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, June 17, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

They’re not police, military or even official...inside the mysterious “central investigation team” that answers only to the Communist Party
South China Morning Post, June 17, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1976764/theyre-not-police-military-or-even-official-inside

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Shanghai authorities detain 100 ahead of Disney resort opening
Radio Free Asia, June 16, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/shanghai-authorities-detain-100-ahead-of-disney-resort-opening-06162016125322.html

中国多地多名学童出现流鼻血、咳嗽等异常症状,家长怀疑祸首是塑胶跑道 (Many school children from different Chinese towns have symptoms of nose bleeding and coughing, parents suspect the reason being poisonous rubber running tracks)
Radio Free Asia, June 16, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/sd-06162016100250.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Anti-corruption drive, frugality campaign sap banks of VPs
Caixin, June 16, 2016
http://english.caixin.com/2016-06-16/100955390.html

You’re stir-fried squid. That is, “you’re fired” in Chinese: officials meet “The Apprentice”
The Economist, June 18, 2016
http://www.economist.com/news/china/21700687-youre-fired-chinese-officials-meet-apprentice-youre-stir-fried-squid

China’s Communist Party asks cadres to cough up fees—on time and in full
South China Morning Post, June 17, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1976529/chinas-communist-party-asks-cadres-cough-fees-time-and

“六四申遗”进展顺利,首批文件已提交联合国教科文组织 (Application for registering June Fourth as “Memory of the World” progresses smoothly, first batch of documents presented to UNESCO)
Radio Free Asia, June 16, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ck-06162016101928.html

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

China’s response to terrorism
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, June 16, 2016
http://www.uscc.gov/Research/china%E2%80%99s-response-terrorism

Hong Kong (香港)

Returned bookseller says he was detained by “special unit” in China, TV “confession” was scripted
Hong Kong Free Press, June 16, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/16/breaking-returned-bookseller-says-he-was-detained-by-a-special-unit-in-china-confession-was-scripted/

Related:
Full transcript of Lam Wing-kee’s opening statement at his Hong Kong press conference
South China Morning Post, June 17, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1976598/full-transcript-lam-wing-kees-opening-statement-his-hong

“I want to tell the whole world—Hongkongers will not bow down before brute force"
我想告诉全世界,香港人不会向强权低头
South China Morning Post, June 17, 2016
EN: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1976569/i-want-tell-whole-world-hongkongers-will-not-bow-down-brute
CH: http://www.nanzao.com/sc/hk-macau-tw/1555d6ee4928892/wo-xiang-gao-su-quan-shi-jie-xiang-gang-ren-bu-hui-xiang-qiang-quan-di-tou-

I wasn’t abducted by mainland agents…Lam Wing-kee has it wrong, Lee Po insists
李波否认非自愿返内地 外交部:林荣基在内地违法有权处理
South China Morning Post, June 17, 2016
EN: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1976820/i-wasnt-abducted-mainland-agents-lam-wing-kee-has-it-wrong
CH: http://www.nanzao.com/sc/hk-macau-tw/1555d7f1e5d2178/li-bo-hui-ying-lin-rong-ji-zi-yuan-hui-nei-di-wei-jiao-ke-ming-dan-mei-ting-guo-zhong-yang-zhuan-an-zu

Causeway Bay Bookstore book seller Lam Wing-kee spoke out, discussion with Albert Ho & William Nee, Belt Road Scholarship with Michael Tien & Chan Ka-lok
Radio Television Hong Kong, June 18, 2016
http://programme.rthk.hk/rthk/tv/programme.php?name=tv/thepulse&d=2016-06-18&p=2862&e=361304&m=episode

“Defend the freedoms of Hong Kongers”: Angry protests at China office over “kidnapped” bookseller
Agence France-Presse, June 17, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/17/defend-the-freedoms-of-hong-kongers-angry-protests-at-china-office-over-kidnapped-bookseller/

香港民主派批梁振英「一带一路」奖学金拍马屁 (Hong Kong pan-dems slam CY Leung’s setting up of “Belt and Road” scholarship as toadyism)
Radio Free Asia, June 16, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/cp2-06162016143456.html

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Worries flare over Yang Maodong, jailed Chinese dissident on hunger strike
The New York Times, June 16, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/world/asia/china-guo-feixiong-hunger-strike.html

Related:
Sister says Guo Feixiong will not stop hunger strike
杨茂平: 郭飞雄会活着走出监狱吗?
Human Rights in China, June 15, 2016
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/case-update/sister-says-guo-feixiong-will-not-stop-hunger-strike
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/xin-wen-gong-zuo/ge-gen-zong/yang-mao-ping-guo-fei-xiong-hui-huo-zhao-zou-chu-jian-yu-ma

2 Chinese activists sentenced to over 10 years on subversion charges
The New York Times, June 17, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/18/world/asia/china-lu-gengsong-chen-shuqing.html

Court accepts lesbian student’s lawsuit over textbook homophobia
Sixth Tone, June 15, 2016
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/court-accepts-lesbian-student%E2%80%99s-lawsuit-over-textbook-homophobia

China seeks to open judiciary to lawyers and scholars
South China Morning Post, June 16, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1975937/china-seeks-open-judiciary-lawyers-and-scholars

Lawyer for Hebei man executed in 1995 says rehabilitation could restore confidence in justice system
Hong Kong Free Press, June 16, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/16/lawyer-for-hebei-man-executed-in-1995-says-rehabilitation-could-restore-confidence-in-justice-system/

Access to Information (信息公开)

Reuters to scale down Chinese language news site, editorial staff to be redeployed
Hong Kong Free Press, June 15, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/15/reuters-to-scale-down-chinese-language-news-site-editorial-staff-to-be-redeployed/

古巴也解禁!全球只剩兩國禁 Google 及 Facebook! (Cuba lifts the ban! Only two countries in the world still ban Google and Facebook!)
Yes News, June 15, 2016
http://yes-news.com/53739/古巴也解禁全球只剩兩國禁-Google-及-Facebook

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Navigating China’s new era of civil society regulation
China Digital Times, June 15, 2016
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2016/06/navigating-chinas-new-era-civil-society-regulation/

In China, feminism is growing—and so is the backlash
Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2016
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-feminist-activists-20160614-snap-story.html

How the Cultural Revolution sowed the seeds of dissent in China
The New York Times, June 16, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/world/asia/china-cultural-revolution-guobin-yang.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Son and wife of China’s jailed ex-security tsar found guilty of taking bribes
South China Morning Post, June 15, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1975551/son-and-wife-chinas-jailed-ex-security-tsar-found

Obama meets Dalai Lama in spite of China protest
Reuters, June 15, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-daililama-idUSKCN0Z1221

Related:
白宮發布奧巴馬晤達賴照片 強調私人性質 (White House releases photo of Obama’s meeting with Dalai Lama, emphasizing the “personal nature” of the meeting)
Ming Pao, June 16, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160616/s00004/1466040346938

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

The best and worst Internet experience in the world
MIT Technology Review, June 8, 2016
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601498/the-best-and-worst-internet-experience-in-the-world/

China-U.S. talks on cybercrime: What are the outcomes?
The Diplomat, June 16, 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2016/06/china-us-talks-on-cybercrime-what-are-the-outcomes/

Related:
Inside the slow workings of the U.S.-China Cybersecurity Agreement
The Wall Street Journal, June 15, 2016
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2016/06/15/inside-the-slow-workings-of-the-u-s-china-cybersecurity-agreement/

Hong Kong (香港)

Bookseller Lam Wing-kee reveals explosive details of his mainland China detention, claims Lee Po told him he was "taken away from Hong Kong"
South China Morning Post, June 16, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1976489/bookseller-lam-wing-kee-reveals-explosive-details-his

Related:
I wasn’t abducted by mainland agents … Lam Wing-kee has it wrong, Lee Po insists
South China Morning Post, June 17, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1976820/i-wasnt-abducted-mainland-agents-lam-wing-kee-has-it-wrong

Pro-democracy singer Denise Ho to hold concert on same day as cancelled Lancôme gig
Hong Kong Free Press, June 15, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/15/pro-democracy-singer-denise-ho-to-hold-concert-on-same-day-as-cancelled-lancome-gig/

香港人民力量、社民连联盟参选立法会 (People Power and League of Social Democrats join hands in their bid for the upcoming LegCo elections)
Radio Free Asia, June 15, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/cp-06152016103005.html

Causeway Bay Bookstore book seller Lam Wing-kee spoke out, discussion with Albert Ho & William Nee, Belt Road Scholarship with Michael Tien & Chan Ka-lok
The Pulse, June 18, 2016
http://programme.rthk.hk/rthk/tv/programme.php?name=tv/thepulse&d=2016-06-18&p=2862&e=361304&m=episode

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Misery endures for Chinese rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, “freed” after three years in solitary confinement
South China Morning Post, June 15, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1975367/misery-endures-chinese-rights-lawyer-gao-zhisheng-freed

Related:
Incendiary memoir by Chinese rights lawyer reaches bookshelves abroad
中国维权律师出书,大胆预言中共倒台
The New York Times, June 15, 2016
EN: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/world/asia/china-gao-zhisheng-book.html
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20160615/china-gao-zhisheng-book/

Access to Information (信息公开)

The cat and mouse game between China’s censors and Internet activists
The Washington Post, June 14, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/the-cat-and-mouse-game-between-chinas-censors-and-internet-activists/2016/06/14/77f2b3a8-1dd9-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html

透視中國: 老百姓成「老不信」 官媒怎麼辦? (China Perspectives: What to do, the people would never believe the state media?)
British Broadcasting Corporation, June 15, 2016
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/china_watch/2016/06/160615_china_watch_xinhua_toxic_playground

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

“Hate never wins”: China’s LGBTQ community expresses solidarity with victims of Orlando shooting
Hong Kong Free Press, June 15, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/15/hate-never-wins-chinas-lgbtq-community-expresses-solidarity-with-victims-of-orlando-shooting/

Interpreting the main regulations of the overseas NGO law
China Development Brief, June 12, 2016
http://chinadevelopmentbrief.cn/articles/interpreting-the-main-systems-and-regulations-of-the-law-on-the-management-of-the-activities-of-overseas-ngos-within-mainland-china/

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 5, 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/fa-lu-zi-xun/zhong-guo-ren-quan-fa-lu-ping-lun-jing-wai-fei-zheng-fu-zu-zhi-guan-li-fa-cao-sun-hai

Injuries, long hours and low pay: Disney failing to protect Chinese workers at supplier factories says NGO
Hong Kong Free Press, June 14, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/06/14/injuries-long-hours-and-low-pay-disney-failing-to-protect-chinese-workers-at-supplier-factories-says-ngo/

吴青:女权的实质是人权 (Wu Qing: The substance of women’s rights is human rights)
Financial Times, June 15, 2016
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001068005

Government Accountability (政府问责)

What can China do to stop the “epidemic” of suicides among government officials?
Global Voices, June 15, 2016
https://globalvoices.org/2016/06/15/what-can-china-do-to-stop-the-epidemic-of-suicides-among-government-officials/

China reviews 2012-2015 human rights progress, pledging greater effort
Xinhua, June 14, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-06/14/c_135436312.htm

Related:
Full Text: Assessment Report on the Implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2012-2015)
《国家人权行动计划(2012—2015年)》实施评估报告
Xinhua, June 14, 2016
EN: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2016-06/14/c_135435326.htm
CH: http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0615/c1001-28445172.html

中国人权报告以偏概全 (Chinese human rights report suffers from the fallacy of composition)
Voice of America, June 15, 2016
http://www.voachinese.com/content/china-human-rights-report-20160614/3376064.html

China warns U.S. on visits by Dalai Lama, Taiwan president
Reuters, June 14, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-usa-diplomacy-idUSKCN0Z00VC

The true crimes of Chinese PLA General Guo Boxiong
The Diplomat, June
http://thediplomat.com/2016/06/the-true-crimes-of-chinese-pla-general-guo-boxiong/

周永康妻儿因受贿罪被判刑 (Zhou Yongkang’s wife and son sentenced for receiving bribes)
Deutsche Welle, June 15, 2016
http://www.dw.com/zh/周永康妻儿因受贿罪被判刑/a-19331150

Hong Kong (香港)

“一带一路”无助香港发展? (“Belt and Road” wouldn’t help Hong Kong’s development?)
Financial Times, June 15, 2016
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001067954

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

U.S. sees progress in latest cyber talks with China
Reuters, June 14, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-usa-cyber-idUSKCN0Z00DN

Ideology command center wages “online struggle” in China's Henan
Radio Free Asia, June 14, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/ideology-comand-center-06142016105138.html

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

【Lancôme風波】為與不為(文:陳文敏) ([Lancôme scandal] Johannes Chan: To do or not to do)
Ming Pao, June 15, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20160615/s00022/1465956184416

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