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, December 03, 2019

Xinjiang (新疆)

Former head of Xinjiang jailed for life over graft
Agence France-Presse, December 2, 2019

Related:
新疆自治区前主席努尔-白克力获刑无期 (Former Xinjiang chief receives life imprisonment over bribery charges)
Radio France Internationale, December 2, 2019

Xinjiang leaks: Reporting on China's detention camps
Al Jazeera, December 2, 2019

Access to Justice (司法公正)

'Unacceptable': Australia criticises China detention of writer
Al Jazeera, December 2, 2019

Related:
律师称澳籍作家杨恒均被中国当局隔离审讯
China Is Aiming to ‘Break’ Detained Australian Writer, Lawyers Say
The New York Times, December 2, 2019

Man Jailed For 'Insulting Country's Leaders, Ruling Party' in China's Shaanxi
Radio Free Asia, December 1, 2019

Detained Huawei executive spends Canada bail reading and painting as two Canadians denied lawyer in China
Telegraph, December 2, 2019

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Expat Hong Kongers rally on 'keyboard frontline'
Agence France-Presse, December 2, 2019

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China Hits Back at U.S. Over Hong Kong Bill in a Mostly Symbolic Move
The New York Times, December 2, 2019

Related:
China suspends U.S. military visits to Hong Kong, sanctions U.S.-based NGOs
Reuters, December 2, 2019

外交部稱一批美國非政府組織支持反中亂港分子 (China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces sanctions against U.S. NGOs for supporting Hong Kong protests)
Radio Television Hong Kong, December 2, 2019

In face of China threat, Taiwan to invite U.S. experts to bolster defenses
Reuters, December 2, 2019

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Big Brother is watching: Chinese city with 2.6m cameras is world's most heavily surveilled
The Guardian, December 2, 2019

Huawei under fire in China over employee detained for eight months
The Guardian, December 2, 2019

A new Chinese app allows people to use facial verification on their friends and acquaintances
Quartz, December 2, 2019

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong advertising sector workers rally to kick-start five-day strike
Hong Kong Free Press, December 3, 2019

Related:
1,500名廣告人牽頭罷工五日:廣告界從今不會缺席 ("We will not be absent": 1,500 advertising industry workers strike for five days this week)
Inmediahk.net, December 3, 2019

【再爆警謊】消防紀錄揭11.18人叠人66傷 警拖逾2小時才分流 逾半先送警署 (Leaked Fire Services Department record shows 66 injured in stampede on November 18 while police deny incident happened; officers delayed medical attention for 2.5 hours and then requested half of injured to be sent to police station before hospital)
Apple Daily, December 3, 2019

Hongkongers make BN(O) passports an election issue for British foreign secretary Dominic Raab
South China Morning Post, December 2, 2019

Hong Kong protests: opposition lawmakers Eddie Chu and Au Nok-hin launch bid to reform ‘draconian and out of date’ Public Order Ordinance
South China Morning Post, December 2, 2019

Related:
公安條例暴動罪不符公義(文:區諾軒)(Public Order Ordinance and rioting crime is unjust)
Ming Pao, December 3, 2019

Indonesian woman who covered Hong Kong protests as a citizen journalist deported over visa issue
Hong Kong Free Press, December 2, 2019

Funeral home denies it refused services for family of Hong Kong student who died following fall near protest
Hong Kong Free Press, December 2, 2019

Hong Kong protests: Indonesian journalist who lost her eye while covering action in Wan Chai keen to pursue case against police
Hong Kong Free Press, December 2, 2019

Commentary (评论)

傘運勇武派為少年重上前線:覺得欠咗佢哋 ("Radical" in Umbrella Movement returns to frontlines for younger comrades: "I owe them")
Citizen News, December 3, 2019

除了購物,香港人還想在商場看連儂牆、討論時事 (Malls as a public space: Other than shopping, Hong Kongers want to see Lennon Walls and discuss current affairs in city's shopping malls)
The Initium, December 3, 2019

李家翹:世界城市與國家領土性——香港,面對著怎樣的中國?(Global city and territoriality: What kind of China is Hong Kong dealing with)
The Initium, December 2, 2019

China Releases Professor, But Travel Concerns Persist: A recent detention has implications for China-Japan relations
The Diplomat, December 2, 2019

Why We Should Not Condemn Violence by the Hong Kong Protesters
China Change, December 1, 2019

理大圍城之戰 (In depth: The siege of Poly U)
The Initium, November 29, 2019

Hong Kong: Sometimes you have to fight for freedom
The Times, November 28, 2019

Monday, December 02, 2019

Xinjiang (新疆)

‘Suspension won’t silence me’: Teen speaks out after embedding message about Xinjiang Uyghurs in TikTok make-up vid
Hong Kong Free Press, November 27, 2019

Related:
Tiktok Apologises And Attempts To Explain Why It Took Down Viral Makeup Video On Uighur Muslim Detention Camps
Independent, November 28, 2019

TikTok owner ByteDance and Huawei are helping China's campaign to repress Uighur Muslims, report finds
Straits Times, November 29, 2019

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Yang Hengjun: Chinese officials try to 'break' Australian writer with daily interrogations
The Guardian, December 1, 2019

Taiwanese, Belizean arrested in China for supporting Hong Kong protests
South China Morning Post, November 30, 2019

Forced Eviction Family Who Fought Back Jailed, Beaten, Threatened in China's Shandong
Radio Free Asia, November 30, 2019

郑文杰向英国监管机构投诉中国央视 电视认罪“并非自愿” (Tortured British Consulate employee files complaint against China Global Television Network in U.K. for airing forced confession video on television)
BBC, November 29, 2019

Related:
UK regulator investigates Chinese broadcaster over programme on arrest of UK consular worker
Hong Kong Free Press, November 29, 2019

Chinese man accused of beating beauty blogger detained for 'only 20 days'
Inkstone, November 29, 2019

Detained Independent Chinese Journalist Moved to Unknown Location
Radio Free Asia, November 27, 2019

资深劳工活动人士刘少明即将刑满释放,其余劳工人士仍等待庭审
Veteran labour activist Liu Shaoming due for release as others await trial
China Labour Bulletin, November 27, 2019

Access to Information (信息公开)

China criminalises 'fake news' created with AI, bots
Agence France-Presse, November 30, 2019

不满披露新疆 中方“毛泽东体”炮轰西班牙媒体 (Chinese consulate in Spain slams newspaper for publishing story on revealed documents on Xinjiang's camps)
Deutsche Welle, November 30, 2019

被指暗撐香港示威 DC 漫畫刪走《蝙蝠俠》汽油彈封面 (DC Comics take down cover of Batman issue after being accused of hinting support for Hong Kong protests)
Stand News, November 30, 2019

China thinks ‘patriotic education’ built a loyal generation. But in Hong Kong? Not so fast.
Washington Post, November 29, 2019

China's new media world order: Interview with Cédric Alviani from Reporters Without Borders East Asia
Global Voices, November 29, 2019

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Chinese riot police fire teargas and beat up protesters in Guangdong province
The Guardian, November 30, 2019

LGBT activists in China seek to change marriage civil code
Associated Press, November 29, 2019

Open Letter to the Global Lawyers Forum
China Change, November 29, 2019

《喜梅》:一名中国艾滋病活动人士的抗争
‘Ximei’ Review: An AIDS Activist Fights Medical Injustice in China
The New York Times, November 28, 2019

Translation: “A Great Undercurrent Hiding Beneath The Likes”
China Digital Times, November 28, 2019

Hong Kong students in UK call for action over pro-China threats and harassment
Hong Kong Free Press, November 26, 2019

Backlash Against Anti-LGBT Rhetoric From Beijing District Center For Disease Control
SupChina, November 26, 2019

Government Accountability (政府问责)

聯合國人權高級專員促獨立調查香港警暴 中方斥干涉內政 (China criticizes UN High Commissioner of Human Rights for interference after she urged for independent investigation on police violence)
Stand News, December 1, 2019

Related:
Hong Kong’s leaders have only one way out of the protest crisis – a broad, open and inclusive dialogue with the whole community
South China Morning Post, November 30, 2019

Chinese police prepare for Macau handover anniversary with anti-terror drill near Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, November 30, 2019

The Coming Political Restrictions on Chinese Outbound Travel
The Diplomat, November 30, 2019

The migrants who made China an industrial giant face a grim retirement
The Economist, November 30, 2019

加拿大数十位参众议员挺香港 计划提案举行听证会和立法 (Dozens of Canadian lawmakers press for use of Magnitsky Act to support Hong Kong protests, to hold hearing to receive testimonies)
Radio Free Asia, November 29, 2019

外交部:不受歡迎的人自然不會被容許入境 (Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering barring draftsmen of U.S.'s act on Hong Kong from entering China)
Radio Television Hong Kong, November 29, 2019

中国公布王立强受审视频 特工身份扑朔迷离 (China releases video of trial in 2016 of defected spy seeking asylum in Australia, accusing him of being a fraudster)
Deutsche Welle, November 28, 2019

China’s religion chiefs to double down on bringing doctrine in line with socialist dogma
South China Morning Post, November 27, 2019

Related:
Chinese Officials Tear Down Madonna Painting, Replace it With President Xi
Radio Free Asia, November 29, 2019

Tibetan Religious Figures Reject Chinese Role in Dalai Lama Reincarnation
Radio Free Asia, November 27, 2019

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Chinese tech groups shaping UN facial recognition standards
Financial Times, December 1, 2019

Government Asks SenseTime to Lead Plans for National Facial-Recognition Standards
Caixin, November 28, 2019

Related:
27 Companies Drafting China’s First National Facial Recognition Standard
Sixth Tone, November 27, 2019

China makes face scanning compulsory for mobile phone owners
Telegraph, December 1, 2019

Related:
中国手机入网强制实施人脸识别引发用户忧虑 (Consumers concerned as China implements compulsory facial recognition for telecom services)
BBC, December 1, 2019

Bytedance moves to separate TikTok from its Chinese operations
TechNode, November 27, 2019

Hong Kong (香港)

'Are you trying to kill us?': Police fire tear gas at Hong Kong protesters as thousands return to the streets
Associated Press, December 1, 2019

Related:
38 萬人參與尖沙咀遊行 警放催淚彈、推長者、掩記者口 ("Don't forget where we started": 380,000 join approved march in Tsim Sha Tsui, met with tear gas)
Stand News, December 1, 2019

In Pictures: Hong Kong police fire tear gas in Whampoa, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok, disrupting protest calm
Hong Kong Free Press, December 2, 2019

新一哥否認警暴 反斥傳媒大規模造假抹黑警隊 (New commissioner of police denies police violence exists, criticizes media of conducting mass smear campaign using fake news)
Inmediahk.net, December 2, 2019

Related:
Hong Kong cop who drove motorbike into protesters back on active duty as police chief rejects inquiry calls
Hong Kong Free Press, December 1, 2019

疑遭政治打壓印傭作家 Yuli 最快今午遞解出境 支持者入境處總部抗議:姐姐都係手足 (Protesters rally outside Immigration Department to support migrant worker facing deportation for covering Hong Kong protests)
Stand News, December 2, 2019

Related:
Indonesian migrant worker who covered Hong Kong protests detained for 28 days, faces deportation over visa issue
Hong Kong Free Press, December 1, 2019

Hong Kong seniors rally to back students as activists decry police actions
Reuters, November 30, 2019

Related:
退休紀律部隊撐學生抗爭 批香港已無好警察 ("There are no more good cops in Hong Kong," says retired disciplinary forces officer at "silver-hair" rally)
Inmediahk.net, December 1, 2019

‘We could all be Simon’: Hundreds urge London to protect UK nationals in Hong Kong after alleged torture of consular worker
Hong Kong Free Press, November 30, 2019

Hong Kong police consider use of wooden bullets to tackle unrest
Hong Kong Free Press, November 29, 2019

Related:
回應警方考慮使用木彈 民權觀察促請警方停止武力升級 (Civil Rights Observer urges police to cease escalation of force as new commissioner says wooden bullets are being considered)
Inmediahk.net, November 29, 2019

Hong Kong police lift siege on Polytechnic University after 12 days
Hong Kong Free Press, November 29, 2019

Related:
‘I choose to stay’: Hong Kong protester determined to outlast police at besieged Polytechnic University
Hong Kong Free Press, December 1, 2019

香港警方解封理工大学,结束两周“围城战”
Hong Kong Police End 2-Week Campus Siege
The New York Times, November 29, 2019

How one fighter made his escape from the worst battle of Hong Kong’s protests
Quartz, November 30, 2019

Gay homeowner challenges Hong Kong inheritance law over fears husband may not get house if he dies
South China Morning Post, November 29, 2019

Hong Kong court revokes search warrant for medical records of woman who accused police of rape
Hong Kong Free Press, November 28, 2019

Hong Kong court sends 16-year-old to rehab for carrying laser pointer, hiking pole and modified umbrella at demo
Hong Kong Free Press, November 26, 2019

Commentary (评论)

The Aftermath of the Cathay Pacific Purge: Whistleblowing, Flight Safety Scandal, and a Weakened Union.
Stand News, December 2, 2019

黃店心聲:「我們 的害怕不算什麼」("Our fears do not matter": The "yellow shops" speaking out in support of protests)
The News Lens, December 1, 2019

'I went from chilled out Hong Kong student to battle-hardened protester contemplating suicide'
Telegraph, November 28, 2019

Simon Cheng’s TV ‘confession’ reveals the truth about China’s coercive legal system
Hong Kong Free Press, November 28, 2019

China: FIFA Broke Own Rules for Club World Cup: FIFA Sidelines Human Rights, Keeps Beijing Hosting Arrangements Secret
Human Rights Watch, November 27, 2019

Talking To My Mother About Hong Kong
SupChina, November 27, 2019

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Xinjiang (新疆)

Volkswagen defends presence in China's Xinjiang amid uproar over Uighur abuses
Deutsche Welle, November 26, 2019

Pompeo says documents confirm China committing 'very significant' Xinjiang abuses
Reuters, November 26, 2019

Germany steps up criticism over China’s Xinjiang policies with call for it to ‘meet its international human rights obligations’
South China Morning Post, November 26, 2019

'What has happened to me': manga depicting Uighur torture hits 2.5m views
The Guardian, November 25, 2019

Access to Justice (司法公正)

中国女权人士黄雪琴遭指定居所监视居住 (Feminist and independent journalist Huang Xueqin placed under residential surveillance at a designated location after writing about Hong Kong's protests)
Radio Free Asia, November 26, 2019

Background: He Fangmei 何方美
Chinese Human Rights Defenders, November 26, 2019

Access to Information (信息公开)

TikTok博主发布涉新疆拘禁营内容,帐号被封
TikTok Blocks Teen Who Posted About China’s Detention Camps
The New York Times, November 27, 2019

Chinese papers avoid details of Hong Kong's democratic election landslide
Reuters, November 26, 2019

Related:
Hong Kong elections: Chinese media attempt to downplay results
BBC, November 26, 2019

Stung by Hong Kong vote, China slams Reuters report on liaison office shake-up
Washington Post, November 26, 2019

Related:
Exclusive: China sets up Hong Kong crisis center in mainland, considers replacing chief liaison
Reuters, November 25, 2019

How The Chinese Internet Turned ‘Hong Kong Independence’ Into A Smear
SupChina, November 25, 2019

China’s Hottest TV Show Right Now is Striving to Provide Space for Mainstream Debate
Radii China, November 25, 2019

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

美民調:68%受訪者贊成美國支持港示威者 (Poll shows 68% of Americans agree the U.S. should support Hong Kong protesters)
Ming Pao, November 27, 2019

Related:
Majority of Americans favor US support to pro-democracy protesters, as Trump weighs veto on Hong Kong bill: Survey
ABC News, November 26, 2019

Chinese Government Says it Has ‘Punished’ U.S. NGO under the Foreign NGO Law
China NGO Project, November 25, 2019

Related:
First U.S. NGO Accused Of Breaking The Overseas NGO Law
SupChina, November 25, 2019

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China rising: Beijing has world's biggest network of diplomatic posts
Sydney Morning Herald, November 27, 2019

香港区议会选举后北京再将矛头指向美国
Beijing Was Confident Its Hong Kong Allies Would Win. After the Election, It Went Silent.
The New York Times, November 27, 2019

中国大学不简单 澳洲智库发警告 (Australian think-tank warns of relationship between universities and military in China)
Deutsche Welle, November 26, 2019

Taiwan Probes Hong Kong-based Company After Chinese Defector Allegations
Radio Free Asia, November 26, 2019

China Bids to Lead World Agency Protecting Intellectual Property
Foreign Policy, November 26, 2019

China-backed AIIB offers to help fund Indonesia's capital relocation
Reuters, November 26, 2019

Xi Jinping Portraits Replace Catholic Symbols in Churches
Bitter Winter, November 25, 2019