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, February 09, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

中国法官批特朗普破坏司法独立 网民:太神奇了!(Chinese judge criticizes Donald Trump for damaging judicial independence, netizens: that’s amazing)
Radio France Internationale, February 8, 2017
http://cn.rfi.fr/中国/ 20170208-中国法官批特朗普破坏司法独立-中国网民太神奇了!

Related:
Donald Trump’s tweets about a judge find a critic in an unlikely place: China
中國法官譴責川普破壞司法獨立
The New York Times, February 7, 2017
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/world/asia/donald-trump-judge-china.html
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20170208/donald-trump-judge-china/zh-hant/

中国最高法新规定︰法院外抗议或被追究刑责 (Chinese Supreme Court issues new rules: Protests outside courtrooms may lead to criminal liability)
Radio Free Asia, February 8, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ml1-02082017110403.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

China vice premier says falsifying economic data will be punished: paper
Reuters, February 9, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-data-idUSKBN15O0E1

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Beijing graft-buster pats itself on back for muzzling outspoken tycoon “Big Cannon”
South China Morning Post, February 9, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2069454/beijing-graft-buster-pats-itself-back-muzzling

Ex-Chinese minister demoted for failing to curb “systematic corruption”
South China Morning Post, February 9, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2069393/ex-chinese-minister-demoted-failing-curb-systematic

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Digital Asia Hub Executive Director on privacy in Asia
China Digital Times, February 8, 2017
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2017/02/digital-asia-hub-executive-director-speaks-privacy-asia/

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

China to store all foreigners’ fingerprints upon entry—with new rule starting in Shenzhen
South China Morning Post, February 9, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2069440/china-store-foreigners-fingerprints-upon-entry-new-rule

Related:
公安部:中国边检机关将在入境检查时留存外国人指纹 (Ministry of Public Security: Chinese border authorities will keep a record of foreigners’ fingerprints during immigration checks)
China Court Daily, February 9, 2017
http://www.chinacourt.org/article/detail/2017/02/id/2541587.shtml

Hong Kong (香港)

Rebel legislator enters race for Hong Kong Chief Executive
The Diplomat, February 9, 2017
http://thediplomat.com/2017/02/rebel-legislator-enters-race-for-hong-kong-chief-executive/

Related:
“Long Hair” admits he might fall short on public support for Hong Kong Chief Executive run
South China Morning Post, February 9, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2069438/long-hair-admits-he-might-fall-short-public-support-hong

梁國雄:曾俊華已成「大家造成的神」 籲思考長遠民主方向 (Leung Kwok-hung: John Tsang has become “the God made by the people”, urges the public to think about direction of long-term democracy)
Mingpao, February 9, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170209/s00001/1486610087882

梁國雄指如參選被視為「民主罪人」他覺得沒問題 (Leung Kwok-hung: I don’t mind being considered the “sinner of democracy” for participating in the election)
Radio Television Hong Kong, February 9, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1312501-20170209.htm

Hong Kong activists reject “lesser evil” line, and launch an unofficial referendum on the city’s leadership
Hong Kong Free Press, February 8, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/02/08/hong-kong-activists-reject-lesser-evil-line-launch-unofficial-referendum-citys-leadership/

Hong Kong Communist Party newspaper editor seeks asylum in U.S.
Radio Free Asia, February 8, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hongkong-editor-02082017145231.html

Related:
港报高级编辑辞职:无法忍受“加速再文革化” (Senior editor of Hong Kong newspaper resigns: I can no longer stand the “acceleration of a return to Cultural Revolution principles”)
Deutsche Welle, February 8, 2017
http://www.dw.com/zh/港报高级编辑辞职无法忍受加速再文革化/a-37454671

Commentary (评论)

观点:中国为什么从香港带走富翁肖建华? (Point of view: Why did China take tycoon Xiao Jianhua from Hong Kong?)
British Broadcasting Corporation, February 8, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/indepth-38906633