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, July 20, 2017

Special Feature: Liu Xiaobo (特辑:刘晓波)

We hope our expanded special feature on Liu Xiaobo—including news items, analyses of the significance of his life and work, international support for Liu Xia and calls for accountability, and commentaries—will be a useful information resource and help generate more effective action by the international community. Liu Xiaobo was a prominent Chinese public intellectual and 2010 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, recognized for “his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental rights in China.” He died of liver cancer on July 13, 2017 in Chinese custody.

News (新闻)

Get out! Chinese agents bar access to the "free" wife of Liu Xiaobo
The Guardian, July 20, 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/20/chinese-agents-bar-access-free-liu-xia-wife-of-liu-xiaobo-beijing

劉曉波20多名好友昨晚北京辦追思會 國保場外監視 (Over 20 of Liu Xiaobo’s friends organize memorial in Beijing under police monitoring)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 20, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1343261-20170720.htm

社工羅湖橋讀零八憲章被公安帶走 深夜返港報平安 (Social worker returns to Hong Kong after taken away by mainland police for reading Charter 08 on Luohu bridge)
Mingpao, July 20, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170720/s00001/1500510707200

劉曉波頭七追思會 警方稱最高峰時1500人參與 (Police: 1500 Hong Kongers join Liu Xiaobo memorial at Admiralty)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 19, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1343163-20170719.htm

Liu Xiaobo: Censored by China, supporters take to social media
British Broadcasting Corporation, July 19, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-40656483

Badiucao launches global art for Liu Xiaobo campaign
China Digital Times, July 18, 2017
https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2017/07/badiucao-launches-global-art-liu-xiaobo-campaign/

International Support for Liu Xia (国际社会给刘霞的声援)

Liu Xiaobo supporters mark his death amid concerns for widow
ABC News, July 19, 2017
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/liu-xiaobo-supporters-mark-death-amid-concerns-widow-48719075

Liu Xiaobo’s widow has suffered more than enough. China should release her from house arrest.
Editorial, The Washington Post, July 18, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/liu-xiaobos-widow-has-suffered-more-than-enough-china-should-release-her-from-house-arrest/2017/07/18/ae9a25bc-6bd0-11e7-9c15-177740635e83_story.html

Commentary (评论)

In memoriam: Liu Xiaobo
Bob Brown and Steven I. Levine, Missoulian, July 19, 2017
http://missoulian.com/opinion/columnists/in-memoriam-liu-xiaobo/article_bdbf8fb2-5082-5a29-bddf-0ba2429be32f.html

What Liu Xiaobo’s grisly prison death tells us about free speech in Xi’s China
James A. Dorn, Newsweek, July 18, 2017
http://www.newsweek.com/what-liu-xiaobos-grisly-prison-death-tells-us-about-free-speech-xis-china-638366

 
 
 
 

News (新闻)

Access to Justice (司法公正)

中国维权律师再遭整肃 律师控告被发废证 (After being given voided lawyer certificate, defender of Wang Quanzhang sues Beijing Justice Bureau for power abuse)
Voice of America, July 19, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/chinese-rights-lawyers-/3950162.html

Detained Uyghur students held by Egypt’s intelligence service
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/students-07192017124354.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

China’s "Great Firewall" now deletes messages in real time
The Daily Beast, July 20, 2017
http://www.thedailybeast.com/chinas-great-firewall-now-deletes-messages-in-real-time

Deleted Forbes article criticizing Asia Society tycoon resurfaces online amid accusations of censorship
Hong Kong Free Press, July 20, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/07/20/deleted-forbes-article-criticising-asia-society-tycoon-resurfaces-elsewhere-amid-accusations-of-censorship/

China clamps down on big tweeters amid ongoing purge of foreign content
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/purge-07192017110552.html

Related:
粉丝越多越麻烦? 新规定: 微博粉丝三万需登记备案 (More followers, more trouble? New regulations: Weibo accounts with over 30,000 followers must register)
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/yf2-07192017095102.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

四川珙县原民办和代课教师60多人集体到县政府抗议 (60 teachers collectively protest county government in Gongxian, Sichuan)
Weiquanwang, July 20, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2017/07/60_20.html

四川珙县原民办和代课教师60多人集体到县政府抗议 (Over 60 teachers in rural Sichuan protest local gov’t)
Weiquanwang, July 20, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/07/60_20.html

Chinese labor activist questions his arrest while investigating Ivanka Trump brand
Hong Kong Free Press, July 19, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/07/19/chinese-labour-activist-questions-arrest-investigating-ivanka-trump-brand/

投诉:米脂氮肥厂职工到陕西省政府要求失业安置 (Laid off chemical fertilizer factory workers in Shaanxi petition local gov’t for compensation and new jobs)
Weiquanwang, July 19, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/07/blog-post_40.html

Ethnic Mongolian makes rallying call to herders in Northern China on release
Radio Free Asia, July 18, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/rallying-07182017114516.html

FAW-Volkswagen agency workers issue letter in German calling for accountability and solidarity
China Labor Bulletin, July 17, 2017
http://www.clb.org.hk/content/faw-volkswagen-agency-workers-issue-letter-german-calling-accountability-and-solidarity

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Xi calls for “every possible effort” to solve grievances of petitioners
China Daily, July 19, 2017
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-07/19/content_30175331.htm

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

新疆当局被指用少数民族出国权换外国情报 (Xinjiang authorities reported to be granting minority groups right to go abroad in exchange for intelligence)
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql2-07192017111646.html

Hong Kong (香港)

馮敬恩刑恐脫罪 公眾地方擾亂秩序罪成需還押 (Billy Fung found guilty of acting in a disorderly manner but cleared of criminal charge)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 20, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1343240-20170720.htm

吳凱宇:以香港主體意識 抵抗政權壓迫 ── 加泰隆尼亞的啓示 (To fight against the oppressive regime with Hong Kong’s self-consciousness—a lesson from Catalonia)
Inmediahk, July 20, 2017
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1050863

港民主派议员抗议褫夺议员席位 (Pan-dem lawmakers in Hong Kong protest against the disqualification of four colleagues)
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/cp-07192017111947.html

Ousted localist Yau Wai-ching invites disqualified lawmakers to discuss legal arguments together
Hong Kong Free Press, July 19, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/07/19/ousted-localist-yau-wai-ching-invites-disqualified-lawmakers-discuss-legal-arguments-together/

Complaints relating to access to info hit new high, as Ombudsman criticizes “inappropriate” gov’t excuses
Hong Kong Free Press, July 19, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/07/19/complaints-relating-access-info-hit-new-high-ombudsman-criticises-inappropriate-govt-excuses/

Chris Patten: Hong Kong's freedoms under threat
Al Jazeera, July 19, 2017
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/inthefield/2017/07/chris-patten-hong-kong-freedoms-threat-170718111544107.html