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, March 03, 2020

Xinjiang (新疆)

新疆多名伊玛目被重判 疫情隔离措施持续 (Heavy sentences for Imam and followers in Xinjiang; ethnic minorities lose contact with family members as strict quarantine continues)
Radio Free Asia, March 3, 2020

Chinese Embassy in Turkey Confirms Detentions of Exiled Uyghur Family Members in Xinjiang
Radio Free Asia, March 2, 2020

Access to Justice (司法公正)

长沙富能案程渊妻子施明磊因发呼救丈夫视频遭警方威胁 (Shi Minglei, wife of Changsha rights activist Cheng Yuan, threatened by police for posting video appeal for her husband’s release)
Weiquanwang, March 3, 2020

来自伍雷律师的呼吁:全国每一名律师连续三天转发安徽蒙冤律师吕先三案件!(Lawyer Wu Lei appeals to all lawyers in China to disseminate information on the case of lawyer Lu Xiansan who has been framed)
Weiquanwang, March 3, 2020

Access to Information (信息公开)

China censored COVID-19 news for weeks, say researchers
Channel News Asia, March 3, 2020

Chinese citizens are racing against censors to preserve coronavirus memories on GitHub
Quartz, March 3, 2020

How WeChat censored even neutral messages about the coronavirus in China
South China Morning Post, March 3, 2020

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

陈秋实、方斌失联 网友发起白宫请愿 (Netizens launched White House petition on the 3-week-long disappearances of citizen journalists Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin)
Deutsche Welle, March 3, 2020

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China doctors seek tougher discharge criteria after positive COVID-19 tests
Channel News Asia, March 2, 2020

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Chinese Authorities Track People's Phones as Some Return to Work
Radio Free Asia, March 3, 2020

中國200個城市推行「健康碼」,人權團體:防疫軟體之後可能成為「監控工具」 (As 200 cities in China implement "health codes," human rights group warns of "monitoring tool" in the guise of anti-epidemic software)
The News Lens, March 3, 2020

中国网络管控新规上路 部分北京市民表示无奈 (China sets new rules for network management and control, some Beijing residents feel helpless)
Voice of America , March 3, 2020

Hong Kong (香港)

'Unprecedented' mental health issues seen in Hong Kong amid COVID-19 fears
Channel News Asia, March 3, 2020

In Pictures: Officers ‘moved some objects,’ say police after force accused of destroying tributes to dead student
Hong Kong Free Press, March 3, 2020

Hong Kong’s face mask shortage highlights injustice inflicted on vulnerable communities
Hong Kong Free Press, March 3, 2020

預算案評分跌至40分創新低 香港民研鍾劍華:派錢買唔到人心 (Public opinion polls show 40% approval of the Hong Kong budget for 2020-2021, a historic low; expert: you can't buy support )
The Stand News, March 3, 2020

Related:
接受《彭博》專訪 陳茂波稱不排除開徵銷售稅 (Hong Kong government to consider collecting sales tax)
The Stand News, March 3, 2020

深水埗露宿者稱遭便衣警毀家當、踩下陰 團體轟警可恥促道歉賠償 (Homeless in Sham Shui Po who were attacked and shamed by police demand apology and compensation)
The Stand News, March 3, 2020

隔離中心冇招標 中資食水特別深?(Are Chinese contractors profiting inequitably from no-bid contracts for t building emergency quarantine facilities?)
The Stand News, March 3, 2020

林鄭未否認向中央呈「篤背脊」「利用抗疫翻盤」報告 (Carrie Lam denies “blaming the protests for the failures of the anti-outbreak policies” and “accusing pro-establishment camp for abandoning her” in leaked report to Beijing)
The Stand News, March 3, 2020

滯留湖北其他地區港人冀政府加快安排協助返港 (Hong Kongers trapped in Hubei and other regions in mainland China urge government to speed up evacuation process)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 3, 2020

Hong Kong Journalists Hit Out at Police After Weekend of Renewed Protests
Radio Free Asia, March 2, 2020

Hong Kong Has Contained Coronavirus So Far — But At A Significant Cost
NPR, March 1, 2020

Commentary (评论)

China’s Coronavirus Crisis Is Just Beginning
The New York Times, March 3, 2020

思想病毒啟示錄 (The Chinese government is incubating a new virus to kill your critical thinking)
The Stand News, March 3, 2020

中国任联合国安理会轮值主席 北京国际影响力引关注 (China takes month-long presidency of UN Security Council, its international influence draws attention)
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 3, 2020

周雪光专访:新冠疫情暴露“刚性”体制弊端 (Interview with Zhou Xueguang: Novel Coronavirus epidemic exposes flaws of a rigid system)
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 3, 2020

小端網絡觀察:中國網友抵制外國人永居權立法,非我族類其心必異? (Online discussions of the Chinese immigration rule amendment exposes racism and xenophobia in China)
The Initium, March 1, 2020

Monday, March 02, 2020

Xinjiang (新疆)

Big name brands accused of using Uygur ‘forced labour’ by Australian think tank
South China Morning Post, March 02, 2020

Access to Justice (司法公正)

残疾聋女(无耳)何方美: 就爱女因疫苗致残无人负责的事实情况下,所进行的募捐维权控诉行为,被当局冠以寻衅滋事罪的法庭最后陈述 (Final statement of He Fangmei, mother of baby who received defective vaccine, charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” for soliciting donations to cover her daughter's treatment in Huixian City.)
Weiquanwang, February 28, 2020

回到大监狱一年了 江天勇仍被软禁中 (Jiang Tianyong is still under house arrest since his release from prison 1 year ago)
Weiquanwang, February 28, 2020

Access to Information (信息公开)

China censors report of how authorities hid COVID-19 genome sequence test result for 14 days
Global Voices, March 02, 2020

China cracks down on 'sexual innuendo' and 'celebrity gossip' in new censorship rules
The Guardian, March 02, 2020

Related:
网信办最严新规生效 大陆网上只剩下正面消息 (The Cyberspace Administration of China enacted the toughest censorship rules to date, cracks down on negative content online)
Radio Free Asia, March 2, 2020

网信办禁“九类信息” 标题也要有规定 ( The CAC forbids "9 types of contents" and regulates content titles)
Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2020

China using visas for foreign reporters as a weapon, group says
Reuters, March 02, 2020

中国官方严控舆论 公民记者相继失联 “防火墙”失守? (China tightens up information control during the novel Coronavirus outbreak)
Voice of America, February 29, 2020

李文亮调查未果,遗孀采访全网被删 (Authorities remove interview of Dr. Li Wenliang's widow from the Internet)
Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2020

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

【武漢肺炎】於《刺針》發文求援國際 廣東醫護被指造假 據報遭降職 (Medical staff in Guangdong punished for requesting assistance from the international community in well-known medical journal, the Lancet)
The Stand News, March 2, 2020

Government Accountability (政府问责)

外交部︰中國反對酷刑決心堅定不移 (China Ministry of Foreign Affairs: China steadfast against torture)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 3, 2020

中国制造业指数创历史新低 民企被强制复工 (China's PMI at all time low, private companies are forced to go back to work)
Radio Free Asia, March 2, 2020

《大國戰「疫」》未出版先下架 (The book celebrating China's great achievements in the COVID-19 outbreak is taken off the shelves before its publication)
Mingpao, March 2, 2020

In China’s War on the Coronavirus, a Community Is Besieged
The New York Times, February 28, 2020

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Beijing rolls out colour-coded QR system for coronavirus tracking despite concerns over privacy, inaccurate ratings
South China Morning Post, March 02, 2020

美参议院批准10亿美元供农村运营商更换华为设备 (U.S. Congress approves billion-dollar proposal to replace Huawei devices in rural area)
Voice of America, February 29, 2020

Hong Kong (香港)

Coronavirus: mask shortage among city’s most vulnerable has wealthy Hongkongers taking matters into their own hands
South China Morning Post, March 02, 2020

「只影警不影暴亂群眾」 馬逢國批部分傳媒不持平 (LegCo member, Ma Fung-kwok, criticizes some media outlets for being biased)
Mingpao, March 2, 2020

Related:
《立場》向警提 10 宗投訴 半數涉警無理動粗 鏡頭展示記者身分證 警指待私隠署調查 (The Stand News has submitted a total of 10 complaints against the Hong Kong Police Force )
The Stand News, March 2, 2020

香港攝影記者協會 強烈譴責警方襲擊記者 (Hong Kong Press Photographers Association condemns the Hong Kong Police Force for attacking journalists)
The Stand News, March 1, 2020

In Pictures: Tear gas, pepper spray, 115 arrests during clashes in Mong Kok, as police officer pulls gun on protesters
Hong Kong Free Press, March 01, 2020

Related:
Hong Kong police fire tear gas as black-clad protesters return to streets
Reuters, February 29, 2020

Hong Kong police arrest 115 after biggest outbreak of protest violence since coronavirus crisis
South China Morning Post, February 29, 2020

拒設公眾「連儂牆」 食環署:令社會更分化 衍生違法事件損國際形象 (Islands District Council rejects plan for Lennon Wall in Tung Chung, cites concern over worsening social segregation and damage to Hong Kong's international image resulting from unlawful incidents)
The Stand News, March 2, 2020

美國國務院關注黎智英被捕 中國外交部︰粗暴干涉香港事務 促停止為反中亂港分子撐腰 (U.S. State Department is monitoring Jimmy Lai's arrest; China MFA: This is interfering with Hong Kong's affairs, stop supporting people who oppose China and stirring trouble in Hong Kong)
The Stand News, March 2, 2020

Related:
李卓人被捕後獲准保釋 批評警方「大算帳」(Lee Cheuk-yan released on bail)
Radio Television Hong Kong, February 28, 2020

香港每一千個年輕人就有四個曾經被捕 (4 in 1,000 of young people in Hong Kong have arrest records)
The Stand News, February 29, 2020

Hong Kong asylum seekers hit by Taiwan’s coronavirus travel ban
South China Morning Post, February 29, 2020

Commentary (评论)

To Take On the Coronavirus, Go Medieval on It
中世纪式铁拳是对抗病毒的答案吗?

The New York Times, March 2, 2020

Friday, February 28, 2020

Xinjiang (新疆)

UN demands 'unfettered access' for China Uighur region visit
Aljazeera, February 27, 2020

Xinjiang Authorities Sending Uyghurs to Work in China’s Factories, Despite Coronavirus Risks
Radio Free Asia, February 27, 2020

‘Don’t Forget Tibet,’ Group Urges UN Human Rights Chief Ahead of Proposed China Visit
Radio Free Asia, February 27, 2020

Released from Xinjiang Camps but Forced to Lie About Them
Bitter Winter, February 24, 2020

Access to Information (信息公开)

Chinese laboratory that first shared coronavirus genome with world ordered to close for ‘rectification’, hindering its Covid - 19 research
South China Morning Post, February 28, 2020

公民记者李泽华在武汉播报疫情实况后失联 (Former CCTV reporter incommunicado after reporting on Wuhan outbreak situation)
Voice of America, February 27, 2020

Related:
A Chinese Citizen Journalist Covering Coronavirus Just Live-Streamed His Own Arrest
Vice, February 28, 2020

Virus game Plague Inc. app pulled in China over ‘illegal’ content, developer says
Agence France-Presse, February 27, 2020

Coronavirus Censorship And Spin Draw Public Backlash
China Digital Times, February 27, 2020

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China’s coronavirus epidemic shows strengths, flaws of one country, one system
South China Morning Post, February 28, 2020

Coronavirus threat shows ‘unacceptability’ of Beijing isolating Taiwan, US official says
South China Morning Post, February 28, 2020

Moscow asks China to respect its coronavirus curbs after discrimination complaint
Channel News Asia, February 28, 2020

新冠疫情冲击全球化,世界重新审视对中国的依赖
Spread of Virus Could Hasten the Great Coming Apart of Globalization
The New York Times, February 27, 2020

Wuhan Medics Lavished With Praise, But Lack Supplies, Transparency
China Digital Times, February 27, 2020

Sinicization of Islam: Xi Jinping Thought Instead of Quran
Bitter Winter, February 25, 2020

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

To curb covid-19, China is using its high-tech surveillance tools
The Economist, February 27, 2020

Apple to require licenses for games in China App Store
TechNode, February 25, 2020