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, June 26, 2017

Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波)

Authorities confirm Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo in hospital
South China Morning Post, June 26, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2100004/jailed-nobel-laureate-liu-xiaobo-granted-parole-after

Related:
Late diagnosis of Liu Xiaobo an outrage, Chinese authorities must account to family & international community
Human Rights in China, June 26, 2017
http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/statement/late-diagnosis-liu-xiaobo-outrage-chinese-authorities-must-account-family

刘晓波因病被批准保外就医 (Liu Xiaobo released on medical parole)
Liaoning Prison Administrative Bureau, June 26, 2017
http://www.lnjyj.gov.cn/jggz/201706/t20170626_2975333.html

諾貝爾和平獎得主劉曉波 肝癌末期保外就醫 (Interview with Mo, one of Liu Xiaobo’s lawyers)
Apple Daily, June 26, 2017
http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20170626/1148256/paperart_right

更新:刘晓波确诊肝癌晚期,刘霞视频中哭泣:“不能手术、不能化疗” (Video of Liu Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, crying: Liu can’t undergo surgery or receive chemotherapy)
The Initium, June 26, 2017
https://theinitium.com/article/20170626-mainland-liuxiaobo/

鮑彤:誰保密了劉曉波的病情?(Bao Tong: Who kept Liu Xiaobo’s medical condition secret?)
Ming Jing News, June 26, 2017
http://tv.mingjingnews.com/2017/06/blog-post_484.html

Liu Xiaobo, Chinese Nobel Laureate, leaves prison for cancer care
The New York Times, June 26, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/world/asia/liu-xiaobo-china-nobel-prize-cancer.html

Related Twitter Posts:

HRIC translation:
What we can do now is re-read Mr. Liu Xiaobo’s Charter 08 and think about what we should do. If everyone does this, it will be a form of comfort, of help, and even of support for Mr. Liu Xiaobo!—Bao Tong

HRIC Translation:
On May 23, Liu Xiaobo was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. He is now under treatment in Shenyang Hospital of China Medical University. That the bandit communist authorities put a Nobel Peace Prize winner in prison until he suffers from liver cancer—has got to be a first in the world. Just like their persecution of Li Hong, Cao Shunli, and Li Wangyang in the past. Now, they are still continuing to persecute 709 lawyers. I request the international community to organize international medical teams to perform physical examinations on all Chinese prisoners of conscience.

HRIC Translation:
China's best liver cancer treatment hospital is in Beijing— CPC senior officials know this as well as we do. #LiuXiaobo and #LiuXia have indicated to the authorities their wish to return to Beijing for treatment, but they have been rejected by the cold-blooded CPC Political and Legal Affairs Commission. The reason given is that in the second half of the year the 19th CPC National Congress will be convened in Beijing, so no destabilizing factors can be added. In the eyes of the authorities, permitting prisoners of conscience like Liu Xiaobo and Gao Zhisheng to return to Beijing would be like “allowing the tiger to return to the mountains.” #LiuXiaobo

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Approaching the “International Day in Support of Victims of Torture,” a request to OHCHR and IBA to address the torture of Chinese human rights lawyers in the 709 crackdown
China Change, June 24, 2017
https://chinachange.org/2017/06/24/approaching-the-international-day-in-support-of-victims-of-torture-a-request-to-ohchr-and-iba-to-address-the-torture-of-chinese-human-rights-lawyers-in-the-709-crackdown/

Related:
Mass Crackdown on Chinese Lawyers, Defenders and International Reactions: A Brief Chronology
Human Rights in China, July 16, 2017
http://www.hrichina.org/en/mass-crackdown-chinese-lawyers-defenders-and-international-reactions-brief-chronology

组织纪念莫日根活动被拘留 牧民促政府确定草原环保日 (Commemorators of 2011 Inner Mongolia unrest arrested, herdsmen urge gov't to establish “Grassland Protection Day”)
Radio Free Asia, June 22, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/ql2-06222017113238.html

Greater public interest role proposed for prosecutors
China Daily, June 23, 2017
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-06/23/content_29855977.htm

Related:
13省份试点期将满 检察机关提起公益诉讼拟推向全国 (Public interest litigation pilot program successful in 13 provinces, proposed to be introduced nationwide)
China News Service, June 23, 2017
https://www.chinanews.com/gn/2017/06-23/8258760.shtml

Blogger who compiled reports of protests, demonstrations stands trial in China's Yunnan
Radio Free Asia, June 23, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/blogger-trial-06232017132510.html

Related:
“民生观察” 抗议打压 “非新闻” 创办人卢昱宇 (Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch protest the detainment of “Not the News” founder Lu Yuyu)
Radio Free Asia, June 22, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/ql2-06222017113238.html

Be respectful to China’s national anthem! Or you might face detention
The Diplomat, June 23, 2017
http://thediplomat.com/2017/06/be-respectful-to-chinas-national-anthem-or-you-might-face-detention/

Access to Information (信息公开)

Farewell VPNs & independent multimedia content: China vows to clear network space
The Diplomat, June 23, 2017
http://thediplomat.com/2017/06/farewell-vpns-independent-multimedia-content-china-vows-to-clear-network-space/

China landslide: families' frustration grows as more than 100 feared dead
Reuters, June 26, 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/26/china-landslide-families-frustration-grows-as-more-than-100-feared-dead

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Beijing shopkeepers protest evictions
The Straits Times, June 23, 2017
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/beijing-shopkeepers-protest-evictions

Related:
京罕见被停业小商贩抗议 (Rare protest in Beijing following shopkeeper evictions)
Radio France Internationale, June 23, 2017
http://bit.ly/2sH389J

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China broadens bribery crackdown to technology firms, says report
South China Morning Post, June 25, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2099897/china-broadens-bribery-crackdown-technology-firms-says-report

China's party paper trumpets U.N. rights resolution as combating West's monopoly
Reuters, June 24, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-un-idUSKBN19F0A8

Hong Kong (香港)

Xi Jinping to attend HK's 20th return anniversary celebration
Xinhua, June 25, 2017
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/25/c_136392795.htm

Related:
HK20: Hong Kong police to crack down on sensitive slogans, images to avoid embarrassing Xi Jinping during visit—report
Hong Kong Free Press, June 23, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/06/23/hk20-hong-kong-police-crack-sensitive-slogans-images-avoid-embarrassing-xi-jinping-visit-report/

Pro-independence party says gov’t blocked Handover anniversary vigil due to “maintenance works”
Hong Kong Free Press, June 23, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/06/23/pro-independence-party-says-govt-blocked-handover-anniversary-vigil-due-maintenance-works/

Joshua Wong and other activists cover iconic Golden Bauhinia statue in black cloth ahead of Xi Jinping visit
South China Morning Post, June 26, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2099940/activists-cover-iconic-golden-bauhinia-statue-black-cloth

Hong Kong independence “never going to happen”: former governors tell city’s youth to focus on democracy
South China Morning Post, June 25, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2099824/hong-kong-independence-never-going-happen-former-governors-david

Two decades after handover, scant love for China among Hong Kong youth
Reuters, June 25, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-anniversary-identity-idUSKBN19G013

Beijing broke its promises to Hong Kong, veteran Democrat laments 20 years after the handover
South China Morning Post, June 23, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2099553/beijing-broke-its-promises-hong-kong-veteran-democrat

Commentary (评论)

Joshua Wong reflects on Hong Kong’s 1997 handover: “We desire and thirst for freedom, democracy”
Quartz, June 26, 2017
https://qz.com/1014220/joshua-wong-reflects-on-hong-kongs-1997-handover-we-desire-and-thirst-for-freedom-democracy/

China buying international silence on human rights
China Digital Times, June 22, 2017
https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2017/06/china-buying-international-silence-human-rights/

The dark side of China’s national renewal
Financial Times, June 21, 2017
https://www.ft.com/content/360afba4-55d1-11e7-9fed-c19e2700005f

Hong Kong was supposed to liberalize China. How did the opposite happen?
The Washington Post, June 23, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/hong-kong-was-supposed-to-liberalize-china-how-did-the-opposite-happen/2017/06/23/ef356eba-5762-11e7-a204-ad706461fa4f_story.html

Life imitates drama in corruption case, but is justice served by China’s secrecy over the death penalty?
Hong Kong Free Press, June 25, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/06/25/life-imitates-drama-corruption-case-justice-served-secrecy-death-penalty/