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.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

被控传播暴恐视频“煽动民族仇恨” 黄云敏案开庭审理 (Charged with “inciting ethnic hatred” and spreading violent videos, retired judge Huang Yunmin faces trial in Xinjiang)
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf1-09192017102122.html

炸中南海炸天安門 山東男女微信講呢啲被捕 (Two arrested in Shandong for threatening to bomb Zhongnanhai and Tiananmen on WeChat)
Apple Daily, September 19, 2017
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/china/20170919/57229110

四川“六四天网”义工李昭秀因替黄琦呼吁 肝部手术前竟被刑拘关进看守所 (Li Zhaoxiu, volunteer of 64tianwang.com, is criminally detained and sent to detention center before liver surgery for supporting Huang Qi)
Weiquanwang, September 19, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/09/blog-post_88.html

Tibetan passports still held by Chinese authorities despite promises of return
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/passports-09192017154439.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Communist Party writings to count in measure of academic “excellence” in China's Zhejiang
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/communist-party-writings-to-count-in-measure-of-academic-excellence-in-chinas-zhejiang-09192017113720.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

北京商户维权千警进驻 十多群主遭威胁噤声 (Store owners in Beijing demonstrate for rights to continue to do business but are met with thousands of police, more than ten leaders of WeChat groups get warned and intimidated)
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/xl1-09192017101935.html

上海46万“镇保”失地农民的65名代表第36次到上海市社保局维权 要求落实城保同等待遇 (65 representatives of peasants in rural areas who lost their lands in Shanghai protest at the local social security authority demanding the same treatment as their city peers)
Weiquanwang, September 19, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/09/466536.html

数千下岗民师黑龙江上访求承认身份 (Thousands of laid-off teachers in Heilongjiang petition at local gov’ts demanding official status)
Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf1-09192017102245.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China's Xi demands “strong hands” to maintain stability ahead of Congress
Reuters, September 20, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-congress-security/chinas-xi-demands-strong-hands-to-maintain-stability-ahead-of-congress-idUSKCN1BV07E

習近平:穩定也是硬道理 (Xi Jinping: Development is the guiding principle, stability is also the guiding principle)
Mingpao, September 20, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20170920/s00013/1505844103983

Analysts: Amendments to China’s Constitution to include Xi Jinping Thought
Voice of America, September 19, 2017
https://www.voanews.com/a/china-constitution-amendments/4035000.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Now it’s official: WeChat is watching you
Tech Node, September 19, 2017
http://technode.com/2017/09/19/now-its-official-wechat-is-watching-you/

Meet Shadowsocks, the underground tool that China’s coders use to blast through the Great Firewall
Quartz, September 19, 2017
https://qz.com/1072701/meet-shadowsocks-the-underground-tool-that-chinas-coders-use-to-blast-through-the-great-firewall/

MIZUHO: Here's why Facebook has “a realistic opportunity” to enter China in 2018
Business Insider, September 20, 2017
http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-china-2018-mizuho-2017-9

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

China launches Cybersecurity Week
China Media Project, September 18, 2017
http://chinamediaproject.org/2017/09/18/chinas-launches-cybersecurity-week/

Hong Kong (香港)

9 Umbrella Movement leaders appear in court over public nuisance charges
Hong Kong Free Press, September 20, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/20/9-umbrella-movement-leaders-appear-court-public-nuisance-charges/

Related:
傘運九人提堂「煽惑他人煽惑公眾妨擾」古怪不尋常佔中三子:控罪違憲 (Umbrella Movement advocates, charged of “incitement to incite public nuisance,” face trial; defense council says the charges are unconstitutional)
Apple Daily, September 20, 2017
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/first/20170920/20158487

Activists jailed over northeast New Territories development protests lodge appeal
Hong Kong Free Press, September 19, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/19/activists-jailed-northeast-new-territories-development-protests-lodge-appeal/

Carrie Lam voices support for universities’ plan to remove Hong Kong independence banners
South China Morning Post, September 19, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2111820/carrie-lam-voices-support-universities-plan-remove-hong-kong

Activist Alvin Cheng fined HK$3,000 after hiding and binning simplified Chinese library books
Hong Kong Free Press, September 20, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/20/activist-alvin-cheng-fined-hk3000-hiding-binning-simplified-chinese-library-books/

Justice Sec. made a “political decision” to appeal sentences of Joshua Wong and activists, says last Hong Kong governor Chris Patten
Hong Kong Free Press, September 19, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/19/justice-sec-made-political-decision-appeal-sentences-joshua-wong-activists-says-last-hong-kong-governor-chris-patten/

Commentary (评论)

In search of better digital protection for human rights defenders In China
China Change, September 19, 2017
https://chinachange.org/2017/09/19/in-search-of-better-digital-protection-for-human-rights-defenders-in-china/

CCP Constitution amendment may signal Xi’s power
China Digital Times, September 19, 2017
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2017/09/party-constitution-amendment-signal-xis-power/

Ai Weiwei: “Without the prison, the beatings, what would I be?”
The Guardian, September 17, 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/17/ai-weiwei-without-the-prison-the-beatings-what-would-i-be