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.

Monday, March 16, 2020

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Chinese tycoon Ren Zhiqiang goes missing after criticising Beijing’s response to coronavirus outbreak
South China Morning Post, March 15, 2020

“722” NGO长沙富能案程渊、刘永泽、吴葛健雄3人今同时解除6位律师的代理委托 (After being denied access to clients for nearly 8 months, lawyers for three detained members of public interest NGO Changsha Funengare are dismissed)
Weiquanwang, March 16, 2020

HRIC Note: On March 16, without providing any written notifications, Changsha state security authorities and various Bureau of Justice authorities informed the lawyers representing the three detained members of the public interest NGO Changsha Funeng that they have been dismissed by their clients. The absence of formal written notices raises serious concerns about whether the detainees—Cheng Yuan, Liu Yongze, Wu GeJianxiong—have in fact authorized the dismissal. (One of the dismissed lawyers is Wu’s father, Wu Youshui, who is representing his son.)

In nearly eight months of detention since they were first taken into custody on July 22, 2019, the “Changsha Three” have not been granted access to their lawyers. In a de facto state of enforced disappearance, they face risks of being forced to make confessions under torture.

The police authorities have been extending the period of investigation multiple times, without bringing formal charges. Today’s “dismissal” may signal an impending secret trial in which the defendants are forced to be represented by government appointed lawyers.

中国人权注: 长沙公益仨(程渊、刘永泽、吴葛剑雄)的代理律师今日都接到当局的非正式通知,告知他们被解除代理,连吴葛剑雄的父亲吴有水律师也被通知已被其儿子解除委托。长沙公益仨在2019年7月22日被长沙国安带走后,一直被禁止会见律师,处于被强迫失踪的状态,面临被刑讯逼供的风险。该案在侦查期满后不断被延期,目前当局强迫解除当事人委托的律师,意在指定官派律师进行秘密审判。

余文生“煽颠案”司法延宕 其妻上书京官要求律师探访权 (Wife of lawyer Yu Wensheng appeals to Beijing officials for husband’s right to access to lawyers)
Voice of America, March 16, 2020

Access to Information (公众知情权)

Muting Coronavirus Anger, China Empowers Its Internet Police
The New York Times, March 16, 2020

As China Cracks Down on Coronavirus Coverage, Journalists Fight Back
The New York Times, March 14, 2020

秘鲁诺贝尔文学奖得主发表中国隐瞒疫情言论 外交部回应 (China’s Foreign Ministry attacks Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa for criticizing Chinese government’s attempts to cover up the truth of coronavirus outbreak)
Beijing News, March 16, 2020

Related:
China is coming after author Mario Vargas Llosa for saying the coronavirus originated there
Quartz, March 16, 2020

任志强失联,曾撰文批评习近平 (Chinese tycoon who criticized Xi Jinping’s handling of coronavirus has vanished)
The New York Times, March 16, 2020

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Chinese journalism ‘coronavirus crisis hero’ comes under attack online
South China Morning Post, March 14, 2020

3·15打假日,民主人士洛杉矶总领馆前喊“假的” (On China's Consumer Day, also known as " Anti-Counterfeiting Day," dozens of democracy advocates chant “fake, fake” in front of PRC consulate in Los Angeles to protest falsehoods in official Chinese narratives)
Voice of America, March 16, 2020

Government Accountability (政府问责)

美国律师提集体诉讼 状告中国引发武汉新冠肺炎疫情 (Florida law firm files class action lawsuit against Chinese authorities for mishandling the coronavirus outbreak, triggering a global pandemic)
Radio France Internationale, March 16, 2020

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

中国当局采取大数据应对疫情令人担忧隐私侵犯 (Chinese authorities use big data in response to coronavirus outbreak, causing privacy breach concerns)
Voice of America, March 16, 2020

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong Lawmakers Criticize 'Arbitrary' Arrests by Police
Radio Free Asia, March 16, 2020

First aid volunteer arrested at Hong Kong anti-government protest pleads guilty to using walkie-talkie without a licence
South China Morning Post, March 16, 2020

Year of living dangerously: Hong Kong bombing campaign ‘almost unprecedented’, says police explosives unit
South China Morning Post, March 14, 2020

陳健民刑滿出獄:獄中日子無一刻後悔 爭取民主必須付出代價 (Upon release from prison, Chan Kin-Man, an "Occupy Central" initiator, says: "I've never regretted for a single moment—this is the price for Hong Kong democracy")
inmediahk.net, March 14, 2020

何君堯推23條立法 稱已收100萬簽名支持 (Junius Ho claims 1 million have signed petition supporting reintroduction of Article 23)
inmediahk.net, March 13, 2020

Related:何君堯街站促 23 條立法 被指簽名即派搓手液 光頭警長穿制服與民合照 (Junius Ho starts signature drive for reintroduction of Article 23, giving away free hand sanitizer)
The Stand News, March 15, 2020

Commentary (评论)

肺炎疫情:“中国抗疫模式”引全球反思,但难以在全世界复制 ("China's coronavirus-resistant model" is difficult to replicate worldwide for its human rights violation)
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 16, 2020

华丽转身? 疫情下中共的大外宣与大内宣 (Gorgeous turn? CPC tries to morph from 'troublemaker' to 'global anti-coronavirus leader' through large-scale internal and external propaganda efforts)
Deutsche Welle, March 16, 2020

评论:不,专制并不比民主制更善于处理危机 (No, autocracy is no better at managing crises than democracy)
Deutsche Welle, March 15, 2020