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, May 28, 2015

Access to Justice (司法公正)

China's top court stresses death penalty for drug crimes
Xinhua, May 28, 2015
http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0528/c90785-8898822.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

信息公开是发展民主政治的载体 (Open government information is a vehicle for developing democratic governance)
Taiyuan News, May 27, 2015
http://ktx.tynews.com.cn/c/2015-05/27/content_836542.htm

村民要求征地信息公开 区政府“答非所问”被判败诉 (Court rules against local govt for providing “irrelevant” response to villager seeking land requisition information)
The Beijing News, May 27, 2015
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2015/05/27/364914.html

Writers protest over Chinese book fair in NY
Radio Television Hong Kong, May 28, 2015
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20150528/news_20150528_56_1103006.htm

Foreign journalists in China face increasing intimidation, survey says
Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2015
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/05/28/foreign-journalists-in-china-face-increasing-intimidation-survey-says/

美国笔会敦促北京无条件释放所有被监禁作家 (PEN American Center urges Beijing to release all detained writers unconditionally)
Voice of America, May 28, 2015
http://www.voachinese.com/media/video/pen-rally-20150528/2793742.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Thousands protest high cancer rates linked to pollution in China's Tianjin
Radio Free Asia, May 28, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/pollution-05272015150247.html

Instructions for commenting on draft legislation
China Law Translate, May 27, 2015
http://chinalawtranslate.com/en/instructions-for-commenting-on-laws/

Related:
HRIC Law Note: Draft Law on Foreign NGOs Undermines Chinese Civil Society and China’s International Engagement
中国人权法律评论:境外非政府组织管理法草案损害了中国的民间社会和中国政府的国际参与
Human Rights in China, May 21, 2015
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/legal-resources/hric-law-note-draft-law-foreign-ngos-undermines-chinese-civil-society-and-chinas
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-ren-quan-fa-lu-ping-lun-jing-wai-fei-zheng-fu-zu-zhi-guan-li-fa-cao-sun-hai-liao-zhong-guo

又一藏族妇女自焚身亡 (Another Tibetan female dies in self-immolation)
Deutsche Welle, May 28, 2015
http://www.dw.de/又一藏族妇女自焚身亡/a-18480054

Government Accountability (政府问责)

監控升級 丁子霖遭竊聽家中對話 (Heightened surveillance: Ding Zilin’s home phone tapped)
Mingpao, May 28, 2015
http://bit.ly/1G0xk1B

Related:
June Fourth Overview
六四概述
Human Rights in China
EN: http://hrichina.org/en/june-fourth-overview
CH: http://hrichina.org/chs/liu-si-gai-shu

China's lonely voice of dissent refuses to forget the victims of Tiananmen Square
The Guardian, May 28, 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/28/chinas-lonely-voice-of-dissent-refuses-to-forget-the-victims-of-tiananmen-square

Related:
China deletes editorial hitting back at students' Tiananmen letter
Radio Free Asia, May 27, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/editorial-05272015120808.html

China in 1989 and 2015: Tiananmen, Human Rights, and Democracy (hearing)
Congressional Executive Commission on China, June 3, 2015
http://www.cecc.gov/events/hearings/china-in-1989-and-2015-tiananmen-human-rights-and-democracy

China increases state compensation standard
国家赔偿标准提升 侵犯人身自由日赔近220元
Beijing Times, May 27, 2015
EN: http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-05/27/content_20838212.htm
CH: http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2015-05/28/c_127850137.htm

Related:
一市民因羁押申请国家赔偿 市检察院负责人回应:将依法给予合理赔偿
(Shenzhen procuratorate pledges fair compensation to resident applying for RMB 100,000 in state compensation for psychological harm from detention)
Shenzhen News, May 28, 2015
http://sztqb.sznews.com/html/2015-05/28/content_3236961.htm

U.S. seeks details on top china official amid bank-hiring probe
the Wall Street Journal, May 27, 2015
http://www.wsj.com/articles/top-china-official-subject-of-u-s-bank-hiring-subpoena-1432743394?tesla=y

Communist Party boss in southern China under investigation for alleged graft
South China Morning Post, May 27, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1810096/communist-party-boss-southern-chinese-city-under

China investigates former top healthcare official for bribery
Reuters, May 28, 2015
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/us-china-corruption-healthcare-idUSKBN0OC0QH20150527

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China's latest law-enforcement gadgets
British Broadcasting Corporation, May 27, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-32906009

Hong Kong (香港)

Put political reform debate aside if Legco vetoes proposal, CY Leung urges Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, May 28, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1811105/put-political-reform-debate-aside-if-legco-vetoes-proposal

Hong Kong paper loses four top voices: A pro-China “putsch”?
The Christian Science Monitor, May 27, 2015
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2015/0527/Hong-Kong-paper-loses-four-top-voices-A-pro-China-putsch

Counterterrorism (反恐)

China hails crackdown on terror in Xinjiang
British Broadcasting Corporation, May 28, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-32895245

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

Q. and A.: Liao Ran on the Trial of Zhou Yongkang and China’s New Gang of Four
The New York Times, May 28, 2015
http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/27/q-and-a-liao-ran-on-the-trial-of-zhou-yongkang-and-chinas-new-gang-of-four

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Arrest sheds light on Chinese lawyers’ protest over rape and murder case
South China Morning Post, May 27, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1810031/arrest-sheds-light-chinese-lawyers-protest-over-rape

Access to Information (信息公开)

Wu Gan [Tufu] jailed for insulting judge, Baidu and Sina Weibo censor search results for "Wu Gan"
Fei Chang Dao, May 26, 2015
http://blog.feichangdao.com/2015/05/wu-gan-jailed-for-insulting-judge-baidu.html

China's new defense white paper and military law
Global Military Justice Reform, May 26, 2015
http://globalmjreform.blogspot.hk/2015/05/chinas-new-defense-white-paper-and.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

俄出台《不受欢迎组织法》防 “颜色革命” (Russia unveils “undesirable organizations law” to prevent a “color revolution”)
Legal Daily, May 26, 2015
http://epaper.legaldaily.com.cn/fzrb/content/20150526/Articel11002GN.htm

Related:
Enemies of the state: Beijing targets NGOs
The Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2015
http://www.wsj.com/articles/enemies-of-the-state-beijing-targets-ngos-1432622054

China’s draft foreign NGO law’s impact on a new world order
China Law and Policy, May 26, 2015
http://chinalawandpolicy.com/2015/05/26/chinas-draft-foreign-ngo-laws-impact-on-a-new-world-order/

HRIC Law Note: Draft Law on Foreign NGOs Undermines Chinese Civil Society and China’s International Engagement
中国人权法律评论:境外非政府组织管理法草案损害了中国的民间社会和中国政府的国际参与
Human Rights in China, May 21, 2015
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/legal-resources/hric-law-note-draft-law-foreign-ngos-undermines-chinese-civil-society-and-chinas
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-ren-quan-fa-lu-ping-lun-jing-wai-fei-zheng-fu-zu-zhi-guan-li-fa-cao-sun-hai-liao-zhong-guo

Chinese students in the west call for transparency over Tiananmen Square
The Guardian, May 26, 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/chinese-students-uk-us-australia-tiananmen-square-letter-china

Related:
On the 26th Anniversary of Tian’anmen Massacre – an Open Letter to Fellow Students in Mainland China
China Change, May 27, 2015
http://chinachange.org/2015/05/27/on-the-26th-anniversary-of-tiananmen-massacre-an-open-letter-to-fellow-students-in-mainland-china/

Graffiti in China, part two: The writing on the wall
The Diplomat, May 26, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/05/graffiti-in-china-part-two-the-writing-on-the-wall/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

回顾八十年代的自由化浪潮--纪念六四26周年(胡平)(Hu Ping: Reviewing the wave of liberalization in the 1980s—Commemorating the 26th anniversary of June Fourth)
Radio Free Asia, May 25, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/pinglun/huping/hp-05252015133030.html

Related:
June Fourth Overview
六四概述
Human Rights in China
EN: http://hrichina.org/en/june-fourth-overview
CH: http://hrichina.org/chs/liu-si-gai-shu

A dilemma for China's corruption fighters
The Diplomat, May 26, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/05/a-dilemma-for-chinas-corruption-fighters/

吉林珲春公安被指刑讯逼供:民警抠伤犯罪嫌疑人耳朵 (Jilin Hunchun public security bureau identified as using torture: video and photos show suspect’s head and ear injuries from police beating )
China Radio International, May 26, 2015
http://gb.cri.cn/42071/2015/05/26/2225s4975773.htm

Related:
Tiger chairs and cell bosses: police torture of criminal suspects in China
Human Right Watch, May 13, 2015
http://www.hrw.org/node/134845

Hong Kong (香港)

周日晤京官撞遊行 梁振英:六四活動年年有 (HK legislators’ May 31 meeting with Beijing officials on same day as June Fourth march, CY Leung says “June Fourth activities happen every year. . . people should decide which is more important”)
AM730, May 27, 2015
http://www.am730.com.hk/article-266175

Joshua Wong fears Beijing critics are now targets
Radio Television Hong Kong, May 27, 2015
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20150527/news_20150527_56_1102751.htm

After Occupy, democracy activists gear up for battle of Hong Kong electoral reform
South China Morning Post, May 26, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1808846/after-occupy-democracy-activists-gear-battle-hong-kong

HKU students' union to hold its own June 4 vigil
Radio Television Hong Kong, May 27, 2015
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20150527/news_20150527_56_1102714.htm

In Hong Kong, Tiananmen vigil highlights a rift
Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2015
http://www.wsj.com/articles/in-hong-kong-june-4-marks-a-rift-1432696667

Counterterrorism (反恐)

新疆吐尔尕特边检站开展联合反恐处突演练(图) (Xinjiang's Torugart Pass border inspection holds joint counterterrorism exercises)
China News, May 21, 2015
http://www.chinanews.com/sh/2015/05-21/7292762.shtml

Thousands of villagers help police hunt for Xinjiang terrorists
China Daily, May 26, 2015
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-05/26/content_20823507.htm

The terrorist threat in China
The Diplomat, May 26, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/05/the-terrorist-threat-in-china/

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

盡論中國:留學生藉「六四」挑戰習近平 (Opinions on China: Overseas students challenge Xi Jinping with June Fourth)
Apple Daily, May 27, 2015
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/international/art/20150527/19161765

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Chinese woman “dragged out of shower” and house demolished
South China Morning Post, May 25, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1808429/chinese-woman-dragged-out-shower-and-house-demolished

And the law won: The rise and fall of China’s civil-rights lawyers says much about the Communist Party’s approach to the rule of law
The Economist, May 23, 2015
http://www.economist.com/news/china/21651843-rise-and-fall-chinas-civil-rights-lawyers-says-much-about-communist-partys-approach

Jailed Chinese rights lawyer dismisses “ethnic hatred,” “picking quarrels” charges
Radio Free Asia, May 22, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/charges-05222015151442.html

Related:
律师:将与浦志强见面讨论起诉书控罪 (Lawyer: will meet with Pu Zhiqiang to discuss indictment charges)
British Broadcasting Corporation, May 21, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/05/150521_puzhiqiang_shangbaojun

张雪忠:写写微博也犯罪?——关于浦志强案的法律分析 (Zhang Xuezhong: Writing a weibo post is also a crime? Legal analysis of Pu Zhiqiang’s case)
The New Citizens’ Movement, May 20, 2015
http://xgmyd.com/archives/17929

Human rights lawyer's indictment marks the beginning of a “weibo inquisition” in China
Global Voices, May 21, 2015
https://globalvoicesonline.org/2015/05/22/human-rights-lawyers-indictment-marks-the-beginning-of-a-weibo-inquisition-in-china/

New rules for China's jury system
Xinhua, May 21, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-05/21/c_134259509.htm

Access to Information (信息公开)

China issues first white paper on military strategy
China Daily, May 26, 2015
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-05/26/content_20820125.htm

Related
China to boost offshore military capability: defense strategy paper
Reuters, May 26, 2015
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/26/us-china-defence-idUSKBN0OB0CA20150526

China to speed up building a cyber force
Xinhua, May 26, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-05/26/c_134271018.htm

中国政府发表《中国的军事战略》白皮书
Full text: China's military strategy
Xinhua, May 26, 2015
CH: http://www.81.cn/sydbt/2015-05/26/content_6507368.htm
EN: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2015-05/26/c_134271001.htm

柴宝文承认指新华社记者受贿是“自编” (Rights defender Chai Baowen admits to “making up” allegation that Xinhua reporters took bribes)
British Broadcasting Corporation, May 25, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/05/150525_china_heilongjiang_shooting_rumor_monger

Leaked emails reveal details of China's online “youth civilization volunteers”
Global Voices, May 25, 2015
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2015/05/25/leaked-mails-reveal-details-on-chinas-online-youth-civilization-volunteers/

人权组织批评中国国家安全法草案
Human rights groups attack China draft security law
The Financial Times, May 25, 2015
CH: http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001062176
EN: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/e748504e-0072-11e5-a908-00144feabdc0.html

On the legality of shuanggui
Forgotten Archipelago, May 23, 2015
http://florasapio.blogspot.com/2015/05/on-legality-of-shuanggui.html

China’s Xi targets tech elites for Communist Party outreach push
Bloomberg Business, May 21, 2015
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-21/china-s-xi-targets-tech-elites-for-communist-party-outreach-push

Related:
中国网络部门鼓励公众举报 ”不良信息” (China’s internet department encourages the public to report “harmful messages”)
British Broadcasting Corporation, May 22, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/05/150522_china_internet_monitor_children

US writers’ group warns Western authors of Chinese censorship
South China Morning Post, May 21, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1805128/us-writers-group-warns-western-authors-chinese

Related:
Censorship and conscience: foreign authors and the challenge of Chinese censorship
Pen American Center, May 20, 2015
http://www.pen.org/sites/default/files/PEN_Censorship-and-Conscience_5-20-15.pdf

How China's censors influence Hollywood
National Public Radio, May 18, 2015
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/05/18/407619652/how-chinas-censors-influence-hollywood

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

专家聚首上海交大研讨《境外非政府组织管理法》立法 (Jiaotong University convenes experts to discuss the Foreign NGO Law)
China Education News, May 26, 2015
http://jyb.cn/high/gdjyxw/201505/t20150526_623578.html

Related:
HRIC Law Note: Draft Law on Foreign NGOs Undermines Chinese Civil Society and China’s International Engagement
中国人权法律评论:境外非政府组织管理法草案损害了中国的民间社会和中国政府的国际参与
Human Rights in China, May 21, 2015
EN:http://www.hrichina.org/en/legal-resources/hric-law-note-draft-law-foreign-ngos-undermines-chinese-civil-society-and-chinas
CH:http://www.hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-ren-quan-fa-lu-ping-lun-jing-wai-fei-zheng-fu-zu-zhi-guan-li-fa-cao-sun-hai-liao-zhong-guo

广东千村民抗议建垃圾焚烧厂遭镇压
Officials vow to “track down” leaders of anti-incinerator protest in China's Guangdong
Radio Free Asia, May 21, 2015
CH: http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/xl1-05212015101200.html
EN: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-incinerator-05212015131754.html

道孚县一藏人自焚身亡 比如县歌手贡布丹增被判刑
Tibetan father of four self-immolates in protest in Sichuan
Radio Free Asia, May 21, 2015
CH: http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/dz-05212015145529.html
EN: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/immolates-05202015165144.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

北京“六四”26周年临近 天安门母亲被公安看守 (Tiananmen Mothers closely monitored by public security as anniversary of June Fourth draws near)
Radio Free Asia, May 26, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-05262015095721.html

Chinese local governments agree to settle bills after being sued
The Financial Times, May 25, 2015
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/196a38cc-02e3-11e5-8333-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3bE6Yh8VH

China officials made to tour jail in corruption warning
British Broadcasting Corporation, May 25, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-32872872

Nanning government chief accused of graft
South China Morning Post, May 24, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1807875/nanning-government-chief-accused-graft

男子讨薪不成反被判敲诈勒索 获国家赔偿8.6万 (Man who sought back pay convicted of extortion and blackmail, later receives RMB 86,000 in state compensation)
Southern Metropolis Daily, May 22, 2015
http://news.sohu.com/20150526/n413787037.shtml

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Temple University physics professor accused of passing tech secrets to China
The Guardian, May 22, 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/22/temple-university-professor-china-secrets

3万探头“监控”北京所有重点街面 (30,000 CCTVs “surveil” all major streets of Beijing)
The Beijing News, May 25, 2015
http://epaper.bjnews.com.cn/html/2015-05/25/content_578668.htm