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, March 13, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Harsh punishment of rights lawyers is top 2016 achievement, China says
Agence France-Presse, March 12, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/03/12/harsh-punishment-rights-lawyers-top-2016-achievement-china-says/

Related:
最高法院院长周强:对维权律师判刑是去年法院重大成就之一 (President of SPC: Sentences against rights lawyers one of the biggest achievements of Chinese courts last year)
Radio Free Asia, March 12, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/hc-03122017131354.html

最高人民法院工作报告 (Annual work report of SPC)
Xinhua, March 12, 2017
http://www.court.gov.cn/zixun-xiangqing-17712.html

「709事件」列維護國家安全案例 (“709” cases listed as precedent for implementation of national security law)
Mingpao, March 13, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20170313/s00013/1489341971762

中国死刑数量仍居世界榜首 (China still ranks world’s first in number of death sentences)
Deutsche Welle, March 12, 2017
http://www.dw.com/zh/中国死刑数量仍居世界榜首/a-37910198

Access to Information (信息公开)

China restricts access to foreign children’s books
中国限制销售外国儿童读物
Financial Times, March 13, 2017
EN: https://www.ft.com/content/0e4f68be-056a-11e7-ace0-1ce02ef0def9
CH: http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001071740

Related:
China bans sales of foreign books, movies, games without a permit
Radio Free Asia, March 10, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/permit-03102017115213.html

Chinese scientists speak out against the Great Firewall (again)
Global Voices, March 11, 2017
https://globalvoices.org/2017/03/11/chinese-scientists-speak-out-against-the-great-firewall-again/

Related:
China’s opening up requires open minds—not a blocked Internet
South China Morning Post, March 11, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2077918/chinas-opening-requires-open-minds-not-blocked-internet

China shuts doors to overseas media in corridors of power
South China Morning Post, March 12, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2078249/china-shuts-doors-overseas-media-corridors-power

Tales of war: Is China's academic freedom at risk?
Al Jazeera, March 11, 2017
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/inthefield/2017/03/tales-war-china-academic-freedom-risk-170311083859946.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

胡耀邦遗孀李昭病逝部分报道及评论被删除 (News reports and comments on death of widow of Hu Yaobang, Li Chao deleted)
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 12, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-39246970

Government Accountability (政府问责)

“The red dragon ain’t no evil”: the Chinese government keeps releasing bizarre rap videos
Vox, March 10, 2017
http://www.vox.com/latest-news/2017/3/10/14871726/chinese-communist-government-rap-music-video-bizarre

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

China: Xi Jinping wants “Great Wall of Steel” in violence-hit Xinjiang
The Guardian, March 11, 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/11/china-xi-jinping-wants-great-wall-of-steel-in-violence-hit-xinjiang

China vows to strike against separatism on anniversary of Tibet uprising
South China Morning Post, March 10, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2077814/china-vows-strike-against-separatism-anniversary-tibet

Related:
Internet blocked in Tibetan areas of China in run-up to sensitive anniversary
Radio Free Asia, March 10, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/sensitive-03102017170655.html

Why China’s Hui Muslims fear they’re next to face crackdown on religion
South China Morning Post, March 11, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2078121/why-chinas-hui-muslims-fear-theyre-next-face-crackdown-religion

China's Communist Party hardens rhetoric on Islam
Al Jazeera, March 13, 2017
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/china-communist-party-hardens-rhetoric-islam-170312171857797.html

Related:
新疆政法委:對暴恐分子保持嚴打高壓態勢 (Xinjiang Political and Legal Affairs Committee: Will continue to take severe measures against violent terrorists)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 12, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1318702-20170312.htm

Hong Kong (香港)

梁振英當選政協副主席 同時出任特首及國家領導人 (C.Y. Leung elected vice-chairperson of CPPCC, becomes the first person to hold offices for both CE and state leader)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 13, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1318791-20170313.htm

香港特首选举:记协盼落实新闻自由承诺 (Hong Kong CE election: Journalists Association hopes for implementation of promise of press freedom)
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 10, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-39234218

Beijing’s Basic Law stand in oath saga “a crushing deadly blow”
South China Morning Post, March 10, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2077563/beijings-basic-law-stand-oath-saga-crushing-deadly-blow

Xi Jinping’s Hong Kong visit may provide a pretext for a crackdown on dissenting voices
Hong Kong Free Press, March 11, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/03/11/xi-jinpings-hong-kong-visit-may-provide-pretext-crackdown-dissenting-voices/

Commentary (评论)

Putting the Overseas NGO Law in perspective
NGOs in China Blog, March 12, 2017
http://ngochina.blogspot.hk/2017/03/gaining-some-perspective-on-overseas.html

Related:
China’s implementation of the Overseas NGO Management Law
China Development Brief, March 6, 2017
http://chinadevelopmentbrief.cn/articles/chinas-implementation-of-the-overseas-ngo-management-law/