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.

Friday, March 23, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Detained Chinese lawyer “at risk of torture” in China's Jiangsu: rights group
律师要求见余文生再遭拒绝 家属在徐州遭全程监控
Radio Free Asia, March 22, 2018
EN: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/yuwensheng-torture-03222018150114.html
CH: https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf1-03222018101242.html

Xinjiang authorities targeting Uyghurs under 40 for re-education camps
Radio Free Asia, March 22, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/1980-03222018155500.html

台湾李净瑜获签证将赴大陆探监 (Wife of Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che granted mainland entry to visit husband after many attempts)
Radio Free Asia, March 22, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hcm-03222018114423.html

遭羁押的徐秦罪名又加“煽动颠覆国家政权罪” 不准会见 (Human rights activist Xu Qin charged with subversion and denied access to legal counsel)
Weiquanwang, March 22, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/03/blog-post_78.html

任全牛律师:甄江华被捕近7个月 律师要求会见 被告知仍处于指定监居 (Human rights activist Zhen Jianghua remains under residential surveillance at designated location for 7 months)
Weiquanwang, March 22, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/03/7.html

中国社科院发布司法透明度指数: 呈两极化,文书公开待完善 (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Report on 2017 Rule of Law in China shows 60-point gap in judicial transparency extremes, Tibet High Court and Xinjiang Urumqi Intermediate Court at bottom)
The Paper, March 22, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2037308

Access to Information (信息公开)

国家新闻出版广电部门:网站不得擅自重新剪辑经典文艺作品 (SAPPRFT bans re-editing, re-dubbing, re-subtitling of classic and original audio and video programs)
Xinhua News Agency, March 22, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-03/22/c_1122577762.htm

Related:
China tightens scrutiny over online videos, bans illegal downloads and remakes
China Film Insider, March 22, 2018
http://chinafilminsider.com/china-tightens-scrutiny-online-videos-bans-illegal-downloads-remakes/

西藏网信办研究部署网络正能量传播工作 (Tibet Internet Information Office deploys online propaganda on “positive energy,” upholds principle of “Party controlling the media”)
Cyberspace Administration of China, March 20, 2018
http://www.cac.gov.cn/2018-03/20/c_1122563720.htm

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Why are Shenzhen police regulating labor relations in the food delivery business?
China Labor Bulletin, March 23, 2018
http://www.clb.org.hk/content/why-are-shenzhen-police-regulating-labour-relations-food-delivery-business

U.N. rights experts urge China to provide care for rights lawyer
Reuters, March 23, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-un/u-n-rights-experts-urge-china-to-provide-care-for-rights-lawyer-idUSKBN1GZ179

Related:
China: UN experts concerned about health of jailed rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong
OHCHR, March 23, 2018
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22890&LangID=E

Shanghai orders citizens to give up their local residence rights if they have a foreign green card
South China Morning Post, March 22, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2138437/shanghai-orders-citizens-give-their-local-residence-rights-if

上班期间冲饮功夫茶 广东揭阳27名公职人员被处理 (27 public servants punished in Guangdong for drinking kung fu tea at work)
The Beijing News, March 22, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/03/22/480112.html

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

First China ambassador calls for calm in influence debate
The Sydney Morning Herald, March 22, 2018
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/first-china-ambassador-calls-for-calm-in-influence-debate-20180322-p4z5r0.html

China should prepare for military action over Taiwan: Chinese paper
Reuters, March 22, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-taiwan-usa/china-should-prepare-for-military-action-over-taiwan-chinese-paper-idUSKBN1GY015

Hong Kong (香港)

JUST IN: Hong Kong gov’t announces HK$4,000 cash handouts to around 2.8 million eligible residents
Hong Kong Free Press, March 23, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/23/just-hong-kong-govt-announces-hk4000-cash-handouts-around-2-8-million-eligible-residents/

Court rejects activist Raphael Wong’s appeal to overturn Occupy jail sentence
Hong Kong Free Press, March 23, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/23/court-rejects-activist-raphael-wongs-appeal-overturn-occupy-jail-sentence/

Should Hong Kong’s national anthem law specify the responsibility of schools to teach the song?
South China Morning Post, March 23, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138506/should-hong-kongs-national-anthem-law-specify-responsibility

Related:
數十團體聯署要求政府就《國歌法》立法進行公眾諮詢 (Dozens of groups launch signature campaign demanding public consultation of local legislation of National Anthem Law)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 23, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1387521-20180323.htm

Hong Kong police officer fired two gun shots to save stricken colleague’s life, Edward Leung riot trial hears
South China Morning Post, March 22, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2138477/hong-kong-police-officer-fired-two-gun-shots-save-stricken

Hong Kong’s new human trafficking action plan – a rhetorical maneuver or reason for hope?
Hong Kong Free Press, March 22, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/22/hong-kongs-new-human-trafficking-action-plan-rhetorical-manoeuvre-reason-hope/

【浸大炒工會主席】黃偉國評估表現「very good」學校話唔夠「outstanding」 (Baptist University refuses to renew contract with assistant professor Benson Wong claiming he is “very good” but not “outstanding”)
Inmediahk, March 22, 2018
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1055922

Commentary (评论)

Hong Kong justice seen to be done with two more foreign judges
South China Morning Post, March 23, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2138525/hong-kong-justice-seen-be-done-two-more-foreign-judges

各就各位 思想審查開步! (On your marks and march toward censorship of thought!)
Mingpao, March 23, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180323/s00022/1521725153052

How democracy can survive big data
The New York Times, March 22, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/22/opinion/democracy-survive-data.html

Is democracy dying?
Foreign Policy, March 22, 2018
http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/22/is-democracy-dying/

一個年代就在一個星期裏匆匆終結 (An era in Hong Kong ends with red capital replacing local capital, pro-establishment replacing pan-dems, and unification replacing diversification)
Mingpao, March 21, 2018
https://m.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180321/s00022/1521536966921

Nobody knows anything about China
Foreign Policy, March 21, 2018
http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/21/nobody-knows-anything-about-china/