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, April 12, 2021

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Chinese Political Prisoner Dies Amid Suspicion of Torture, Mistreatment
Radio Free Asia, April 12, 2021

Related:
维权人士郭宏伟狱中死亡 生前曾遭虐待(Human rights activist Guo Hongwei dies in prison and was tortured before death)
Radio France Internationale, April 11, 2021

Xinjiang (新疆)

Chinese Shows Blur Western Brands Over Xinjiang Dispute
打上马赛克的运动鞋:西方品牌因新疆棉遭中国综艺审查

The New York Times, April 12, 2021

新疆棉花:四大跨国企业在巴黎遭人权诉讼(Xinjiang Cotton: Four major transnational companies face human rights lawsuits in Paris)
Radio France Internationale, April 11, 2021

Related:
Forced labor of Uyghurs: filing of a complaint in France against multinationals for concealment of forced labor and crimes against humanity
Sherpa, April 12, 2021

China’s Crackdown on Islam Brings Back Memories of 1975 Massacre
Foreign Policy, April 11, 2021

Taiwan (台湾)

Taiwan to stage live-fire drills as fears of possible PLA attack grow
South China Morning Post, April 12, 2021

Access to Information (公众知情权)

China's Propaganda Against Foreign Media Increases 
Voice of America, April 9, 2021

China launches hotline to report ‘illegal’ comments about Communist party
Reuters, April 12, 2021

Related:
中共网信办开通热线举报“历史虚无”言论 严禁怀疑中共历史(In move to forbid questioning of CPC’s version of history, Cyberspace Administration of China launches hotline for netizens to report "historical nihilism" speech)
Voice of America, April 12, 2021

抗议中国制裁 特里尔大学孔子学院停课(In protest against Chinese sanctions of European scholars and think tanks, University of Trier suspends classes at its Confucius Institute)
Deutsche Welle, April 12, 2021

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Top Beijing official admits efficacy of China’s Covid vaccines is low
The Guardian, April 11, 2021

China Turning South China Sea Supply Ships into Mobile Surveillance Bases
Radio Free Asia, April 9, 2021

‘Forced confession’ victims urge Chinese TV channels ban
Agence France-Presse, April 12, 2021

Related:
强迫自白受害者联署 敦促欧洲禁播中国CGTN (In joint letter, forced confession victims urge Europe to ban broadcast of Chinese CGTN)
Deutsche Welle, April 12, 2021

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Record Alibaba Fine Shows China’s Big Tech Can’t Fight Back
Bloomberg, April 11, 2021

Related:
China Fines Alibaba $2.8 Billion in Landmark Antitrust Case
阿里巴巴遭182亿元重罚,这透露出什么信号?

The New York Times, April 12, 2021

Ant ordered to restructure by Chinese regulators
Financial Times, April 12, 2021

China's competition watchdog bulks up
Reuters, April 12, 2021

Chinese tech start-ups pull IPO plans as Beijing tightens scrutiny
Channel News Asia, April 12, 2021

Anti-fraud app from Chinese police sees soaring downloads amid complaints of forced installs
South China Morning Post, April 12, 2021

The anatomy of a Chinese online hate campaign
Protocol, April 9, 2021

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong elections: can blank votes be outlawed and will Beijing be embarrassed by low turnout?
South China Morning Post, April 12, 2021

前年區選逾6百名落選者 約2百人獲委任入各區委員會(200 candidates who lost in 2019 district council elections are appointed members of area committees; may join CE Election Committee)
Radio Television Hong Kong, April 12, 2021

Related:
人力反對宣誓 區議員溫子眾退黨:不能輕言放棄既有陣地 (People Power opposes loyalty oath; its district councilor Wan Chi-chung resigns from party)
inmediahk.net, April 12, 2021

民主派初選47人案|岑子杰高院申保釋被拒 (High Court again revokes bail application of Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, one of the 47 pro-democracy detainees )
Ming Pao, April 12, 2021

Hong Kong schools told to do more to promote national security awareness, with flag-raising ceremony among suggestions from city’s education minister
South China Morning Post, April 11, 2021

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council paid out HK$13.3 million in end-of-service gratuities to resigned opposition lawmakers
South China Morning Post, April 9, 2021

'Stand tall': Hong Kong media tycoon Lai writes letter from jail
Agence France-Presse, April 12, 2021

London making it easier for Hongkongers to apply for visas through BN(O) scheme
South China Morning Post, April 11, 2021

Ousted Hong Kong democrat Dennis Kwok surfaces in Canada
Hong Kong Free Press, April 10, 2021

Commentary (评论)

AI companies are enabling genocide in China
Washington Post, April 12, 2021

战狼外交之策略 专家:把民情转化为抵抗“外侮”的武器(Experts: Wolf warrior diplomacy strategy turns people’s sentiments into weapons of resistance against "foreign humiliation")
Voice of America, April 12, 2021