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, January 24, 2019

Xinjiang (新疆)

A death sentence for a life of service
Art of Life, January 22, 2019

新疆一企业家疑因拒绝洗脑被判刑 (Kazakh entrepreneur sentenced to 10 years after being sent to Xinjiang camp, family received no information on charges or trial)
Radio Free Asia, January 23, 2019

Access to Justice (司法公正)

最高法王林清法官依然下落不明 一篇诋毁文字为何四处流行 (Online smear campaign begins as Supreme People’s Court judge remains missing)
Radio France Internationale, January 24, 2019

澳籍华裔作家杨恒均在中国被拘留
Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun detained in China
The New York Times, January 24, 2019

Related:
Detention of an Australian in China is Canberra’s worst nightmare
Sydney Morning Herald, January 24, 2019

Yang Hengjun: China “behaving like terrorists,” says friend of detained Australian
The Guardian, January 24, 2019

Christian suddenly dies within 24 hours of arrest
Bitter Winter, January 23, 2019

袭警判决为何引发争议:司法必须考虑示范效应和公序良俗 (The dilemma of harsher penalties forassaulting a police officer)
The Paper, January 23, 2019

Access to Information (信息公开)

China deletes 7 million pieces of online information, thousands of apps
Reuters, January 23, 2019

Related:
网络生态治理专项行动已清理有害信息709.7万余条 (Over 7 million “harmful” information cleaned and 308,000 accounts deleted during special campaign of “Internet ecosystem governance”)
Xinhua, January 23, 2019

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Chinese authorities detain a dozen labour activists in crackdown on independent unions
Hong Kong Free Press, January 24, 2019

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Tibetan nomads in Chamdo forced from their land in resettlement scheme
Radio Free Asia, January 23, 2019

If China wants to quieten Belt and Road critics, it must meet global investing rules says Xiao Gang, ex-chief of Chinese securities watchdog
South China Morning Post, January 24, 2019

China has a special passport for its elites—and Huawei’s detained executive had one
Quartz, January 23, 2018

Related:
Meng Wanzhou: The Huawei exec trapped in a gilded cage
CNN, January 24, 2019

我国过半“红通人员”去年被引渡遣返,专家分析2019全球追逃追赃如何发力 (Half of fugitives on Interpol “red notice” were extradited and returned to China by 2018)
Legal Daily, January 23, 2019

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

搜索引争议背后 百度发力信息流?(Behind Baidu search engine controversy: Is the company promoting its own content?)
Beijing News, January 24, 2019

Related:
百度搜索已死?中国互联网企业商业与公共利益之间的抉择 (Is Baidu’s search engine dead? China’s Internet companies face choice between business, public interest)
BBC News, January 23, 2019

Microsoft's Bing search engine goes offline in China, raising fears it was “walled off”
Japan Times, January 24, 2019

China launches app encouraging users to identify and report “deadbeat” debtors
Independent, January 23, 2019

Taiwan preps China blacklist banning Huawei and ZTE
Nikkei Asian Review, January 22, 2019

Hong Kong (香港)

從球場爭議走到立法,香港《國歌法》首讀 (Hong Kong’s National Anthem Law: From controversy on the soccer field to a bill in LegCo)
The Initium, January 24, 2019

Huge increase in investigations by Hong Kong authorities into suspected breaches of UN sanctions in last five years
South China Morning Post, January 23, 2019

Fewer Hongkongers see “One Country, Two Systems” as applicable to Taiwan – survey
Hong Kong Free Press, January 24, 2019

No date set to amend anti-bribery laws to include Hong Kong’s leader, say’s city’s No. 2 official
Hong Kong Free Press, January 23, 2019

Commentary (评论)

五四、八九、雨傘——留給我們的珍寶沒有遺言 (May 4, June 4, and Umbrella: “Our heritage was left to us without a testament”)
Ming Pao, January 24, 2019

Hong Kong lawmakers stood up for what’s right on elderly welfare. Shame it didn’t last
South China Morning Post, January 24, 2019

Spite won’t beat China in Africa
Foreign Policy, January 23, 2019