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, September 12, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

709案:余文生家属促官派律师退出 (Family members of detained 709 lawyer Yu Wensheng urge government-appointed lawyers to withdraw from case)
Radio Free Asia, September 11, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf2-09112018102404.html

Tibetan protester released from prison before serving full term
Radio Free Asia, September 11, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/released-09112018164449.html

北京錫安教會牧師稱返回會堂後 被不明人士帶往渡假村 (Church of Zion branch evicted after official ban, priest and staff detained in undisclosed location for several hours)
Radio Television Hong Kong, September 11, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1417268-20180911.htm

Access to Information (信息公开)

Chinese turn to Internet “experts” for sensitive topics
Agence France-Presse, September 12, 2018
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2018/09/12/2003700278

China's small farmers pose huge challenge in swine fever battle
Channel NewsAsia, September 12, 2018
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/china-s-small-farmers-pose-huge-challenge-in-swine-fever-battle-10707254

范冰冰消失百日后 中国娱乐业的寒蝉效应 (Chilling effect on China’s entertainment industry evident as Fan Bingbing’s disappearance reaches 100 days)
BBC News, September 12, 2018
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-45489778

China restricts online coverage of burning incense and praying in religious crackdown
Agence France-Presse, September 11, 2018
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/11/china-restricts-online-coverage-burning-incense-praying-religious/

Related:
中国强化互联网宗教信息管控 (China strengthens control over online religious content)
Radio Free Asia, September 11, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shehui/hc-09112018103506.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

”They cannot stop us from praying”: China shuts down prominent Christian church
Hong Kong Free Press, September 11, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/09/11/cannot-stop-us-praying-china-shuts-prominent-christian-church/

Related:
China continues crackdown on house churches
China Digital Times, September 11, 2018
https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2018/09/china-continues-crackdown-on-home-churches/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

四川经信委原副主任伍丕光被公诉,涉嫌滥用职权罪、受贿罪 (Former deputy director of Sichuan Economic and Information Committee prosecuted for abuse of power and accepting bribes)
The Paper, September 12, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2433610

重庆市查处党员干部和公职人员涉黑涉恶问题55件72人 (72 Party members, officials under investigation for involvement in Chongqing “protective umbrella” triad crimes)
The Paper, September 12, 2018
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2431809

财政部纪检组原组长莫建成受贿4259余万元今日受审 (Former head of Ministry of Finance discipline inspection team tried for accepting bribes of more than 42.59 million yuan)
Beijing News, September 12, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/09/12/504750.html

中国福利彩票发行管理中心原主任王素英接受纪律审查和监察调查 (Former director of China Welfare Lottery Management Center investigated for serious disciplinary, legal violations)
People's Daily, September 12, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0912/c1001-30289210.html

公安机关对网贷平台涉嫌非法集资案件进行集中网上登记 (Public security organs conduct centralized online registration of suspected illegal fund-raising cases on online lending platforms)
People's Daily, September 12, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0912/c1001-30288691.html

Beijing dismisses reports of enormous abuses in Xinjiang
SupChina, September 11, 2018
https://supchina.com/2018/09/11/beijing-dismisses-reports-of-enormous-abuses-in-xinjiang/

Related:
China says Human Rights Watch report on Xinjiang suppression “full of prejudice and distorted facts”
Hong Kong Free Press, September 11, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/09/11/china-says-human-rights-watch-report-xinjiang-suppression-full-prejudice-distorted-facts/

China vows to protect the authority of police
The Diplomat, September 11, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/china-vows-to-protect-the-authority-of-police/

Related:
China mulls new laws to boost police powers, “authority”
Radio Free Asia, September 11, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-mulls-new-laws-to-boost-police-powers-09112018114908.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Netease issues apology for content lapses
China Media Project, September 11, 2018
http://chinamediaproject.org/2018/09/11/netease-issues-apology-for-content-lapses/

Related:
说实话惹祸? 网易财经宣布整改 (Netease's financial channel announces rectification, rumored to stem from article proposing higher threshold for paying personal income tax)
Radio Free Asia, September 11, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/yf2-09112018102228.html

China installing QR codes on Uighur Muslim homes as part of mass security crackdown
The Independent, September 11, 2018
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-uighur-muslims-xinjiang-province-qr-codes-security-crackdown-hrw-a8532156.html

Hong Kong (香港)

High-speed rail passengers’ personal data will be transferred “outside Hong Kong”
South China Morning Post, September 12, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/09/12/high-speed-rail-passengers-personal-data-will-transferred-outside-hong-kong/

Related:
私隐不保:高铁港客资料直送北京 (High-speed rail passengers’ data sent to Beijing, concerns over privacy as wifi collects personal data “regardless of border”)
Radio France Internationale, September 11, 2018
http://cn.rfi.fr/社会/20180911-私隐不保高铁港客资料直送北京

Former Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung threatens to launch legal action in the UK against city lawmaker
South China Morning Post, September 11, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163743/former-hong-kong-chief-executive-cy-leung-threatens-launch

Related:
Leung brings libel battle to UK
The Standard, September 12, 2018
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=200104&sid=4&sid=4

Pro-Beijing politician’s attack on Hong Kong judges as “sinners of society” earns stiff rebuke from leader Carrie Lam
Hong Kong Free Press, September 11, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163689/pro-beijing-politicians-remarks-calling-hong-kong-judges

Commentary (评论)

「歐威爾式帝國」(Orwellian Empire)的宗教網絡管控 (Religious network control in style of Orwellian Empire)
inmediahk.net, September 12, 2018
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1059429

观点:高铁“一地两检”──中国的强势 港人的无力 (Commentary: High-speed rail and co-location arrangement—China’s might, Hong Kong’s powerlessness)
BBC News, September 12, 2018
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-45480618

Interview: “The U.S. is taking the issue of the concentration camps quite seriously”
Radio Free Asia, September 11, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/wuc-sanctions-09112018160816.html

Is the trade war hurting Xi Jinping politically?
ChinaFile, September 10, 2018
http://www.chinafile.com/conversation/trade-war-hurting-xi-jinping-politically