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, October 19, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

法治中国!习近平说,成立中央全面依法治国领导小组 (Xi Jinping says Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Ruling the Country by Law will be established)
Legal Daily, October 18, 2017
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2017-10/18/content_7360911.htm?node=5955

Related:
为法治强国而歌:十九大报告中的法治“音符” (Rule of law elements in 19th party congress report)
Legal Daily, October 18, 2017
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2017-10/18/content_7361226.htm?node=5955

习近平:制定国家监察法 用留置取代“两规”措施 (Xi Jinping: to enact National Supervision Law and replace discipline inspection rules with detention measures carried out by Supervision Committee)
Xinhua News Agency, October 18, 2017
http://news.ifeng.com/a/20171018/52687822_0.shtml

让审理者裁判 由裁判者负责——十八大以来人民法院司法改革工作述评 (Description and comment of People’s Court judicial reform since 18th party congress)
Supreme People’s Court, October 18, 2017
http://www.court.gov.cn/zixun-xiangqing-64072.html

China’s getting a new law to fight corruption, but there’s still no place for lawyers
South China Morning Post, October 18, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115966/chinas-getting-new-law-fight-corruption-theres-still-no

Chinese police round up dissidents as Communist Party congress kicks off
Hong Kong Free Press, October 18, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/10/18/chinese-police-round-dissidents-communist-party-congress-kicks-off/

Access to Information (信息公开)

China in cyber lockdown as WeChat, QQ and Weibo ban changes to users’ profiles
South China Morning Post, October 18, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2115913/china-cyber-lockdown-wechat-qq-and-weibo-ban-changes-users

全民观看十九大直播 幼儿园也不放过洗脑 (Even kindergarten children get brainwashed as whole nation watches live broadcast of 19th party congress)
Voice of America, October 18, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/CHINESE-WATCHED-19TH-PARTY-CONGRESS/4075590.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

中纪委副书记杨晓渡:5年处分153.7万人,5.8万人移送司法 (Yang Xiaodu, deputy of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection: 1,537,000 people punished and 58,000 sent to judiciary during past 5 years)
The Beijing News, October 19, 2017
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2017/10/19/461284.html

胡春華:廣東空氣質量雖達標但部分小流域水污染仍嚴重 (Hu Chunhua: air quality in Guangdong meets standard but water pollution in some small basins still severe)
Radio Television Hong Kong, October 19, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1360096-20171019.htm

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Chinese Internet Law: What the West doesn’t see
The Diplomat, October 18, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/chinese-internet-law-what-the-west-doesnt-see/

Hong Kong (香港)

張曉明稱習近平工作報告與保障特區高度自治權並不矛盾 (Zhang Xiaoming: there is no contradiction between Xi Jinping’s work report and ensuring high-level of autonomy of Hong Kong)
Radio Television Hong Kong, October 19, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1360025-20171019.htm

Theresa May wants “one country, two systems” respected in wake of Hong Kong barring activist from entering city
South China Morning Post, October 19, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116067/british-leader-wants-one-country-two-systems-respected-wake

Xi’s speech shows Beijing’s resolve to confront any threat to national unity, academics say
South China Morning Post, October 18, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115963/xis-speech-shows-beijings-resolve-confront-any-threat

Commentary (评论)

楊庭輝:任意詮釋《基本法》 香港自治權還剩多少? (Yeung Ting-fai: How much autonomy does Hong Kong have left as the Basic Law is being arbitrarily interpreted)
Inmediahk, October 19, 2017
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1052789

How the fall of Causeway Bay Books helped resurrect a long-lost Chinese erotic literature classic
Quartz, October 19, 2017
https://qz.com/1098346/how-the-fall-of-causeway-bay-books-helped-resurrect-a-long-lost-chinese-erotic-literature-classic/

The Guardian view on Xi Jinping: the life and soul of the party
The Guardian, October 18, 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/18/the-guardian-view-on-xi-jinping-the-life-and-soul-of-the-party

China is getting better at undermining global human rights
Foreign Policy, October 18, 2017
http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/10/18/china-is-getting-better-at-undermining-global-human-rights/

Chinese author Ma Jian: “The Communist Party keeps their people well-fed, but in a cage”
Deutsche Welle, October 18, 2017
http://www.dw.com/en/chinese-author-ma-jian-the-communist-party-keeps-their-people-well-fed-but-in-a-cage/a-41016073