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, August 23, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

China’s re-education camps for a million Muslims: What everyone needs to know
SupChina, August 22, 2018
https://supchina.com/2018/08/22/xinjiang-explainer-chinas-reeducation-camps-for-a-million-muslims/

Legislator says “hukou” system is squandering China’s labor
Caixin, August 22, 2018
https://www.caixinglobal.com/2018-08-22/legislator-says-hukou-system-is-squandering-chinas-labor-101317613.html

尘肺工人的困惑:我的赔偿金该找谁要?(Workers suffering from lung disease have no adequate avenue to seek compensation)
Worker.cn, August 23, 2018
http://media.workercn.cn/sites/media/grrb/2018_08/23/GR0501.htm

Ex-journalist questions legality of security checks
The Sixth Tone, August 23, 2018
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1002808/ex-journalist-questions-legality-of-security-checks

Access to Information (信息公开)

China arrests three for fake reports about smog crackdown
Reuters, August 23, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution/china-arrests-three-for-fake-reports-about-smog-crackdown-idUSKCN1L80CP?

“Single’s tax”: A hot term that is banned on Weibo now
What’s On Weibo, August 23, 2018
https://www.whatsonweibo.com/singles-tax-a-hot-term-that-is-banned-on-weibo-now/

Xi calls for better fulfilling missions of publicity work
Sina English, August 23, 2018
http://english.sina.com/china/p/2018-08-23/detail-ihhzsnec3025432.shtml

国家网信办:要让网络短视频充满正能量 (Cyberspace Administration of China wants short videos to be filled with “positive energies,” suspends Kuaishou for 15 days)
Cyberspace Administration of China, August 23, 2018
http://www.cac.gov.cn/2018-08/23/c_1123318088.htm

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Top Chinese Buddhist monk Xuecheng faces police investigation after #MeToo sexual harassment claims upheld
South China Morning Post, August 23, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2160975/top-chinese-buddhist-monk-xuecheng-faces-police-investigation

Group: China denies Tibet activist’s appeal of jail sentence
Washington Post, August 23, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/group-china-denies-tibet-activists-appeal-of-jail-sentence/2018/08/23/18a45cc2-a6c5-11e8-ad6f-080770dcddc2_story.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Macau “homosexual” recording raises policy worry
The Standard, August 23, 2018
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=199389&sid=4&sid=4

Hundreds of thousands displaced as Shenzhen “upgrades” its urban villages
The Guardian, August 23, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/aug/23/hundreds-of-thousands-displaced-as-shenzhen-upgrades-its-urban-villages

宁夏西吉2亿多元扶贫专项资金被挤占挪用,书记县长均被免职 (Over RMB 200 million of poverty alleviation special funds misappropriated; party secretary, county magistrate removed from office)
The Paper, August 23, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2374372

吉林省食品藥品監督管理局局長郭洪志被免職 (Jilin Food and Drug Administration chief dismissed over vaccine scandal)
Radio Television Hong Kong, August 22, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1413956-20180822.htm

医院只准用国产 牺牲民众利益 (Regulation requiring hospitals to use only “made in China” equipment puts civilian lives at stake)
Radio Free Asia, August 22, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/yf1-08222018101226.html

五部门敦促职务犯罪外逃人员投案自首:年底前自动投案可从轻或减轻处罚 (Five departments urge overseas fugitives to surrender themselves before end of year in exchange for lighter punishment)
Beijing News, August 23, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/08/23/500831.html

大连原常务副市长曹爱华犯贪污罪受贿罪,获刑8年6个月 (Former deputy mayor of Dalian convicted of corruption for bribery, sentenced to 8.5 years)
The Paper, August 23, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2373160

原国家食药监总局药化注册司司长王立丰涉嫌严重违纪违法接受纪律审查和监察调查 (Former director of Pharmaceutical Registration Department of the State Food and Drug Administration investigated for serious disciplinary, legal violations)
Beijing News, August 23, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/08/23/500862.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Australia blocks China’s Huawei, ZTE from 5G network citing security risks
Hong Kong Free Press, August 23, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/23/australia-blocks-chinas-huawei-zte-5g-network-citing-security-risks/

Related:
China lashes Australia saying it’s “gravely concerned” about Huawei decision
Sidney Morning Herald, August 23, 2018
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/china-lashes-australia-saying-it-s-gravely-concerned-about-huawei-decision-20180823-p4zzf2.html

Apple may build China’s BeiDou navigation into future iPhones
AsiaTimes, August 22, 2018
http://www.atimes.com/article/apple-may-build-chinas-beidou-navigation-into-future-iphones/

China to take nearly half of global face recognition device market by 2023
China Money Network, August 23, 2018
https://www.chinamoneynetwork.com/2018/08/23/china-to-take-nearly-half-of-global-face-recognition-device-market-by-2023

Hong Kong (香港)

Half of Hong Kong employers do not want to hire women with children, study finds
South China Morning Post, August 23, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2160912/half-hong-kong-employers-do-not-want-hire-women-children

北京急于将港人大陆化拟升格回乡证为“二等”国民身份证 (In bid to speed up integration, Beijing to upgrade Home Return Permits to “second tier national ID card”)
Radio France Internationale, August 22, 2018
http://cn.rfi.fr/中国/20180822-北京急于将港人大陆化拟升格回乡证为二等国民身份证

Asking Trump to suspend city’s special trade status was in Hong Kong’s interests, says pro-independence party
Hong Kong Free Press, August 23, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/23/asking-trump-suspend-citys-special-trade-status-hong-kongs-interests-says-pro-independence-party/

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong distances self from father in stating support for LGBTQ equality
Hong Kong Free Press, August 23, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/23/hong-kong-activist-joshua-wong-distances-self-father-stating-support-lgbtq-equality/

Commentary (评论)

中國銳實力實為「嚇實力」,但對台灣人民真的有效嗎?(China’s sharp power is in fact “scare power,” but will it work on Taiwan people?)
The News Lens, August 23, 2018
https://www.thenewslens.com/article/102539

Signals from Xi’s speech on ideology
China Media Project, August 23, 2018
http://chinamediaproject.org/2018/08/23/signals-from-xis-speech-on-ideology/