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, August 29, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

河南男子被羁押九年多获无罪,申请1232万余元国家赔偿 (Man detained for over 9 years is acquitted, applies for state compensation of 12.32 million RMB)
The Paper, August 29, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2386948

倪玉兰夫妇上房产中介“黑名单”被拒租房 (Beijing rights defenders on real estate blacklist, are refused rental)
Radio Free Asia, August 29, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/jingmao/ql2-08292018095133.html

Video: Six policemen came to the home of a young woman and seized her for interrogation
China Change, August 28, 2018
https://chinachange.org/2018/08/28/video-six-policemen-came-to-the-home-of-a-young-woman-at-night-and-seized-her-for-interrogation-subtitled/

Access to Information (信息公开)

网络大V被拉清单 当局网紧文字狱 (Henan authorities compile list of internet “Big Vs” with more than 10k followers as step-up of internet surveillance regime)
Radio Free Asia, August 28, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/ql1-08282018091530.html

Trump’s Google threat smacks of Chinese government-style Internet control
Washington Post, August 28, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2018/08/28/trumps-google-threat-smacks-of-chinese-government-style-internet-control/?utm_term=.1f04e8e938f9

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

家人呼吁外界关注狱中江天勇生死 (Jiang Tianyong’s family calls for worldwide concern for his situation in prison)
Voice of America, August 29, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/news-health-of-jailed-rights-attorney-deteriorated-20180829/4548863.html

深圳佳士维权:声援团成员披露被警方带走过程 (Some released supporters of Jasic worker rights reveal process of being taken away by the police, but core members of solidarity team are still without contact)
BBC, August 29, 2018
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-45341005

World leaders quiet on China’s human rights record and focus on money, says censored author Yan Lianke
South China Morning Post, August 29, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2161840/world-leaders-quiet-chinas-human-rights-record-and

Related:
World leaders ignore human rights in China, censored author Yan Lianke says
Agence France-Presse, August 29, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/29/world-leaders-ignore-human-rights-china-censored-author-yan-lianke-says/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Taiwan grateful to United Airlines for imaginative website solution to “one China” rule
South China Morning Post, August 29, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2161888/taiwan-grateful-united-airlines-imaginative-website

P2P平台新联在线涉嫌非法吸收公众存款被立案侦查 (P2P platform Xinlian Online under investigation for illegally absorbing public deposits)
Beijing News, August 29, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/finance/2018/08/29/501946.html

少林寺升国旗 佛家弟子争爱党 (National flags fly at Shaolin monasteries as monk brought into patriotism campaign)
Voice of America, August 29, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/shaolin-20180828/4548211.html

全国上半年共查处扶贫领域腐败和作风问题4.53万个处理6.15万人 (In first half of year, 45,300 poverty alleviation corruption cases are investigated, 61,500 held accountable)
Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, August 29, 2018
http://www.ccdi.gov.cn/yaowen/201808/t20180829_178674.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

World’s leading human rights groups tell Google to cancel its China censorship plan
The Intercept, August 28, 2018
https://theintercept.com/2018/08/28/google-china-censorship-plan-human-rights/

Related:
Advocacy groups condemn Google’s “alarming capitulation on human rights” over plan to build censored search engine in China
Agence France-Presse, August 28, 2018
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6107759/Advocacy-groups-criticize-Googles-alarming-capitulation-censored-China-search-engine.html

Open letter: Google must not capitulate on human rights to gain access to China
Amnesty International, August 28, 2018
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/08/open-letter-to-google-on-reported-plans-to-launch-a-censored-search-engine-in-china/

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

北京警方首次依据《反恐法》处罚入住不实名登记宾馆 罚款10万元 (Beijing police punish hotel without real-name registration in first case under counterterrorism law)
Beijing News, August 29, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/08/29/501913.html

China denies planning military base in Afghanistan
Reuters, August 29, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-afghanistan/china-denies-planning-military-base-in-afghanistan-idUSKCN1LE0X0

Related:
China “building military base in Afghanistan” as increasingly active army grows in influence abroad
The Telegraph, August 28, 2018
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/29/china-building-military-base-afghanistan/

Hong Kong (香港)

How a letter from prison turned into a Hong Kong ministry serving over 600 asylum seekers
Hong Kong Free Press, August 29, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/29/letter-prison-turned-hong-kong-ministry-serving-600-asylum-seekers/

Authorities accused of confiscating hospitalized cardboard collector’s belongings, including 10,000 HKD cash
Hong Kong Free Press, August 29, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/29/authorities-accused-confiscating-hospitalised-cardboard-collectors-belongings-including-hk10000-cash/

Commentary (评论)

China and human rights: Is Australia “making a difference”?
Sydney Morning Herald, August 30, 2018
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/china-and-human-rights-is-australia-making-a-difference-20180829-p500g0.html

China’s Silicon Valley threatens to swallow up Hong Kong
Bloomberg, August 29, 2018
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-08-28/bridge-to-china-s-silicon-valley-may-swallow-up-hong-kong

了解中國的自我審查「術」,就知道85度C聲明一點用都沒有 (Looking at China’s self-monitoring “jutsu” from the 85°C cafe incident)
The News Lens, August 29, 2018
https://www.thenewslens.com/article/102935

China’s predictable squeezing of Taiwan hasn’t had the desired effect, and it may be time for Beijing to rethink its strategy as a U.S. backlash gathers pace
South China Morning Post, August 29, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/asia/article/2161642/chinas-predictable-squeezing-taiwan-hasnt-had-desired

澳门拟设立“维护国家安全委员会”批评者称“用牛刀杀鸡” (Comments on Macao’s plan for a national security committee)
Radio France Internationale, August 29, 2018
http://cn.rfi.fr/港澳台/20180829-澳门拟设立维护国家安全委员会批评者称用牛刀杀鸡

China’s partners should not turn a blind eye to fate of Uighurs
Financial Times, August 28, 2018
https://www.ft.com/content/ddd9db26-a610-11e8-926a-7342fe5e173f