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, December 27, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

詹惠中(网名校长)因海祭刘晓波案昨遭警方抓捕 (Zhan Huizhong, another independent scholar who commemorated Liu Xiaobo, is arrested by CPC authorities)
Weiquanwang, December 27, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/12/blog-post_655.html

For China, Christmas is the best time of year to put human-rights activists on trial
Quartz, December 27, 2017
https://qz.com/1166056/over-christmas-china-sentenced-activist-wu-gan-or-super-vulgar-butcher-to-eight-years-in-prison/

Related:
Wu Gan’s statement after being sentenced to eight years in prison for "subversion"
China Change, December 26, 2017
https://chinachange.org/2017/12/26/wu-gans-statement-after-being-sentenced-to-eight-years-in-prison-for-subversion/

China's Communist Party to discuss amending constitution, graft fight
Reuters, December 27, 2017
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-politics/chinas-communist-party-to-discuss-amending-constitution-graft-fight-idUSKBN1EL0B8

Access to Information (信息公开)

China accused of waging war on Christmas
中国官媒否认存在全国层面的圣诞节禁令
Financial Times, December 27, 2017
EN: https://www.ft.com/content/d2236004-ea18-11e7-bd17-521324c81e23
CH: http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001075650

毛誕日批毛「邪惡」 記者遭停職 (Journalist suspended for calling Mao Zedong “evil” on Mao’s birthday)
Mingpao, December 27, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20171227/s00013/1514311124742

发改委:重大建设项目相关信息应在20个工作日内公开 (National Development and Reform Commission: Information related to major construction projects should be available to public within 20 working days)
People’s Daily, December 27, 2017
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1227/c1001-29731706.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

被问及六四天安门镇压死亡人数 中国外交部发言人有所回避 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson dodges questions regarding Tiananmen casualties)
Radio France Internationale, December 27, 2017
https://goo.gl/BvH3iR

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Tencent’s WeChat messaging platform adopted by Beijing court for case filing
South China Morning Post, December 27, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/tech/china-tech/article/2125804/tencents-wechat-messaging-platform-adopted-beijing-court-case-filing

China snares innocent and guilty alike to build world’s biggest DNA database
The Wall Street Journal, December 26, 2017
https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-snares-innocent-and-guilty-alike-to-build-worlds-biggest-dna-database-1514310353

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

China, Pakistan, Afghanistan agree on terror cooperation
Channel NewsAsia, December 27, 2017
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/china--pakistan--afghanistan-agree-on-terror-cooperation-9811058

China to punish “Two-Faced” Uyghur officials in new reward scheme
Radio Free Asia, December 26, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/rewards-12262017144824.html

Hong Kong (香港)

人大常委會指一地兩檢不影響香港行政區域範圍及自治權 (China NPC says co-location arrangement does not affect HKSAR autonomy)
Radio Television Hong Kong, December 27, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1372066-20171227.htm

Related:
譚惠珠:香港法庭不存在推翻人大常委會決定的可能 (HK deputy to NPC says it's impossible for Hong Kong Court to overrule NPC’s decision)
Radio Television Hong Kong, December 27, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1372040-20171227.htm

民陣元旦遊行仍未獲不反對通知書 區諾軒:奇怪 (Permission for January 1 rally not yet granted)
Mingpao, December 27, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171227/s00001/1514341093367

“Civic Square” to reopen to public in Hong Kong – but with restricted access for demonstrations
South China Morning Post, December 27, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2125809/civic-square-reopen-public-hong-kong-restricted-access

Winners and losers in another year of political upheaval for Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, December 27, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2125718/winners-and-losers-another-year-political-upheaval-hong-kong

Commentary (评论)

The last Jedi and the founding mythology of the Chinese Communist Party
The Diplomat, December 27, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/the-last-jedi-and-the-founding-mythology-of-the-chinese-communist-party/

公共医疗保险为何会“撑不住了”?(Why will public medical insurance fall apart?)
Financial Times, December 27, 2017
https://www.ftchinese.com/story/001075644

China’s “new era” presages a golden age
中国“新时代”思想是一个转折点
Financial Times, December 27, 2017
EN: https://www.ft.com/content/bda486d6-df59-11e7-a8a4-0a1e63a52f9c
CH: http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001075646