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 26, 2016

Access to Information (信息公开)

Chinese media attacked Taiwan’s new president for being a single woman and it kinda failed
Buzzfeed News, May 26, 2016
https://www.buzzfeed.com/beimengfu/china-attacked-taiwans-new-president-for-being-single-and-it

Related:
Minitrue: Delete “inappropriate” op-ed on Tsai Ing-wen
China Digital Times, May 25, 2016
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2016/05/minitrue-inappropriate-op-ed-tsai-ing-wen/

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Tibetans protest unsafe conditions in their town in Draggo
Radio Free Asia, May 25, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/unsafe-05252016132526.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Obama “very weak and compromising” on China human rights issues, Chinese journalist tells U.S. hearing
Hong Kong Free Press, May 25, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/25/obama-very-weak-and-compromising-on-china-human-rights-issues-chinese-journalist-tells-us-hearing/

Not enough character? Communist Party frets over Constitution copying
The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2016
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/05/25/not-enough-character-communist-party-frets-over-constitution-copying-%E2%80%8B/

“It was a grave mistake”: tearful former top graft-buster admits taking 140 million yuan in bribes
South China Morning Post, May 26, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1954589/it-was-grave-mistake-tearful-former-top-graft-buster

“Political mistakes,” more than graft, led to downfall of Chinese military chiefs Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou
South China Morning Post, May 26, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1954587/political-mistakes-more-graft-led-downfall-chinese

法国各界将和中国流亡人士一起纪念六四 (French communities to commemorate June Fourth with Chinese exiles)
Radio Free Asia, May 25, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/gr-05252016110919.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China increases scrutiny of Internet, tech companies
Voice of America, May 25, 2016
http://www.voanews.com/content/china-increases-scrutiny-ofinternet-tech-companies/3345312.html

Q. and A.: Ben Hillman and Gray Tuttle on ethnic unrest in Xinjiang and Tibet
The New York Times, May 27, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/world/asia/china-xinjiang-tibet-ethnic-unrest.html

China’s emerging cyberspace strategy
The Diplomat, May 24, 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2016/05/chinas-emerging-cyberspace-strategy/

Hong Kong (香港)

Victoria Park Tiananmen vigil has become rigid, CUHK student leader says
Hong Kong Free Press, May 26, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/26/june-4-tiananmen-vigil-at-victoria-park-has-become-rigid-cuhk-student-leader-says/

Daughter of Swedish bookseller says he is illegally held in China on dubious charges
Radio Free Asia, May 25, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/daughter-of-swedish-05252016104726.html

Hong Kong’s international law problem
ChinaFile, May 25, 2016
http://www.chinafile.com/viewpoint/hong-kongs-international-law-problem

香港民团抗议张德江访港时警方打压人权 (Hong Kong groups protest police suppression of human rights during Zhang Dejiang’s visit)
Radio Free Asia, May 25, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/cp-05252016161155.html

張德江訪港當局安排大量警力保護 香港眾志質疑違憲研司法覆核 (Authorities deploy huge police forces to ensure safety during Zhang Dejiang’s visit, Demosisto suspects violation of constitution, mulls possibility of judicial review)
Ming Pao, May 26, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160526/s00001/1464194430068

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Concern for jailed activist Guo Feixiong’s health as supporters detained
Radio Free Asia, May 24, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-guofeixiong-05242016170440.html

Related:
Guo Feixiong on Day 11 of Hunger Strike in Prison, Wife Asks President Xi Jinping to Intervene
郭飞雄狱中绝食11天,妻子吁习近平关注
Human Rights in China, May 19, 2016
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/case-update/guo-feixiong-day-11-hunger-strike-prison-wife-asks-president-xi-jinping
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/xin-wen-gong-zuo/ge-gen-zong/guo-fei-xiong-yu-zhong-jue-shi-11tian-qi-zi-xu-xi-jin-ping-guan-zhu

Hunger Strike Relay to Support Guo Feixiong Continues
绝食声援郭飞雄
Human Rights in China, May 16, 2016
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/gong-min-yan-chang/jue-shi-sheng-yuan-guo-fei-xiong
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/gong-min-yan-chang/jue-shi-sheng-yuan-guo-fei-xiong

Save Guo Feixiong: Hunger Strike Relay Proposal
救援郭飞雄接力绝食倡议书
Human Rights in China, May 2, 2016
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/citizens-square/save-guo-feixiong-hunger-strike-relay-proposal
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/gong-min-yan-chang/jiu-yuan-guo-fei-xiong-jie-li-jue-shi-chang-yi-shu

Wife of Guo Feixiong Appeals to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Regarding His Deteriorating Condition
张青吁联合国人权事务高级专员关注丈夫郭飞雄遭虐案
Human Rights in China, April 28, 2016
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/hric-bulletin/wife-guo-feixiong-appeals-un-high-commissioner-human-rights-regarding-his
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/xin-wen-gong-zuo/zhong-guo-ren-quan-jian-xun/zhang-qing-xu-lian-he-guo-ren-quan-shi-wu-gao-ji-zhuan

Access to Information (信息公开)

No country for academics: Chinese crackdown forces intellectuals abroad
The Guardian, May 24, 2016
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/24/academics-china-crackdown-forces-intellectuals-abroad

Chinese province aims to lead big data charge
The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2016
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/05/25/chinese-province-aims-to-lead-big-data-charge/

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Netizen voices: No respect for family planning officers
China Digital Times, May 24, 2016
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2016/05/netizen-voices-comeuppance-one-child-policy-enforcers/

Protest held after grief-stricken relatives beat up five doctors following woman’s death
South China Morning Post, May 25, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1953791/protest-held-after-grief-stricken-relatives-beat-five-doctors

Chinese police detain protesting Sichuan quake parents
Radio Free Asia, May 24, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/parents-05242016130621.html

China’s middle class vents over growing list of grievances
The Wall Street Journal, May 24, 2016
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/05/24/chinas-middle-class-vents-over-growing-list-of-grievances/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Write after me: China’s Communist Party members “must put hearts” into transcribing full 15,000-character constitution
South China Morning Post, May 24, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1952703/write-after-me-chinas-communist-party-members-must-put

The forgotten children of China's prisoners—video
The Guardian, May 24, 2016
http://www.theguardian.com/news/video/2016/may/24/the-forgotten-children-of-chinas-prisoners-video

卫计委:发现农村留守儿童疑遭不法侵害等情况须强制报告 (Health and Family Planning Commission: Instances of rural left behind children being illegally harmed should be compulsorily reported)
People’s Daily, May 25, 2016
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0525/c1001-28379171.html

U.S. disappointed by Chinese scrapping of online Q&A session
Voice of America, May 24, 2016
http://www.voanews.com/content/united-states-disappointed-chinese-shutdown-online-question-answer-session/3344940.html

纽约文革图片展落幕,李伟东论为何反思文革 (New York photo exhibition on Cultural Revolution closes, Li Weidong discusses why we should reflect on Cultural Revolution)
Voice of America, May 25, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/voa-news-li-weidong-20160524/3344171.html

文化大革命五十周年:从广东逃到香港的知青 (50th anniversary of the Cultural Revolution: The educated youths who fled Guangdong for Hong Kong)
British Broadcasting Corporation, May 25, 2016
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2016/05/160525_hongkong_cultural_revolution_escapees

Hong Kong (香港)

Daughter of missing Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai to testify before United States committee
桂敏海之女出席美国听证会 吁各国勿让中国违法跨境执法
South China Morning Post, May 24, 2016
EN : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1952855/daughter-missing-hong-kong-bookseller-gui-minhai-testify
CH : http://www.nanzao.com/sc/hk-macau-tw/154e5fee17e57b4/gui-min-hai-zhi-nv-chu-xi-mei-guo-ting-zheng-hui-yu-ge-guo-wu-rang-zhong-guo-wei-fa-kua-jing-zhi-fa

Related:
Video: “Speaking up is the only option I have”: Daughter of “abducted” bookseller testifies at U.S. hearing
Hong Kong Free Press, May 25, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/25/video-speaking-up-is-the-only-option-i-have-daughter-of-abducted-bookseller-testifies-at-us-hearing/

July 1 democracy rally organizers urge gov’t to reopen Civic Square forecourt as march end point
Hong Kong Free Press, May 24, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/24/july-1-democracy-rally-organisers-urge-govt-to-reopen-civic-square-forecourt-as-march-end-point/

Hong Kong wants to remain a global arts hub while censoring political art
Quartz, May 25, 2016
http://qz.com/691105/hong-kong-wants-to-remain-a-global-arts-hub-while-censoring-political-art/

“It’s time for us to set a new political agenda for Hong Kong.” A Q&A with student activist Joshua Wong
ChinaFile, May 24, 2016
http://www.chinafile.com/viewpoint/its-time-us-set-new-political-agenda-hong-kong

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

【港獨爭拗】不卑不亢(文:陳文敏) ([Debates over Hong Kong’s independence] Johannes Chan: Neither servile nor overbearing)
Ming Pao, May 25, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160525/s00022/1464143938964

Populist or liberal: What kind of democracy does Hong Kong really want?
South China Morning Post, May 24, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1952744/populist-or-liberal-what-kind-democracy-does-hong-kong-really-want

Hong Kong laid on a big, expensive show, but was Zhang Dejiang visiting or “inspecting” us?
Hong Kong Free Press, May 24, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/24/hong-kong-laid-on-a-big-expensive-show-but-was-zhang-dejiang-visiting-or-inspecting-us/

China’s new law on international NGOs—and questions about legal reform
The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2016
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/05/25/chinas-new-law-on-international-ngos-and-questions-about-legal-reform/

【文革五十年】否定文革才能捍衛改革開放 ([50th anniversary of Cultural Revolution] Only by denying the Cultural Revolution can reform and opening be protected)
Ming Pao, May 25, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160525/s00022/1464142804015

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

北京市民将可拿手机申请法律援助 (Beijing citizens will be able to apply for legal assistance with a mobile phone)
Beijing Daily, May 24, 2016
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0524/c1001-28373885.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

China school milk: Social media users up in arms over “hush-up”
British Broadcasting Corporation, May 20, 2016
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36346205

China’s Internet propaganda is more subtle and sophisticated than it ever has been
Quartz, May 24, 2016
http://qz.com/690650/chinas-internet-propaganda-is-more-subtle-and-sophisticated-than-it-ever-has-been/

Harvard study: China fabricates 488 million social media posts per year
The Diplomat, May 20, 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2016/05/harvard-study-china-fabricates-488-million-social-media-posts-per-year/

Not-so-soft spot: U.S. embassy Q&A scrubbed from Chinese social media site
The Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2016
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/05/20/not-so-soft-spot-u-s-embassy-qa-scrubbed-from-chinese-social-media-site/

China holds writer, publisher over dissent, “forbidden books”
Radio Free Asia, May 23, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/books-05232016123637.html

中国出版界强人被捕引发外界严重关注 (China’s publishing industry strongman arrested, stirs serious concern)
Voice of America, May 23, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/Chinese-publisher-arrested-20160524/3343478.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Over 200 people support Guo Feixiong in a hunger strike relay
China Change, May 23, 2016
https://chinachange.org/2016/05/23/over-200-people-support-guo-feixiong-in-a-hunger-strike-relay/

Decapitated churches in China’s Christian heartland
浙江两年拆上千十字架,中国或进一步限制基督教
The New York Times, May 21, 2016
EN: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/world/asia/china-christians-zhejiang.html
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20160523/c23chinacross/

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China’s scary lesson to the world: Censoring the Internet works.
The Washington Post, May 23, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinas-scary-lesson-to-the-world-censoring-the-internet-works/2016/05/23/413afe78-fff3-11e5-8bb1-f124a43f84dc_story.html

Xi’s Internet: China’s new normal online reality
Hong Kong Free Press, May 22, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/22/xis-internet-chinas-new-normal-online-reality/

China mulls new ways to control video websites
Hong Kong Free Press, May 23, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/23/china-mulls-new-ways-control-video-websites/

Hong Kong (香港)

ICC building protest art suspended as Arts Council slams artists’ “disrespect”
Hong Kong Free Press, May 23, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/23/icc-building-protest-art-suspended-as-arts-council-slams-artists-disrespect/

Related:
Joint statement
Hong Kong Arts Development Council, May 22, 2016
http://www.hkadc.org.hk/?p=14364&lang=en

ICC《我們就是六十秒的朋友》創作者:請藝發局收回不實聲明,停止任意移除作品 (Artists of ICC installation “Our 60-second friendship begins now” request the Arts Development Council to withdraw false statement, and refrain from removing artwork at will)
Standnews, May 23, 2016
http://bit.ly/27QP4Yt

港大續辦六四集會 論壇傾香港前途 (HKU continues to organize June Fourth commemoration, discussion forum to focus on Hong Kong’s future)
InMedia HK, May 24, 2016
http://www.inmediahk.net/node/1042524

港支联会:纪念六四体现港人意志和价值 (Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China: Commemorating June Fourth reflects Hongkongers’ will and values)
Voice of America, May 24, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/June-4th-20160524/3343447.html

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

【張德江訪港】張德江訪港帶來的破壞(文:潘小濤) ([ZDJ’s visit to HK] The damages brought by Zhang Dejiang’s visit to Hong Kong)
Ming Pao, May 24, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160524/s00022/1464055672356

【張德江訪港】漫談張德江訪港(文:呂秉權) ([ZDJ’s visit to HK] Discursive talk on Zhang Dejiang’s visit to Hong Kong)
Ming Pao, May 24, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160524/s00022/1464055163904

Monday, May 23, 2016

Access to Information (信息公开)

哈佛研究稱「五毛」年發5億留言影響輿論 環時駁斥「一知半解」 (Harvard study finds “Wumaos” post 500 million comments yearly to impact public opinion, Global Times rebuts: superficial knowledge)
Ming Pao, May 21, 2106
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160521/s00004/1463802049903

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

NGOs take chemical factories to court
China Daily, May 23, 2016
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2016-05/23/content_25426849.htm

Chinese press freedom activist on hunger strike for two weeks, says family
South China Morning Post, May 23, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1951569/chinese-press-freedom-activist-hunger-strike-two-weeks

Related:
声援郭飞雄接力绝食抗议已20天,200多人参加 (Hunger strike relay to support Guo Feixiong into 20 days, over 200 participants)
Voice of America, May 23, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/voa-news-feixiong-guo-protest-20160522/3341187.html

Guo Feixiong on day 11 of hunger strike in prison, wife asks president Xi Jinping to intervene
Human Rights in China, May 19, 2016
http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/case-update/guo-feixiong-day-11-hunger-strike-prison-wife-asks-president-xi-jinping

Chinese protests over university quotas spread to third province
South China Morning Post, May 23, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1951077/chinese-protests-over-university-quotas-spread-third-province

Chinese blogger detained over Buddhist temples "smear"
South China Morning Post, May 23, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1951038/chinese-blogger-detained-over-buddhist-temples-smear

北京自由派学者例行聚餐因六四临近被阻挠 (Beijing liberal scholars’ regular gathering meal obstructed in the run up to June Fourth)
Voice of China, May 23, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/beijing-dissident-20160523/3341838.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Tsai shows no goodwill on cross-Strait ties: mainland scholar
Xinhua, May23, 2016
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2016-05/23/content_25428423.htm

Related:
Minitrue: Adopt unified approach on Taiwan inauguration
China Digital Times, May 23, 2016
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2016/05/taiwan-president-takes-cautious-line-china/

维护两岸关系和平发展的关键在于坚持“九二共识”政治基础 (The key to maintaining cross-strait peace lies in upholding political foundation of the 1992 consensus)
Xinhua, May 21, 2016
http://news.dayoo.com/china/201605/21/139997_47434217.htm