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.

Thursday, December 07, 2017

Access to Information (信息公开)

China hosts global forum featuring own take on human rights
Associated Press, December 7, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-hosts-global-forum-featuring-own-take-on-human-rights/2017/12/06/22b2f3da-dafc-11e7-a241-0848315642d0_story.html

第四届世界互联网大会闭幕 一边促进开放共享一边加强网络管控 (To conclude 4th World Internet Conference: Openness and sharing on one hand, tightened control on other)
Radio Free Asia, December 6, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/yl-12062017104413.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Fatal accident highlights intense pressures faced by China’s food-delivery workers
China Labor Bulletin, December 6, 2017
http://www.clb.org.hk/content/fatal-accident-highlights-intense-pressures-faced-china%E2%80%99s-food-delivery-workers

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China to further promote government information sharing and disclosure
Xinhua News Agency, December 7, 2017
http://english.sina.com/china/p/2017-12-07/detail-ifypnqvn0752294.shtml

安徽一煤矿现20余人腐败窝案:每个环节都渗透贿影 (Bribery everywhere in Anhui coal mine corruption case that involves over 20)
Procuratorate’s Daily, December 7, 2017
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1895519

Chinese schools investigated for holding classes outside during freezing winter
The Telegraph, December 6, 2017
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/06/probe-launched-china-schools-hold-classes-outside-freezing-winter/

Related:
“煤改气”凸显天然气供应短板 (North China residents face natural gas supply shortage after sudden coal ban)
Caijing Magazine, December 7, 2017
http://yuanchuang.caijing.com.cn/2017/1207/4373279.shtml

Chinese living on North Korean border told to prepare for nuclear disaster by state newspaper
South China Morning Post, December 6, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2123188/state-owned-chinese-newspaper-border-north-korea-tells

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Apple CEO hopeful banned apps will return to China store
Associated Press, December 6, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/apple-ceo-hopeful-banned-apps-will-return-to-china-store/2017/12/06/f8fe9902-da6c-11e7-a241-0848315642d0_story.html

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong legislative meeting halted as democrats protest changes to house rules
Hong Kong Free Press, December 7, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/07/hong-kong-legislative-meeting-halted-democrats-protest-changes-house-rules/

Four convicted of unlawful assembly and assault over activist Nathan Law’s airport attack
Hong Kong Free Press, December 7, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/07/four-convicted-unlawful-assembly-assault-activist-nathan-laws-airport-attack/

Judge postpones sentencing of Hong Kong democracy activist
Associated Press, December 7, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/hong-kong-activist-wong-faces-new-court-sentence/2017/12/07/ec10c120-db0c-11e7-a241-0848315642d0_story.html

Little difference between students using Cantonese or Mandarin as medium to learn Chinese – int’l study
Hong Kong Free Press, December 7, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/07/little-difference-students-using-cantonese-mandarin-medium-learn-chinese-intl-study/

Related:
Teaching Chinese in Mandarin blamed as Hong Kong pupils struggle with higher level reading skills
South China Morning Post, December 6, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2123208/teaching-chinese-mandarin-blamed-hong-kong-pupils-struggle

Taiwanese writer Chang Tieh-chih says he was denied entry to Hong Kong
Hong Kong Free Press, December 6, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/06/taiwanese-writer-chang-tieh-chih-says-denied-entry-hong-kong/

Related:
台湾知名文化人张铁志为何不能入境香港? (Why couldn’t renowned Taiwanese intellectual Chang Tieh-chih enter Hong Kong?)
British Broadcasting Company, December 6, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-42251825

Six pan-dems enter primary race to contest two seats in Hong Kong LegCo by-election
South China Morning Post, December 5, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2123005/six-pan-dems-primary-race-contest-two-seats-hong-kong-legco

Commentary (评论)

為何「低端人口」不反抗? (Why don’t “low-end population” fight back?)
Mingpao, December 7, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171207/s00022/1512566986451

中国强推煤改气惹民怨,为什么环保与温暖不可兼得? (China turns away from coal to gas, but why do environment protection and supply of heat go against each other)
The Initium, December 6, 2017
https://theinitium.com/roundtable/20171206-roundtable-zh-change-coal-to-gas/

China and Germany: So far, yet so close
The Diplomat, December 6, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/china-and-germany-so-far-yet-so-close/

Amnesty International: China: detained rights lawyer further ill-treated: Li Yuhan (国际特赦组织:李昱函律師獄中遭受進一步虐待)
Amnesty International, December 5, 2017
EN: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/7546/2017/en/
CH: https://zh.amnesty.org/more-resources/detained-rights-lawyer-further-ill-treated/

Wednesday, December 06, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Chinese woman sacked for being pregnant wins landmark case against employer
South China Morning Post, December 6, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2123114/pregnant-chinese-woman-wins-against-firm-discrimination

60多岁李昱函律师在沈阳市第一看守所持续遭受虐待折磨 (Rights lawyer Li Yuhan, in her 60s, abused and tortured at Shenyang detention center)
Weiquanwang, December 6, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/12/60.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Chinese state media takes praise for leader to new heights as Xi tightens grip
Reuters, December 6, 2017
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-politics/chinese-state-media-takes-praise-for-leader-to-new-heights-as-xi-tightens-grip-idUSKBN1E00MW

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

把「低端人口」帶到國際層面 中國導演:不拍他們便不存在 (Wen Hai, Chinese director brings “low-end population” to international stage and says if you don’t film them, they don’t exist)
Apple Daily, December 5, 2017
https://tw.news.appledaily.com/us/realtime/20171205/1253423/

Chinese military veterans detained, beaten in Beijing after pension petition
Radio Free Asia, December 5, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/chinese-military-veterans-detained-beaten-in-beijing-after-pension-petition-12052017110040.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

全市1500余幼儿园均配责任督学 (Beijing assigns supervisors to over 1,500 kindergartens)
Beijing News, December 6, 2017
http://epaper.bjnews.com.cn/html/2017-12/06/content_704531.htm?div=-1

Senior citizen picks through garbage piles to support family
China Daily, December 5, 2017
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-12/05/content_35221104.htm

河北省教育厅就取暖问题发通知:保障广大师生安全、温暖过冬 (Hebei education authority issues notice pledging supply of heating to schools)
People’s Government of Hebei Province, December 5, 2017
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1892797

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Inside China’s big tech conference, new ways to track citizens
人工智能、人脸识别:中国步入高科技监控时代
The New York Times, December 6, 2017
EN: https://cn.nytimes.com/business/20171206/china-internet-conference-wuzhen/en-us/
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/business/20171206/china-internet-conference-wuzhen/

Ma warns foreign firms to obey rules
Shanghai Daily, December 6, 2017
http://english.sina.com/buz/b/2017-12-06/detail-ifypikwu1750183.shtml

Hong Kong (香港)

民主派誓阻改議事規則:今削立會權力 明通過廿三條 (Democratic camp vows to halt change to LegCo rules, fearing weakened LegCo would lead to passing of Article 23)
Inmediahk, December 6, 2017
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1053741

Related:
Few tactics remain to prevent changes to legislature’s rules, says pro-democracy lawmaker Alvin Yeung
Hong Kong Free Press, December 6, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/06/tactics-remain-prevent-changes-legislatures-rules-says-pro-democracy-lawmaker-alvin-yeung/

愛東邨食水含重金屬微粒 鉛銅鐵皆有 水署:分離器未能阻隔 (Heavy metal particles found in tap water at public estate; Water Supply Department says separator failed to work)
Mingpao, December 5, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171205/s00001/1512457394278

王振民:香港屬紅色中國 沒染紅之說 (Wang Zhenmin, Liaison Office legal chief, says Hong Kong is part of red China, and there is no such thing as Hong Kong being dyed red)
Mingpao, December 5, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20171205/s00002/1512410962545/

Related:
Liaison Office legal chief Wang Zhenmin: “Hong Kong is part of red China”
Hong Kong Free Press, December 5, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/05/liaison-office-legal-chief-wang-zhenmin-hong-kong-part-red-china/

漩渦裏外 周永康的微笑:救世不必當苦行僧 (Alex Chow smiles: You don’t have to go through hardship to save world)
Stand News, December 5, 2017
https://goo.gl/e2jHMj

Commentary (评论)

周云蓬:《中国孩子》十年记,孩子们的墓碑如影随形 (Zhou Yunpeng on 10th anniversary of release of song named “China’s Children”: Their tombs follow me like shadow)
The Initium, December 6, 2017
https://theinitium.com/article/20171206-culture-chinakids/

There’s no escaping constitutional reality for Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, December 6, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2123046/theres-no-escaping-constitutional-reality-hong-kong

Why Xi’s anti-corruption drive in China’s military needs a long-term solution
South China Morning Post, December 5, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2122930/xis-sweeping-anti-corruption-drive-chinas-military-may-prove

Is Wang Huning trying to hide his light?
The Diplomat, December 5, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/is-wang-huning-trying-to-hide-his-light/

Tuesday, December 05, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

「709事件」王全璋遭拘留逾兩年 未能見律師 (Rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang still denied access to his lawyer after spending almost 29 months in detention)
Radio Television Hong Kong, December 5, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1368392-20171205.htm

新疆警方秘设“红黑点”档案 6次拒参加升国旗仪式可被拘捕 (Xinjiang police sets up files of citizens and arrests those who refuse to attend national flag raising ceremony for 6 times)
Radio Free Asia, December 4, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/ql2-12042017113937.html

江西五岁男童学校缢亡 警方不予立案 (Jiangxi police refuses to file case after 5-year-old boy allegedly hanged himself to death at school)
Radio Free Asia, December 4, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/kejiaowen/yf1-12042017102405.html

扔纸飞机抗议被检控 澳门最年轻议员苏嘉豪遭中止职务 (Sulu Sou, youngest lawmaker of Macau, suspended for throwing paper planes during protest and subsequently getting charged)
British Broadcasting Corporation, December 4, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-42218398

Related:
Macau’s youngest ever pro-democracy lawmaker suspended over “aggravated disobedience” charge
Hong Kong Free Press, December 4, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/04/macaus-youngest-ever-pro-democracy-lawmaker-suspended-aggravated-disobedience-charge/

Access to Information (信息公开)

In China, skepticism surrounding police investigation of kindergarten child abuse is censored
Global Voice, December 5, 2017
https://globalvoices.org/2017/12/05/in-china-skepticism-surrounding-police-investigation-of-kindergarten-child-abuse-is-censored/

Tim Cook says Apple shares China's vision of Internet of “openness and shared benefits”
Shanghaiist, December 4, 2017
http://shanghaiist.com/2017/12/04/tim-cook-wuzhen.php

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

内蒙古翁牛特旗牧民声援被捕者 杭锦旗牧民羊群被抢 (Inner Mongolian herdsmen petition at local government in support of detained activists)
Radio Free Asia, December 4, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/ql1-12042017110143.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

北京市人社局在编在职人员因私护照全部集中保管 (Government employees at Beijing Human Resources and Social Security ordered to hand over their passports)
Beijing News, December 5, 2017
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2017/12/05/467309.html

Tonnes of sulphuric acid leak from tank at Chinese chemical plant
South China Morning Post, December 5, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2122926/tonnes-sulphuric-acid-leaks-tank-chinese-chemical-plant

誤診愛滋等死7年 男子擬索賠 (Waiting to die for 7 years, man in Sichuan to sue medical authorities for wrong AIDS diagnosis)
Mingpao, December 5, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20171205/s00013/1512411000157

辽宁抚顺“女德班”被勒令关停 (Liaoning shuts down class that teaches women to be obedient)
Radio Free Asia, December 4, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shehui/yl-12042017122258.html

Related:
“Talk less, do more housework”: China shuts down chauvinist “female morality lessons”
Hong Kong Free Press, December 5, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/05/talk-less-housework-china-shuts-chauvinist-female-morality-lessons/

網上流傳蔡奇講話片段稱要真刀真槍解決問題 (Cai Qi, Beijing Party Secretary, caught on camera asking local-level officials to solve problems using “real knives and real guns”)
Radio Television Hong Kong, December 4, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1368407-20171205.htm

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China’s A.I. advances help its tech industry, and state security
人工智能在中国:技术背后的反乌托邦可能性
The New York Times, December 5, 2017
EN: https://cn.nytimes.com/business/20171205/china-artificial-intelligence/en-us/
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/business/20171205/china-artificial-intelligence/

Hong Kong (香港)

Justice Dept. appeals court ruling requiring police obtain warrant to access suspects’ electronic devices
Hong Kong Free Press, December 5, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/05/justice-dept-appeals-court-ruling-requiring-police-obtain-warrant-access-suspects-electronic-devices/

Demosisto activist Agnes Chow announces intention to run in Legislative Council by-elections
Hong Kong Free Press, December 5, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/05/demosisto-activist-agnes-chow-announces-intention-run-legislative-council-elections/

70 percent of Hongkongers say they intend to do volunteering work, but fewer than a third actually did so in past year
South China Morning Post, December 5, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2122734/70-cent-hongkongers-say-they-intend-do-volunteering-work

張建宗:憲法是香港基石 應樹立「正確國家觀念」 (Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration, describes China’s constitution as cornerstone of Hong Kong and says SAR government should promote “correct concept of state”)
Mingpao, December 4, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171204/s00001/1512377284974

Related:
Hong Kong must recognize and respect China’s socialist system, Liaison Office director says
Hong Kong Free Press, December 4, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/04/hong-kong-must-recognise-respect-chinas-socialist-system-liaison-office-director-says/

Commentary (评论)

項飆:在驅逐之外,北京「浙江村」正規化的糾結和代價 (Beyond eviction, indetermination and price of institutionalizing Beijing’s “Zhejiang Village”)
The Initium, December 5, 2017
https://theinitium.com/article/20171205-opinion-xiangbiao-beijing-zhejiang/

Beijing refugees and the new displaced class
China Change, December 3, 2017
https://chinachange.org/2017/12/03/beijing-refugees-and-the-new-displaced-class/

Related:
Beijing’s heavy-handed solution to urbanization
The Diplomat, December 4, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/beijings-heavy-handed-solution-to-urbanization/

Driving the message home: Hong Kong’s Basic Law means whatever President Xi says it means
Hong Kong Free Press, December 2, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/02/driving-message-home-hong-kongs-basic-law-means-whatever-president-xi-says-means/

法政匯思:從香港看奧蘭,有值得參考的地方嗎? (Can Hong Kong learn from Aland?)
Pentoy, November 30, 2017
http://bit.ly/2zNNg6m