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.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Mystery, concern spread with release of Chinese activist
Reuters, July 11, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-idUSKCN0ZR0S2

Related:
Young Chinese legal activist “regrets” civil rights activism
South China Morning Post, July 11, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1988501/young-chinese-legal-activist-regrets-civil-rights

Lawyer for legal assistant Zhao Wei is detained over sexual assault rumors
Radio Free Asia, July 11, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-lawyer-07112016162107.html

VOA连线: 赵威丈夫不能证明她目前是否完全获得自由 (Zhao Wei husband cannot prove if she really has freedom now)
Voice of America, July 12, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/a/connect-you-minglei-20160711/3413739.html

Chinese rights lawyers demand immediate release of colleague
VOA连线常伯阳: 维权律师联名签署声明抗议任全牛律师因言获罪
Voice of America, July 11, 2016
EN: http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-rights-lawyers-demand-immediate-release-of-colleague/3413103.html
CH: http://www.voachinese.com/a/voaconnect-20160711-renquan-niu-protests/3413211.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Crowd control: The views of Chinese people matter—but only up to a point
The Economist, July 9, 2016
http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21701652-views-chinese-people-matterbut-only-up-toa-point-crowd-control

A new species of beetle named after President Xi is blacklisted on Chinese social media
Global Voices, July 11, 2016
https://globalvoices.org/2016/07/11/a-new-species-of-beetle-named-after-president-xi-is-blacklisted-on-chinese-social-media/

Indian firms most transparent, Chinese firms most opaque: Transparency International
The Hindu, July 11, 2016
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/indian-firms-most-transparent-chinese-firms-most-opaque-transparency-international/article8835148.ece

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

金馬獎藏族導演被拘後首回應 正在醫院治療 要求「一個說法」 (Golden Horse Award laureate Tibetan director first talks after arrest, hospitalized, asking for “an explanation”)
Ming Pao, July 12, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160712/s00004/1468293462363

西藏人权组织呼吁中国政府释放扎西旺秀 (Tibetan rights organization urges Chinese government to release Tibetan language rights campaigner)
Radio Free Asia, July 11, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/dz-07112016112007.html

瑞典維權義工達林首披露在中國被囚細節:房間牆有厚墊 「認罪」片與央視員工均照稿讀 (Swedish rights defense volunteer Dahlin first reveals details of being detained in China: room walls heavily carpeted, “confession” video and CCTV reportage all scripted)
Ming Pao, July 11, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160712/s00004/1468254265750

Government Accountability (政府问责)

False hope? China's military hospitals offer illegal experimental cures
Reuters, July 11, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-hospitals-insight-idUSKCN0ZR0BW

EU must push China on human rights, with or without the UK
The Diplomat, July 12, 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2016/07/eu-must-push-china-on-human-rights-with-or-without-the-uk/

Of course China, like all great powers, will ignore an international legal verdict
The Diplomat, July 11, 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2016/07/of-course-china-like-all-great-powers-will-ignore-an-international-legal-verdict/

China believes it is the real victim in the South China Sea dispute
The Washington Post, July 11, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/07/11/china-believes-it-is-the-real-victim-in-the-south-china-sea-dispute/

Tribunal overwhelmingly rejects Beijing's South China Sea claims
Reuters, July 12, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-ruling-stakes-idUSKCN0ZS02U

Related:
中国:海牙法庭南海仲裁无效及无约束力 (China: The Hague’s ruling on South China Sea is ineffective and non-legally binding)
British Broadcasting Corporation, July 12, 2016
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2016/07/160712_southchinasea_reaction

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

The Internet was supposed to foster democracy. China has different ideas.
Washington Post, July 10, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/the-internet-was-supposed-to-foster-democracy-china-has-different-ideas/2016/07/10/42954bbc-1dd9-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong’s memorial museum for Tiananmen Square Massacre closes
Hong Kong Free Press, July 12, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/07/12/memorial-museum-for-tiananmen-square-massacre-closes-indefinitely/

Gov’t and Red Cross deny claims that Hong Kong-donated blood and organs are sent to China
Hong Kong Free Press, July 11, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/07/11/govt-and-red-cross-deny-claims-that-hong-kong-donated-blood-and-organs-are-sent-to-china/

Democratic Party says ICAC revamp could be related to UGL probe
Economic Journal, July 11, 2016
http://www.ejinsight.com/20160711-democratic-party-says-icac-revamp-could-be-related-to-ugl-probe/

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

Like it or not, UNCLOS arbitration is legally binding for China
East Asia Forum, July 11, 2016
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/07/11/like-it-or-not-unclos-arbitration-is-legally-binding-for-china/