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, March 31, 2017

Hong Kong (香港)

Can Hong Kong’s next leader satisfy her masters and the public?
The Economist, March 30, 2017
http://www.economist.com/news/china/21719816-divided-society-it-will-be-tough-carrie-lam-can-hong-kongs-next-leader-satisfy-her

Occupy protester jailed for contempt of Hong Kong court over injunction violations
South China Morning Post, March 30, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2083410/occupy-duo-sentenced-contempt-hong-kong-court-over

“占中三子”法庭应讯 担心不合理指控 (The three main organizers of “Occupy Central” face trial, worry about unreasonable prosecution)
Deutsche Welle, March 30, 2017
http://www.dw.com/zh/占中三子法庭应讯-担心不合理指控/a-38202049

As Hong Kong ponders its future under Beijing, politics infuses its art
挫敗與無助:雨傘運動後的香港藝術
The New York Times, March 31, 2017
EN: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20170331/hong-kong-art-political-china/en-us/
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20170331/hong-kong-art-political-china/zh-hant/

Fears of China’s control still on track at Hong Kong station
Voice of America, March 31, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/fears-of-china-control-on-track-at-hong-kong-rail-station/3790522.html

Commentary (评论)

社会急需保护,谁来保护社会?(Society needs protection, but who will protect it?)
Financial Times, March 31, 2017
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001072013

Is Hong Kong on Its Way to Becoming Just Another City in the P.R.C.?—A ChinaFile Conversation
ChinaFile, March 31, 2017
https://www.chinafile.com/conversation/hong-kong-its-way-becoming-just-another-city-prc#sthash.8Y4jvIvo.dpuf

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

山东辱母杀人案持续发酵 最高检表态介入 (Heightened public attention towards Shandong murder case where a man attacks and kills mob member after seeing mother being insulted, SPP says will interfere)
Radio Free Asia, March 29, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/yf1-03292017112107.html

内蒙访民王凤云被判2年半 当庭提上诉 (Inner Mongolian activist Wang Fengyun sentenced to 2.5-years imprisonment, immediately says she will appeal)
Radio Free Asia, March 29, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-03292017121907.html

Interview: “I hope you can realize that it was a big mistake to lock him up”
Radio Free Asia, March 29, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/tohti-daughter-03292017171544.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Feminist folk quartet gives voice to China’s migrant workers
Sixth Tone, March 29, 2017
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/feminist-folk-quartet-gives-voice-china%E2%80%99s-migrant-workers#jtss-twitter

Hundreds of Chinese army veterans visit graves of fallen in protest
Radio Free Asia, March 29, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/veterans-03292017110610.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Chinese local governments admit to major cover-up of 2012 flood deaths
South China Morning Post, March 30, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2083483/chinese-local-governments-admit-major-cover-2012-flood

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Chongqing citizens using VPNs to skirt censorship controls to face fines, govt says
Hong Kong Free Press, March 29, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/03/29/chongqing-citizens-using-vpns-skirt-censorship-controls-face-fines-govt-says/

Court cites GFW circumvention software in convicting man for three tweets that incited ethnic hatred
Fei Chang Dao, March 29, 2017
http://blog.feichangdao.com/2017/03/court-cites-gfw-circumvention-software.html

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

China sets rules on beards, veils to combat extremism in Xinjiang
Reuters, March 30, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-idUSKBN1710D9

民進黨前黨工李明哲涉危害國家活動在大陸被調查 (Former Democratic Progressive Party member Li Ming-che detained in mainland on suspicion of pursuing activities harmful to national security
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 29, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1322391-20170329.htm

Hong Kong (香港)

佔中三子等9人被控妨擾罪今提堂 籲港人勿放棄崇高理想 (Public nuisance cases of nine “Occupy Central” leaders open today, all urges Hong Kong people not to give up democratic aspiration)
InmediaHK, March 30, 2017
http://www.inmediahk.net/node/1048587

美国会批北京干预特首选举 扬言可能重新评估香港待遇 (CECC in U.S. criticizes Beijing for interfering Hong Kong CE Election, threatens to reassess Hong Kong status under U.S. law)
Radio France Internationale, March 29, 2017
http://cn.rfi.fr/中国/20170329-美国会批北京干预特首选举-扬言可能重新评估香港待遇

Related:
Beijing’s “clear interference” in Hong Kong leadership race harms its autonomy, U.S. congressmen warn
Hong Kong Free Press, March 28, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/03/28/beijings-clear-interference-hong-kong-leadership-race-harms-autonomy-us-congressmen-warn/

Statement on Hong Kong's Chief Executive Election
Congressional-Executive Commission to China, March 27, 2017
https://www.cecc.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-on-hong-kongs-chief-executive-election

Occupy leaders make first Hong Kong court appearance flanked by 100 supporters with yellow umbrellas
South China Morning Post, March 30, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2083384/occupy-leaders-make-first-hong-kong-court-appearance

Related:
“I was incited by police”: Hongkongers take to social media to support Occupy leaders facing trial
Hong Kong Free Press, March 29, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/03/29/i-incited-police-hongkongers-take-social-media-support-occupy-leaders-facing-trial/

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

China to review murder sentence in loan shark killing case
Reuters, March 26, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-crime-idUSKBN16Y05Z

多起维权案件集中月底审理 被指分散公民声援力量加强威慑 (Multiple rights defender cases to be tried at the end of month, said to aim at diverting support from citizens to strengthen deterrence)
Radio Free Asia, March 28, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/xl1-03282017101339.html

Related:
蘇昌蘭及陳啟棠被控煽動顛覆國家政權 律師稱周五宣判 (Su Changlan and Chen Qitang charged with inciting subversion of state power, their lawyers say judgment to be handed down on Friday)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 28, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1322128-20170328.htm

Accused of “Subversion of State Power,” Su Changlan Is Being Held Illegally, Argues her Attorney
苏昌兰煽颠案,没有收到批文,延长羁押就是违法
Human Rights in China, February 13, 2017
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/citizens-square/accused-subversion-state-power-su-changlan-being-held-illegally-argues-her-attorney
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/gong-min-yan-chang/su-chang-lan-shan-dian-mei-you-shou-dao-pi-wen-yan-chang-ji-ya-jiu-shi-wei-fa

709大抓捕:吴淦案退补女心理治疗师劝认罪 709家属遭加码监控 (709 Crackdown: Wu Gan’s case returned for further investigation, two female psychologists try to convince Wu Gan to confess, families in “709” subjected to more severe surveillance)
Radio Free Asia, March 28, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/xl2-03282017104723.html

以法治思维看待“辱母杀人案”(A look at case of Yu Huan, who committed murder after witnessing his mother being insulted by mob member, from the rule of law point of view)
Financial Times, March 28, 2017
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001071957

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Muslims in China's Tianjin protest decades of land sales, eviction
Radio Free Asia, March 28, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hui-03282017104120.html

中國地下教會受迫害,有這麼簡單嗎?(Underground churches suppressed in China, is it that simple?)
New York Times, March 29, 2017
http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20170329/christ-china/zh-hant/

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

中国新规定:互联网“翻墙”有罪 (New Chinese regulation: Criminalization of use of VPN)
Voice of America, March 28, 2017
http://www.voachinese.com/a/China-great-firewall-20170328/3785194.html

Related:
重庆市公安局关于印发《重庆市公安机关网络安全管理行政处罚裁量基准》的通知 (Chongqing City Ministry of Public Security notice regarding publication of “Discretionary Standard of Chongqing City Ministry of Public Security for Administrative Penalties for Internet Security Management”)
Chongqing City Ministry of Public Security, March 17, 2017
http://www.cq.gov.cn/publicinfo/web/views/Show!detail.action?sid=4186133

中国互联网为何能超过西方国家? (Could China’s Internet surpass Western ones?)
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 28, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/ukchina/simp/vert-fut-39417753

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

On state TV, Chinese forces storm a compound a lot like Bin Laden’s
模仿獵殺本·拉登?中國在新疆特訓反恐武裝
The New York Times, March 29, 2017
EN: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20170329/china-osama-bin-laden-compound-xinjiang/en-us/
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20170329/china-osama-bin-laden-compound-xinjiang/zh-hant/

China says Taiwan man investigated for harming national security
Reuters, March 28, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-taiwan-idUSKBN170084

Related:
China admits detaining Taiwanese human rights activist
South China Morning Post, March 29, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2083053/china-admits-detaining-taiwanese-human-rights-activist

Hong Kong (香港)

Beijing will rely more on “legal means” to strengthen authority in Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, March 28, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2082765/beijing-tighten-its-grip-hong-kong-resorting-legal

3 protesters involved in Mong Kok unrest appeal rioting sentence
Hong Kong Free Press, March 29, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/03/29/3-protesters-involved-mong-kokg-unrest-appeal-rioting-sentence/

Hong Kong activists fear crackdown after city election
Deutsche Welle, March 27, 2017
http://www.dw.com/en/hong-kong-activists-fear-crackdown-after-city-election/a-38132632

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Commentary (评论)

China’s extraordinary response to the 11-nation letter over the torture of human rights lawyers
China Change, March 28, 2017
https://chinachange.org/2017/03/28/chinas-extraordinary-response-to-the-11-nation-letter-over-the-torture-of-human-rights-lawyers/

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Scholar banned from leaving China studied crackdown on rights lawyers: Colleague
Radio Free Asia, March 27, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/ban-03272017103158.html

联合国人权会议关注中国人权和西藏问题 (United Nations Human Rights Council expresses concern over China's human rights and Tibet problems)
Voice of America, March 28, 2017
http://www.voachinese.com/a/human-rights-20170327/3784042.html

被判死刑内蒙古政协前副主席赵黎平屈打成招?(Former vice chairman of CPPCC of Inner Mongolia Zhao Liping, facing death sentence, forced to confess with violence?)
Radio Free Asia, March 27, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/hc-03272017124702.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

China's Great Firewall gives rise to a robust industry of information smugglers
Global Voices, March 28, 2017
https://globalvoices.org/2017/03/28/chinas-great-firewall-gives-rise-to-a-robust-industry-of-information-smugglers/

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Postcard from China: Secret video of a women’s rights demonstration
The New York Times, March 27, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/insider/postcard-from-china-secret-video-of-a-womens-rights-demonstration.html

How the rise of a liberal, social media—savvy generation is changing Chinese society
Vox, March 26, 2017
http://www.vox.com/world/2017/3/26/15035702/china-social-media-youth-society-culture-politics-government

Government Accountability (政府问责)

诗人王藏将起诉当局 为遭逼疯妻子讨公道 (Poet Wang Zang to sue authorities for his wife who suffers psychological distress after being harassed and threatened by authorities)
Radio Free Asia, March 27, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/xl2-03272017104308.html

Xi close aide heads office chasing corruption suspects overseas
South China Morning Post, March 27, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2082458/xi-close-aide-heads-office-chasing-corruption-suspects

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Did China quietly authorize law enforcement to access data anywhere in the world?
Lawfare Blog, March 27, 2017
https://www.lawfareblog.com/did-china-quietly-authorize-law-enforcement-access-data-anywhere-world

Chongqing police to punish those skirting China’s Great Firewall
South China Morning Post, March 28, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2082752/chongqing-police-punish-those-skirting-chinas-great

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong Chief Exec.-elect Carrie Lam says she had no knowledge of pro-democracy leader crackdown, reiterates “unity”
Hong Kong Free Press, March 27, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/03/27/hong-kong-chief-exec-elect-carrie-lam-says-she-had-no-knowledge-of-pro-democracy-leader-crackdown/

Related:
香港“占中”两年后 九示威领袖接受警察预约拘捕 (Two years after “Occupy Central” in Hong Kong, nine protest leaders accept police’s “arrest by appointment”)
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 27, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-39400831

環時:彰顯法律尊嚴 指行動與林鄭當選屬「時間巧合」 嘆港有「政治凌駕法律」苗頭 (Global Times: The arrests demonstrate judicial integrity, says it’s a “coincidence” that the arrests take place right after Carrie Lam’s win, expresses concern over the trend of “politics overrides the law” in Hong Kong)
Mingpao, March 28, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170328/s00001/1490658458388

涉佔旺期間毆打市民 退休警司朱經緯被控一項襲擊罪 周五提堂 (Retired police commander Franklin Chu King-wai faces assault charge for beating a citizen during “Occupy Mong Kok”, case opens on Friday)
Mingpao, March 27, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170327/s00001/1490627544921

What ordinary Hong Kong people thought about the Chief Executive election
South China Morning Post, March 26, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082258/what-ordinary-hong-kong-people-thought-about-chief-executive