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.

Friday, March 05, 2021

Xinjiang (新疆)

ON CLUBHOUSE, YOUTH SHARE THE TRUTH ABOUT XINJIANG
China Digital Times, March 4, 2021

专访:中国透过新疆强迫劳动项目“撕裂”一个民族 (Interview: China "rips apart" an ethnic group through Xinjiang forced labor project)
Deutsche Welle, March 5, 2021

Access to Information (公众知情权)

Australian broadcaster suspends China's CGTN citing human rights complaint
Reuters, March 5, 2021

Related:
澳大利亚媒体因收到人权组织投诉暂停播放中国官媒节目 (Australian broadcaster suspends China’s state media programs following human rights complaints)
Voice of America, March 5, 2021

Access to Justice (司法公正)

张展在狱中继续绝食抗议 (Zhang Zhan, first Chinese citizen journalist sentenced for reporting Covid-19 in Wuhan, continues hunger strike in prison)
Deutsche Welle, March 5, 2021

Related:
China citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who filmed bedridden Wuhan Covid patients, protests silently in jail
Agence France-Presse, March 5, 2021

中国强拆清真寺运动扩及云南 学者:穆斯林被逼向绝境 (China's demolitions of mosques extend to Yunnan; scholar: Muslims are forced into desperation)
Radio Free Asia, March 5, 2021

中国维权律师王宇获美国务院本年度国际妇女勇气奖 (Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Yu is an honoree of 2021 International Women of Courage Award by U.S. State Department)
Radio Free Asia, March 5, 2021

Related:
2021 International Women of Courage Award Recipients Announced
U.S. Department of State, March 4, 2021

Taiwan (台湾)

China says it will deter Taiwan independence but seek peaceful ties
Channel News Asia, March 5, 2021

Hong Kong (香港)

Beijing vows to overhaul Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, tightening grip on elections
Hong Kong Free Press, March 5, 2021

Draft decision on improving HK electoral system submitted to China's top legislature for review
Xinhua News Agency, March 5, 2021

Related:
关于《全国人民代表大会关于完善香港特别行政区选举制度的决定(草案)》的说明 (Explanation of the "Decision of the National People's Congress on Improving the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Electoral System (Draft)")
Xinhua News Agency, March 5, 2021

HRIC Note: Following recent announcements by Beijing authorities that only “patriots” should be allowed to hold government offices in Hong Kong, the “Draft Decision” on Hong Kong’s “electoral reform” was submitted on Friday, March 5, 2021, to the National People’s Congress for deliberation. The move is widely recognized and denounced by the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong as a blatant step to demolish political opposition in the city, stripping away any pretense that the Chinese authorities still abide by the “one country, two systems” principle of governing Hong Kong.

The “Explanation” was delivered as a speech by Wang Chen, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress, on the same day, at the opening meeting of the fourth annual session of the 13th NPC. The speech points to the “chaos” in Hong Kong as indicative of the shortcomings in Hong Kong’s electoral system which “provides an opportunity for anti-China forces to seize the power of governance in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”

Hong Kong electoral reforms: aspiring candidates for city’s next Legislative Council polls will need establishment’s blessing to run
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2021

Hong Kong: Statement by the Spokesperson on possible electoral reform
European Union External Action Service, March 5, 2021

National security law: surprise U-turn as Hong Kong prosecutors drop challenge to four defendants receiving bail in case of 47 opposition activists
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2021

Related:
Hong Kong national security law: marathon bail hearing triggers complaints from the 47 defendants over authorities’ handling of the subversion case
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2021

張舉能指示即時檢視各級法院處理涉及多名訴訟人的安排 (Chief Justice Andrew Cheung orders prompt review of arrangements for hearings involving multiple defendants)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 5, 2021

【47 人案】前公民黨 5 子、梁晃維、劉穎匡等 10 人疑刪除 FB 伍健偉、王百羽停更新專頁 (10 of the 47 defendants appear to have deleted Facebook pages and 2 stopped updating)
Stand News, March 5, 2021

Hong Kong’s public universities should reflect national security law in curricula by new academic year, be ready to ‘suppress’ acts that violate it: education minister
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2021

Penniless Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders in Britain could be given financial aid under modified immigration policy
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2021

【取締民陣?】召集人陳皓桓:從未領外國資助 只靠市民捐款 對被指涉違國安法不明所以 (Convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front Figo Chan denies receiving foreign funding, puzzled by allegation of violating National Security Law)
Stand News, March 5, 2021

Related:
Statement in Response to Allegations of American Funding and Disbandment
回應被指收取美國捐款及被取締聲明

Civil Human Rights Front, March 5, 2021

Government Accountability (政府问责)

美国犹他州众议院决议案,要求关闭尚未关闭的孔子学院 (Utah House passes resolution requiring closure of all Confucius Institutes at state universities)
Radio France Internationale, March 5, 2021

Commentary (评论)

Hong Kong electoral reform is clearly set out in the Basic Law. Has the pro-establishment camp conveniently forgotten?
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2021