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, October 18, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

2017年8月份律师协会维权惩戒工作通报 (Report of lawyer associations’ work on defending rights and punishment in August 2017)
Ministry of Justice, October 17, 2017
http://www.moj.gov.cn/2017/1017/9095.html

最高检、司法部:全国人民监督员管理信息系统在山西、吉林等11个省(区、市)试运行 (Supreme People’s Procuratorate and Ministry of Justice: Pilot national people supervisors administration information system launched in Shanxi, Jilin and other 9 provinces, cities or districts)
Supreme People’s Procuratorate, October 17, 2017
http://www.spp.gov.cn/zdgz/201710/t20171017_202680.shtml

曹建明:坚决维护党中央权威和集中统一领导 (Cao Jianming, Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate: Uphold firmly the authority and centralized unified leadership of the Party Central Committee)
Supreme People’s Procuratorate, October 17, 2017
http://www.spp.gov.cn/tt/201710/t20171017_202588.shtml

新疆6名哈萨克族人被判刑 一人“非法朝觐”被酷刑致残 (Six Kazakhs sentenced to jail and one tortured and maimed in Xinjiang for going on "illegal pilgrimage”)
Radio Free Asia, October 17, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/ql2-10172017104953.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

桂民海失聯兩年 筆會籲放人 (Chinese Pen urges Gui Minhai to be released on two years anniversary of his disappearance)
Mingpao, October 18, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20171018/s00013/1508263448984

Taiwan activists call for social media campaign on China's human rights record
台NGO控诉大陆输出人权灾难 吁19大抗议行动
Radio Free Asia, October 18, 2017
EN: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/taiwan-china-10172017143627.html
CH: http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hcm-10172017101146.html

Cyberspace, religion, lawyers, dissidents: China’s shrinking civil society under Xi Jinping’s crackdown
Agence France-Presse, October 18, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/10/18/cyberspace-religion-lawyers-dissidents-chinas-shrinking-civil-society-xi-jinpings-crackdown/

China on edge amid 19th party congress
The Diplomat, October 17, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/china-on-edge-amid-19th-party-congress/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

盘点5年政法机关惩腐:获无期徒刑“大老虎”达19人 (Anti-graft campaign sends 19 “big tigers” in administrative and judicial organs to life sentence during past 5 years)
Legal Daily, October 18, 2017
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2017/10-18/8354969.shtml

公车压减逾六成 接待支出降幅大 (Public spendings of government vehicles and official receptions down by over 60% during past 5 years)
People’s Daily, October 18, 2017
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1018/c1001-29593123.html

China's Xi vows to carry on anti-corruption crusade
Al Jazeera, October 18, 2017
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/china-xi-vows-carry-anti-corruption-crusade-171018045437038.html

China corruption punishments pick up ahead of party congress
Financial Times, October 17, 2017
https://www.ft.com/content/407e9449-564e-3001-8ea4-785e37f22d26

Chinese Communist Party expels former justice minister for “serious discipline problems”
The Diplomat, October 16, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/chinese-communist-party-expels-former-justice-minister-for-serious-discipline-problems/

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

最高检发布第九批指导性案例 对惩治计算机网络犯罪提供办案指导 (Supreme People’s Procuratorate issues ninth set of guiding cases providing guidance to handle computer and internet crimes)
Supreme People’s Procuratorate, October 17, 2017
http://www.spp.gov.cn/zdgz/201710/t20171017_202662.shtml

Hong Kong (香港)

習近平:牢牢掌握中央對港澳全面管治權 (Xi Jinping: Central Gov't has firm comprehensive control over Hong Kong and Macau)
Radio Television Hong Kong, October 18, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1359894-20171018.htm

李飛稱人大常委會即將通過將國歌法納入基本法附件三 (Li Fei: NPC will include National Anthem Law under Annex III of the Basic Law)
Radio Television Hong Kong, October 18, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1359832-20171018.htm

中大法律院長:國歌法設追溯期違人權 雙學三子改判不屬一罪兩審 (Head of CUHK faculty of law: Human rights is violated if National Anthem Law is made retroactive; re-sentencing of student leaders should not be classifies as “double jeopardy”)
Mingpao, October 18, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171018/s00001/1508306070677

Related:
Democracy activist jailings: Int’l lawyers “misunderstand” Hong Kong’s legal system, says Carrie Lam and Justice Dept.
Hong Kong Free Press, October 17, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/10/17/democracy-activist-jailings-intl-lawyers-misunderstand-hong-kongs-legal-system-says-carrie-lam-justice-dept/

中史明年成初中必修科 何漢權:會以中國人身分為光榮 (Chinese history to become compulsory at junior secondary school; chief of Education Convergence says students will be proud of their Chinese identity)
Mingpao, October 17, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171017/s00001/1508230190366

Britain summons Chinese ambassador after UK activist denied Hong Kong entry
Reuters, October 17, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-britain-hongkong/britain-summons-chinese-ambassador-after-uk-activist-denied-hong-kong-entry-idUSKBN1CM2BC

Related:
羅哲斯被港拒入境釀外交風波 英傳召中國大使 (Britain summons Chinese ambassador after Rogers denied entry into Hong Kong)
Apple Daily, October 17, 2017
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20171017/57344512

Commentary (评论)

As party gathers, Xi Jinping displays a firm grip on power
十九大开幕:习近平示强权,欲重塑中国政治
The New York Times, October 18, 2017
EN: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20171018/xi-jinping-communist-party-china/en-us/
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20171018/xi-jinping-communist-party-china/

Gui Minhai, 2 years on: I was put back on a plane, but Chinese critics of Beijing face a far graver threat
Hong Kong Free Press, October 17, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/10/17/gui-minhai-2-years-i-put-back-plane-chinese-critics-beijing-face-far-graver-threat/