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.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Police in China want rights lawyer prosecuted on subversion charge
维权律师周世锋以颠覆罪送检
The New York Times, June 16, 2016
EN: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/world/asia/china-zhou-shifeng.html
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20160614/china-zhou-shifeng/

Related:
Mass Crackdown on Chinese Lawyers and Defenders
中国大规模镇压维权律师和活跃人士
Human Rights in China, February 5, 2016
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/mass-crackdown-chinese-lawyers-and-defenders
CH: http://hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-da-gui-mo-zhen-ya-wei-quan-lu-shi-he-huo-yue-ren-shi

Jailed for watching Islamic video, Uyghur dies in police custody
Radio Free Asia, June 13, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/custody-06132016142251.html

《关于深化律师制度改革的意见》 (“Comments on deepening the reform of the legal practitioners’ system”)
People’s Daily, June 14, 2016
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0614/c1001-28441595.html

Related:
司法部:律师因执业受到侮辱有关机关应及时制止 (Ministry of Justice: Relevant departments should intervene timely where legal practitioners are insulted for exercising the profession)
People’s Daily, June 14, 2016
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0614/c1001-28441941.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

What sparked the Yan Zhou unrest? China's information deficit in the spotlight
Global Voices, June 12, 2016
https://globalvoices.org/2016/06/12/civil-unrest-over-a-quarrel-or-a-kidnap-attempt-differing-takes-on-the-same-dramatic-event-highlight-chinas-information-vacuum/

Authorities detain Uyghur web masters and writers in China’s Xinjiang
Radio Free Asia, June 14, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/authorities-detain-uyghuer-web-masters-and-writers-in-chinas-xinjiang-06132016153910.html

【千萬人反玉林狗肉節】環時指不應施壓改變地方習俗:這是人權要義 ([11 million people against Yulin dog-meat festival] Global Times: Regional custom should not be suppressed, that is the gist of human rights)
Ming Pao, June 14, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160614/s00004/1465889141395

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

The death and life of middle class politics in China
China Change, June 13, 2016
https://chinachange.org/2016/06/13/the-death-and-life-of-middle-class-politics-in-china/

“六四”期间被软禁者陆续获释 (Some of the rights defenders detained or under house arrest during June Fourth have been released)
Radio Free Asia, June 13, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf2-06132016100041.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Gay Chinese man sues mental hospital for trying to “cure” him with drugs and beatings
The Washington Post, June 14, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/14/gay-chinese-man-sues-mental-hospital-for-trying-to-cure-him-with-drugs-and-beatings/

China’s graft watchdog calls for trials in absentia to strengthen cases against suspects who fled abroad
South China Morning Post, June 14, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1974751/chinas-graft-watchdog-calls-trials-absentia-strengthen

Human rights are an excuse to harbor corrupt officials, says China’s anti-graft commission
Hong Kong Free Press, June 13, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/13/china-anti-graft-commission-human-rights-an-excuse-to-harbour-corrupt-officials/

人权保障没有最好,只有更好 (There is no “best” but better practice for human rights protection)
Xinhua, June 14, 2016
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0614/c1001-28444117.html

Related:
中国将制定新一期国家人权行动计划 (China will draft the national human rights action plan for the next period)
Xinhua, June 14, 2016
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0614/c1001-28444425.html

Hong Kong (香港)

“Missing” bookseller Lam Wing-kee returns to Hong Kong
Hong Kong Free Press, June 14, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/14/missing-bookseller-lam-wing-kee-returns-hong-kong/

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

六四燭光晚會出席人數統計及反思(文:鄒之喬) (Statistics of participant number in June Fourth vigil and reflections)
Ming Pao, June 14, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160614/s00022/1465864915847

Monday, June 13, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Wife of human rights lawyer says she was beaten in Beijing police custody after peaceful protest
Hong Kong Free Press, June 10, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/10/wife-of-human-rights-lawyer-reportedly-beaten-in-beijing-police-custody-after-peaceful-protest/

Jailed Chinese activist on hunger strike for more than a month
Radio Free Asia, June 10, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hunger-06102016105833.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

北京维权律师夏霖被抓一年半后终获庭审 (Beijing rights defender Xia Lin finally gets trial after 1.5 years’ detention)
Voice of America, June 13, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/china-rights-20160612/3372420.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Video: Canadian prime minister urges China to change how it speaks to journalists
Hong Kong Free Press, June 10, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/10/trudeau-urges-china-change-treats-journalists/

Related:
焦点对话:中国外长发脾气,外国记者该反思? (Focused Conversation: Chinese minister of foreign affairs throws tantrums—foreign journalists should reflect on themselves?)
Voice of America, June 10, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/VOAWeishi-ProandCon-20160610-Chinas-foreign-Minister-clashes-with-Canadian-reporter-Who-is-the-offender-here/3370306.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Merkel says will raise concerns on China's new NGO law, steel during Beijing trip
Reuters, June 11, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-china-idUSKCN0YX091

Related:
人权组织促默克尔向中国提人权及高瑜等个案 (Human rights organization urges Merkel to raise human rights topic to China and talk about cases such as Gao Yu’s)
Voice of America, June 13, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/gaoyu-20160612/3372439.html

Germany and China agree “early warning system” to avert NGO problems
Reuters, June 12, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-germany-ngo-idUSKCN0YY0ME

Chinese feminists post selfies in solidarity with Stanford assault victim
The Guardian, June 10, 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/10/chinese-feminists-selfies-solidarity-stanford-assault-victim

Shenzhen labor activists and trade union help workers secure compensation
China Labor Bulletin, June 13, 2016
http://www.clb.org.hk/content/shenzhen-labour-activists-and-trade-union-help-workers-secure-compensation

Tensions rise in Dongguan, China’s factory to the world
China Labor Bulletin, June 10, 2016
http://www.clb.org.hk/content/tensions-rise-dongguan-china%E2%80%99s-factory-world

Activists gather 11 million signatures against China’s infamous dog-meat festival
The Washington Post, June 10, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/10/china-stop-eating-dogs-animal-rights-activists-campaign-against-annual-festival-of-slaughter/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Four Chinese men jailed for 22 years after wrongful murder convictions seek 30 million yuan in compensation
South China Morning Post, June 10, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1971681/four-chinese-men-jailed-22-years-after-wrongful-murder

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

The Chinese hackers in the back office
卷入中美黑客大战的普通美国人家
The New York Times, June 11, 2016
EN: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/12/technology/the-chinese-hackers-in-the-back-office.html
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/usa/20160612/the-chinese-hackers-in-the-back-office/

Hong Kong (香港)

Student unions in Hong Kong snub offer to host seminars about June 4 Tiananmen Square crackdown
South China Morning Post, June 13, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1973782/student-unions-hong-kong-snub-offer-host-seminars-about-june

Postmortems: two Hong Kong groups to release studies on 2014 Occupy protests
South China Morning Post, June 13, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1973722/postmortems-two-hong-kong-groups-release-studies-2014-occupy

“Was this necessary?” Ex-Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou responds to Hong Kong visit ban
Hong Kong Free Press, June 13, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/13/ma-ying-jeou-responds/

【Lancôme風波】王永平:強國政治掛帥 吃中國飯愈來愈難 ([Lancôme scandal] Former accountable official Joseph Wong: “Strong nation” politics comes first, harder than ever to get China’s business)
Ming Pao, June 13, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160613/s00001/1465785942846

Related:
【Lancôme風波】范太指屬商業決定 看不到打壓言論自由 ([Lancôme scandal] NPC Standing Committee Rita Fan considers the decision commercial in nature, cannot see suppression of freedom of speech)
Ming Pao, June 11, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160611/s00001/1465602559391

報道指「8964」城巴車長遭停職3個月 城巴:個別處分涉員工個人資料,不便透露 (Citybus driver who put up “8964” reportedly suspended from duties for 3 months, Citybus wouldn’t disclose individual disciplinary actions involving personal information)
Ming Pao, June 11, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160611/s00001/1465658765479

記協去信申訴專員 投訴政府拒認可網媒 限制公眾知情權 (The Journalists Association files complaint with the Ombudsman for government’s refusal to recognize Internet media, restricting people’s right to know)
Ming Pao, June 11, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160613/s00001/1465810307125

呼籲港人七一繼續上街 民陣:決戰689 (Civil Human Rights Front urges Hong Kong people to continue to take it to the streets on July 1, against CY Leung and the current elective system)
InMedia HK, June 10, 2016
http://www.inmediahk.net/node/1042846

National Security & Counterterrorism (国家安全和反恐)

Xinjiang’s Uygurs “not radical Muslims,” says China’s former culture minister
South China Morning Post, June 11, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1971974/xinjiangs-uygurs-not-radical-muslims-says-chinas-former

Friday, June 10, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Detained lawyers’ families & colleagues fight on as anniversary approaches
China Digital Times, June 8, 2016
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2016/06/families-detained-lawyers-continue-fight/

Related:
Mass Crackdown on Chinese Lawyers and Defenders
中国大规模镇压维权律师和活跃人士
Human Rights in China, February 5, 2016
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/mass-crackdown-chinese-lawyers-and-defenders
CH: http://hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-da-gui-mo-zhen-ya-wei-quan-lu-shi-he-huo-yue-ren-shi

Lawyer who had his clothes torn by China court police refuses to accept court apology
Hong Kong Free Press, June 10, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/10/nanning-court-apologizes-lawyer-clothes-ripped-off-court-police/

Related:
时事大家谈:被撕掉的是律师的裤子还是法治的尊严? (Current Affairs Discussion: Was it the lawyers’ pants that were ripped apart or the dignity of the rule of law?)
Voice of America, June 9, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/VOAWeishi-IssuesandOpinions-20160608-Bailiffs-in-China-ripped-off-a-lawyers-pants/3367272.html

Fears mount for health of Chinese activist Guo Feixiong entering 40th day of hunger strike
South China Morning Post, June 10, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1971044/fears-mount-health-chinese-activist-guo-feixiong

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

Access to Information (信息公开)

“Corruption has no limit”: Hooligan Sparrow—the film China doesn’t want you to see
Hong Kong Free Press, June 9, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/09/corruption-has-not-limit-hooligan-sparrow-the-film-china-doesnt-want-you-to-see/

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Thousands of Walmart China workers organize online to oppose new working hours system
Hong Kong Free Press, June 8, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/08/thousands-of-walmart-china-workers-organise-online-to-oppose-new-working-hours-system/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China says most wanted corruption suspect returned of own accord from Canada
Reuters, June 8, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-corruption-canada-idUSKCN0YU0Z0

广东佛山警察鸣枪示警 流弹打死5楼居民 (Police in Foshan, Guangdong fire warning shots, stray bullet kills resident on fifth floor)
Radio Free Asia, June 9, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/hc-06092016113232.html

时事大家谈:六四申遗,寻找和勿忘坦克人 (Current Affairs Discussion: June Fourth legacy, searching for and not forgetting Tank Man)
Voice of America, June 9, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/VOAWeishi-IssuesandOpinions-20160608-June-4th-project-of-application-for-the-list-of-world-heritage/3367262.html

Hong Kong (香港)

Tycoon Li Ka-shing’s family drawn into Denise Ho controversy as political fallout continues for Lancome
South China Morning Post, June 8, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1969055/tycoon-li-ka-shings-family-drawn-denise-ho-controversy

Related:
Hong Kong pop singer hits out at “white terror” amid Lancôme row
Radio Free Asia, June 9, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/singer-06092016110321.html

L’Oreal is setting a dangerous global precedent by bowing to China over free speech
Quartz, June 8, 2016
http://qz.com/701984/loreal-is-setting-a-dangerous-global-precedent-by-bowing-to-china-over-a-pro-democracy-singer/

National Security & Counterterrorism (国家安全和反恐)

China restricts Ramadan fast for Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang
Radio Free Asia, 9, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/restricts-06092016162515.html

Thursday, June 09, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

The disappeared: faces of human rights activists China wants to silence
The Guardian, June 8, 2016
http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/jun/09/the-disappeared-faces-human-rights-activists-china-silence

Related:
Mass Crackdown on Chinese Lawyers and Defenders
中国大规模镇压维权律师和活跃人士
Human Rights in China, February 5, 2016
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/mass-crackdown-chinese-lawyers-and-defenders
CH: http://hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-da-gui-mo-zhen-ya-wei-quan-lu-shi-he-huo-yue-ren-shi

郭飞雄狱中绝食满月 体重锐降三分一(Guo Feixiong hunger strike enters 31st day, has lost 1/3 of body weight and physical condition extremely worrying)
Charter 08, June 8, 2016
http://08charterbbs.blogspot.com/2016/06/blog-post_681.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