times rebuts: superficial knowledge)
Ming Pao, May 21, 2106
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160521/s00004/1463802049903

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

NGOs take chemical factories to court
China Daily, May 23, 2016
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2016-05/23/content_25426849.htm

Chinese press freedom activist on hunger strike for two weeks, says family
South China Morning Post, May 23, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1951569/chinese-press-freedom-activist-hunger-strike-two-weeks

Related:
声援郭飞雄接力绝食抗议已20天,200多人参加 (Hunger strike relay to support Guo Feixiong into 20 days, over 200 participants)
Voice of America, May 23, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/voa-news-feixiong-guo-protest-20160522/3341187.html

Guo Feixiong on day 11 of hunger strike in prison, wife asks president Xi Jinping to intervene
Human Rights in China, May 19, 2016
http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/case-update/guo-feixiong-day-11-hunger-strike-prison-wife-asks-president-xi-jinping

Chinese protests over university quotas spread to third province
South China Morning Post, May 23, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1951077/chinese-protests-over-university-quotas-spread-third-province

Chinese blogger detained over Buddhist temples "smear"
South China Morning Post, May 23, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1951038/chinese-blogger-detained-over-buddhist-temples-smear

北京自由派学者例行聚餐因六四临近被阻挠 (Beijing liberal scholars’ regular gathering meal obstructed in the run up to June Fourth)
Voice of China, May 23, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/beijing-dissident-20160523/3341838.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Tsai shows no goodwill on cross-Strait ties: mainland scholar
Xinhua, May23, 2016
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2016-05/23/content_25428423.htm

Related:
Minitrue: Adopt unified approach on Taiwan inauguration
China Digital Times, May 23, 2016
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2016/05/taiwan-president-takes-cautious-line-china/

维护两岸关系和平发展的关键在于坚持“九二共识”政治基础 (The key to maintaining cross-strait peace lies in upholding political foundation of the 1992 consensus)
Xinhua, May 21, 2016
http://news.dayoo.com/china/201605/21/139997_47434217.htm

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong government pours cold water on call for a human rights commission
South China Morning Post, May 21, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1949919/hong-kong-government-pours-cold-water-call-human

HK-mainland trade drops in Q1
Xinhua, May 21, 2016
http://english.sina.com/news/2016-05-21/doc-ifxsktvr1038622.shtml

Hong Kong’s student leaders to miss Tiananmen Square vigil for first time after split with organisers
South China Morning Post, May 23, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1951566/hong-kongs-student-leaders-miss-tiananmen-square-vigil-first

Lights out for controversial 2047 “Countdown Machine” art installation on Hong Kong’s ICC building
港艺发局叫停ICC倒数机 创作人质疑高层权力人士介入
South China Morning Post, May 23, 2016
EN: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1951495/lights-out-controversial-2047-countdown-machine
CH: http://www.nanzao.com/sc/hk-macau-tw/154dcf48b8c00b8/gang-yi-fa-ju-jiao-ting-icc-dao-shu-ji-chuang-zuo-ren-zhi-yi-gao-ceng-quan-li-ren-shi-jie-ru

泛民批评京官处理港独枪炮论武力恐吓 (Pan-dems denounce Beijing official’s talk of military treatment to Hong Kong’s independence advocacies as threats of violence)
Voice of America, May 22, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/hk-independence-20160522/3340837.html

Related:
Beijing will use law and public opinion to handle Hong Kong independence issue, not guns, insists prominent lawyer
South China Morning Post, May 22, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1950931/beijing-will-use-law-and-public-opinion-handle-hong-kong

Why people in Hong Kong scoff at China’s grandiose Belt and Road plans
South China Morning Post, May 22, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/1950407/why-people-hong-kong-scoff-chinas-grandiose-belt-and-road

“六四”27周年前夕 港支联会举办民主风筝行动 (In the run up to the 27th anniversary of June Fourth, Hong Kong Alliance organizes kite flying activity for democracy)
Radio Free Asia, May 22, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/xl2-05222016113339.html

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

Chinese military mulls new policies to seek educated recruits
Xinhua, May 23, 2016
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2016-05/23/content_25428424.htm

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

Long may our judicial system remain independent
South China Morning Post, May 22, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1950997/long-may-our-judicial-system-remain-independent

【蔡英文就職】蔡英文給香港的信(文:曾偉強) ([Tsai Ing-wen’s inauguration] Tsai Ing-wen’s letter to Hong Kong)
Ming Pao, May 22, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160522/s00022/1463893793929