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.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

維權律師隋牧青被吊銷律師執照 (Rights lawyer Sui Muqing stripped of practice license)
Radio Television Hong Kong, February 12, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1380489-20180212.htm

China detention law to roll back legal protections for suspects
Financial Times, February 12, 2018
https://www.ft.com/content/147ec1ca-0a38-11e8-8eb7-42f857ea9f09

Man faces court in China accused of downloading and sharing “terrorist videos”
South China Morning Post, February 11, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2132907/man-faces-court-china-accused-downloading-and-sharing-terrorist

Swedish bookseller held in China surfaces for video apology
桂民海露面受访,称瑞典外交官骗其赴京
The New York Times, February 9, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/world/asia/china-swedish-bookseller-gui-minhai.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20180212/china-swedish-bookseller-gui-minhai/

Related:
瑞典籍华裔香港书商桂敏海再次被拘留真相调查 (People’s Daily investigates Gui Minhai’s criminal detention and claims he breaks law again)
People’s Daily, February 12, 2018
http://hm.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0212/c42272-29819726.html

Video: The victims of China’s forced disappearances
France 24, February 9, 2018
http://www.france24.com/en/20180209-video-reporters-victims-china-forced-disappearances

Tibetan monk arrested during visit from India, jailed on unknown charge
返藏探亲僧人被捕获刑六年
Radio Free Asia, February 9, 2018
EN: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/arrested-02092018162120.html
CH: https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/dz-02092018102031.html

3名“钱宝网”集资参与人涉嫌聚众扰乱公共场所秩序罪被捕 (Nanjing police arrests 3 for disturbing public order during pyramid scheme protest)
Legal Daily, February 9, 2018
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2018-02/09/content_7472819.htm

Access to Information (信息公开)

微视频 | 人民领袖 (China Central Television airs series about Xi Jinping titled “People’s Leader” ahead of Chinese New Year)
People’s Daily, February 11, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0211/c1001-29817329.html

西单大悦城砍人案速被屏蔽 网民抱怨 (Information of deadly knife attack in central Beijing quickly censored despite netizen criticism)
Radio France Internationale, February 11, 2018
http://bit.ly/2nQhVMw

Related:
Under control, nothing to see here
China Media Project, February 11, 2018
http://chinamediaproject.org/2018/02/11/controls-quickly-follow-beijing-mall-attack/

遴选5000个影厅组成“人民院线” “专厅专用”保证放映阵地 (State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television selects 5,000 cinemas dedicated to propaganda content)
Engroup.cn, February 9, 2018
http://www.entgroup.cn/news/Policies/0944937.shtml

刘冰洋一审刑事判决书 (Liu Bingyang, 25, receives 3 years of suspended sentence in Henan for selling VPN online)
China Judgements Online, December 28, 2017
http://wenshu.court.gov.cn/content/content?DocID=36f0191f-c617-4796-a271-a85600c6ad27

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

两岸诗人聚台北 朗诵诗祭刘晓波 (Poets from across the Strait gather in Taipei and commemorate Liu Xiaobo with poems recitals)
Radio Free Asia, February 11, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hx-02112018121023.html

广东维权律师陈武权因守护家乡海滩被以涉寻衅滋事罪刑事拘留 (Guangdong-based rights lawyer Chen Wuquan and five villagers detained by police for protecting local coastlines)
Weiquanwang, February 11, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/02/blog-post_72.html

中国曹顺利人权团队部分人权捍卫者近日第6次上街举牌要求中共政权立即释放全国政治犯并解除党禁报禁 (Human rights defenders hold placards on street demanding release of political prisoners and allowing political parties and media to operate freely)
Weiquanwang, February 11, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/02/6.html

Visually understanding the data on foreign NGO representative offices and temporary activities
ChinaFile, February 7, 2018
http://www.chinafile.com/ngo/analysis/visually-understanding-data-foreign-ngo-representative-offices-and-temporary-activities

Government Accountability (政府问责)

汪洋出席全国性宗教团体负责人迎春座谈会 (Wang Yang, member of the Politburo Standing Committee, talks to religious community leaders and asks them to learn Xi Jinping Thoughts)
People’s Daily, February 12, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0212/c1001-29819209.html

Related:
以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导下更大功夫坚决守护好人民群众“舌尖上的安全” (Wang Yang and Zhang Gaoli demand officials to ensure food safety under Xi Jinping Thoughts)
People’s Daily, February 12, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0212/c1001-29819208.html

四川印发第二期特殊教育提升计划:残疾孩子享12年免费教育 (Sichuan pledges to provide 12 years of free education to disabled children)
Sichuan Daily, February 12, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1996022

Related:
Beijing to “guarantee” funding for health care, education and pensions in China’s poorest regions
South China Morning Post, February 11, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2132855/beijing-guarantee-funding-health-care-education-and-pensions

Catholic Bishop says he’s willing to step down for Vatican deal with Beijing
中国天主教“地下”主教同意让位于官方人选
The New York Times, February 11, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/11/world/asia/china-vatican-catholic-church.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20180212/china-vatican-catholic-church/

西藏嚴打「涉達賴喇嘛」黑勢力 (Tibet authorities pledge to crackdown on the “black and evil powers” of Dalai Lama and ask the public to report crimes to police)
Mingpao, February 11, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20180211/s00013/1518287918641

In China’s coal country, a ban brings blue skies and cold homes
The New York Times, February 10, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/10/world/asia/china-coal-smog-pollution.html

Related:
Major China region sees smog worsen in January, adds to fears polluters moving south
Reuters, February 12, 2018
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/major-china-region-sees-smog-worsen-in-january--adds-to-fears-polluters-moving-south-9952104

Hong Kong (香港)

Are Hong Kong civil servants overstepping their powers in banning election candidates?
South China Morning Post, February 12, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2132903/are-hong-kong-civil-servants-overstepping-their-powers

Two die in Hong Kong police car chase, raising questions about officer’s actions
South China Morning Post, February 12, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2132958/two-die-hong-kong-police-car-chase-raising-questions-about

香港民主党派大游行 要律政司长下台 (Pro-democracy groups march in Hong Kong and demand justice chief Teresa Cheng to step down)
Radio Free Asia, February 11, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hc-02112018140515.html

Tai Po bus crash: Hong Kong gov’t to set up inquiry as death toll rises to 19
Hong Kong Free Press, February 11, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/11/tai-po-bus-crash-hong-kong-govt-set-inquiry-death-toll-rises-19/

Related:
工會促正視工時長、低工資、兼職問題 (Trade union urges bus company to address issues including long hours, low pay and drivers working part-time after deadly crash)
Mingpao, February 11, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180211/s00001/1518325274465

Anson Chan slams Hong Kong’s “naked political screening” as she receives US justice prize
South China Morning Post, February 11, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2132885/anson-chan-slams-hong-kongs-naked-political-screening-she

Related:
黨報引內地學者轟終院裁決:邏輯矛盾、姑息放縱、法治權威不彰 (Party mouthpiece quotes mainland academia and slams ruling of Occupy activists by Court of Final Appeal as contradictory, lenient, and without judiciary authority)
Stand News, February 12, 2018
http://bit.ly/2nZPQl6

Appeal denied for protester who assaulted police during Mong Kok unrest
Hong Kong Free Press, February 10, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/10/appeal-denied-protester-assaulted-police-mong-kok-unrest/

Commentary (评论)

《1987 : 逆權公民》:暴政的魔爪到來時,問誰未發聲? (Movie 1987: When the Day Comes: Who remains silent when tyranny comes?)
Inmediahk, February 12, 2018
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1055145

A new year but a decades-old blot on China’s conscience: Unpaid migrant workers
South China Morning Post, February 11, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2132779/new-year-decades-old-blot-chinas-conscience-unpaid-migrant-workers

From #MeToo to #RiceBunny: how social media users are campaigning in China
The Conversation, February 11, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/11/metoo-ricebunny-social-media-users-campaigning-china/

Related:
“我是捣蛋鬼,不是螺丝钉”:中国女权行动派的声音 (Voice from feminists who take actions in China: “I am not a cog in a machine, I am a troublemaker”)
The Initium, February 10, 2018
https://theinitium.com/article/20180212-opinion-feminism-lecture-newyork-salon/

Can soft power help repair China-India ties?
The Diplomat, February 10, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/can-soft-power-help-repair-china-india-ties/

How Apple is paving the way to a “cloud dictatorship” in China
中國要五毛 蘋果給一塊
Up Media, January 26, 2018
EN: https://globalvoices.org/2018/02/10/how-apple-is-paving-the-way-to-a-cloud-dictatorship-in-china/
CH: http://www.upmedia.mg/news_info.php?SerialNo=34004