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.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Access to Information (信息公开)

Chinese liberal think tank’s days were numbered, director says
South China Morning Post, January 27, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2065831/chinese-liberal-think-tanks-days-were-numbered-director

China’s premier just extolled the virtues of openness on a news site blocked by China
Quartz, January 26, 2017
https://qz.com/895229/chinese-premier-li-keqiang-just-extolled-the-virtues-of-openness-on-a-news-site-blocked-by-china/

“文革二日”戛然而止? 中共首席大法官周强“对司法独立亮剑”讲话被收回 (Is "Cultural Revolution 2.0" screeching to a halt? Portions of Chief Justice Zhou Qiang’s speech in which he declared war against “Western judicial independence" removed)
Bowen Press, January 18, 2017
http://bowenpress.com/news/bowen_158987.html

Related:
A Chief Justice Like Zhou Qiang Must Leave: An Open Letter Urging Zhou Qiang to Resign
这样子的周院长,必须走人——敦请周强辞职书(图)
Human Rights in China, January 19, 2017
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/citizens-square/chief-justice-zhou-qiang-must-leave-open-letter-urging-zhou-qiang-resign
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/gong-min-yan-chang/zhe-yang-zi-de-zhou-yuan-chang-bi-xu-zou-ren-dun-qing-zhou-qiang-ci-zhi-shu-tu

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Chinese activists send cards to hundreds of prisoners of conscience
Radio Free Asia, January 26, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/prisoners-cards-01262017135703.html

常州毒地诉讼案两环保组织败诉 (Two environmental groups lose over Changzhou “toxic land” litigation)
Radio Free Asia, January 27, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/ml1-01262017103056.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China tries to ease fears over impact of VPN crackdown
South China Morning Post, January 25, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2065344/china-tries-ease-fears-over-impact-vpn-crackdown

Hong Kong (香港)

Lunar New Year fair poster leads to safety concerns about pro-independence activities
South China Morning Post, January 26, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2065723/lunar-new-year-fair-poster-raises-safety-concerns-about-pro

聯合國組織關注傘運警濫權 港府人權報告hea答拒改善 (UN committee expresses concern about police’s abuse of power during Umbrella Movement, unsatisfactory response and lack of improvement in Hong Kong gov’t’s response)
Apple Daily, January 26, 2017
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20170126/56223881

港入境处长:暂无证据向李波提控 (HK Director of Immigration: No evidence to prosecute Lee Bo)
Radio Free Asia, January 26, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/wsw-01262017103242.html

彭定康憂英出賣尊嚴換對華生意 指背棄對港承諾 辜負一代香港人 (Patten worries that UK is "selling honor" for business with China, says it breaks promise to Hong Kong, disappoints a generation of Hong Kong people)
Mingpao, January 26, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170126/s00001/1485408547637

Commentary (评论)

Implementing the overseas NGO law—26 NGOs register in Beijing and Guangdong
NGOs in China Blog, January 25, 2017
http://ngochina.blogspot.hk/2017/01/implementing-overseas-ngo-law-26-ngos.html

"雾霾”、“宪政”,中国当局的“不可描述”现象 (“Smog”, “constitutionalism”, the Chinese authorities' “indescribable” phenomenon)
Voice of America, January 26, 2017
http://www.voachinese.com/a/china-smog-20170126/3692964.html