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, April 18, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Chinese traffic police let offenders off if they post a confession online (and it gets enough likes)
South China Morning Post, April 18, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2142276/chinese-traffic-police-let-offenders-if-they-post-confession

中国公安部长:坚决捍卫国家政治安全 (Head of Ministry of Public Security claims to firmly defend political security)
Voice of America, April 18, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-secutrity-20180417/4352291.html

維權鐵漢吳淦囚8年 上訴維持原判 (Appeal court upholds sentence, sends rights defender Wu Gan to 8 years in jail)
Apple Daily, April 17, 2018
https://hk.news.appledaily.com/china/realtime/article/20180417/58086013

Tibetan farmland seized for new airport
Radio Free Asia, April 17, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/farmland-04172018164111.html

Chinese doctor at center of “poison tonic” case released from detention center
South China Morning Post, April 17, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2142164/chinese-doctor-centre-poison-tonic-case-released

Access to Information (信息公开)

央视记者在山西暗访化工国企遭扣押,村干部:不说好出不了村 (Shanxi village officials detain CCTV journalists for investigating pollution at chemical factory)
China Central Television, April 18, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2081902

文化和旅游部集中检查网络表演、网络游戏市场 (Ministry of Culture and Tourism intensifies scrutiny of gaming, live-streaming apps, websites to weed out banned contents)
Xinhua News Agency, April 17, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/legal/2018-04/17/c_1122697183.htm

Related:
China closes illegal live-streaming platforms, online games
Xinhua News Agency, April 17, 2018
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201804/17/WS5ad60cb7a3105cdcf6518de6.html

人民日报评论官微刊随笔文章:“不一样的烟火”一样可以绽放 (People’s Daily WeChat Public Account promotes gay rights, says gays have “social responsibilities”)
People’s Daily WeChat Public Account, April 15, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2076922

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

#Metoo in China: Fledgling movement in universities fights censorship
The Guardian, April 18, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/18/metoo-in-china-fledgling-movement-in-universities-fights-censorship

Bao Zou big news: Privacy in the era of big data
China Digital Times, April 17, 2018
https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2018/04/bao-zou-big-news-events-privacy-in-the-era-of-big-data/

“Beep. Beep Beep”: a group emerges in China and a code is born
China Change, April 17, 2018
https://chinachange.org/2018/04/17/beep-beep-beep-a-group-emerges-in-china-and-a-code-is-born/

First gay-ish film widely released in China
Sixth Tone, April 16, 2018
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1002095/first-gay-ish-film-widely-released-in-china

Related:
It’s still (just about) OK to be gay in China
Foreign Policy, April 17, 2018
http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/04/17/its-still-just-about-ok-to-be-gay-in-china/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Chairman of China’s biggest bad-loan bank investigated for graft
Financial Times, April 18, 2018
https://www.ft.com/content/0ecf3c62-42ca-11e8-803a-295c97e6fd0b

Why Beijing’s plan to break up mysterious tycoon Xiao Jianhua’s business empire hit the buffers
South China Morning Post, April 18, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2142139/why-beijings-plan-break-mysterious-tycoons-business-empire-hit

“Do not marry for money”
Radio Free Asia, April 17, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/bride-04172018135431.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Mentally ill Chinese man “lost” for a year reunited with family thanks to facial recognition technology
South China Morning Post, April 17, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2142119/mentally-ill-chinese-man-lost-year-reunited-family-thanks-facial

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

Taiwan says Beijing “saber rattling” as China starts military drills
Reuters, April 18, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-taiwan-drills/taiwan-says-beijing-saber-rattling-as-china-starts-military-drills-idUSKBN1HP0DI

EU ambassadors band together against Silk Road
Handelsblatt, April 17, 2018
https://global.handelsblatt.com/politics/eu-ambassadors-beijing-china-silk-road-912258

China takes the lead in UN peacekeeping
The Diplomat, April 17, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/04/china-takes-the-lead-in-un-peacekeeping/

Why is the US targeting China's Confucius Institute?
Deutsche Welle, April 16, 2018
http://www.dw.com/en/why-is-the-us-targeting-chinas-confucius-institute/a-43403188

Hong Kong (香港)

Mong Kok unrest: Localist Edward Leung tells court he held “election parade” to protect public from the police
Hong Kong Free Press, April 18, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/04/18/mong-kok-unrest-localist-edward-leung-tells-court-held-election-parade-protect-public-police/

Related:
Hong Kong localist Edward Leung “sorry” for assaulting police officers during Mong Kok unrest
South China Morning Post, April 18, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2142247/hong-kong-localist-edward-leung-sorry-assaulting-police

British report warns Beijing is increasing pressure on Hong Kong’s basic rights and freedoms
South China Morning Post, April 18, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142161/british-report-warns-beijing-increasing-pressure-hong-kongs

Related:
Overseas business risk - Hong Kong
Foreign & Commonwealth Office of United Kingdom, April 16, 2018
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-business-risk-hong-kong/overseas-business-risk-hong-kong

Activist Joshua Wong files legal challenge against Hong Kong Companies Registry for denying registration for his party
Hong Kong Free Press, April 18, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/04/18/activist-joshua-wong-files-legal-challenge-hong-kong-companies-registry-denying-registration-party/

Related:
Were “political considerations” behind rejection of Joshua Wong’s Hong Kong political party?
South China Morning Post, April 18, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142158/were-political-considerations-behind-rejection-joshua-wongs

Hong Kong lawmakers fired in oath-taking row can keep their salaries, Legco body says
South China Morning Post, April 18, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142250/hong-kong-lawmakers-fired-oath-taking-row-can-keep-their

Some pro-establishment camp members donated to campaign to investigate ex-leader CY Leung, says lawmaker
Hong Kong Free Press, April 17, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/04/17/pro-establishment-camp-members-donated-campaign-investigate-ex-leader-cy-leung-says-lawmaker/

Commentary (评论)

伸向歷史教科書的黑手 (Dark hands reach out to history textbooks)
Mingpao, April 18, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180418/s00022/1523971916895

台灣年輕世代的政治態度民調:願為台灣而戰、支持民主、反對統一 (Survey on Taiwan youngsters’ political attitudes: “willing to go to war for Taiwan, support democracy, oppose unification”)
The Initium, April 17, 2018
https://theinitium.com/article/20180417-opinion-chenfangyu-taiwan-teenagers/

Angola: China’s risky gamble in Africa
China File, April 16, 2018
http://www.chinafile.com/library/china-africa-project/angola-chinas-risky-gamble-africa