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, September 10, 2019

Government Accountability (政府问责)

“Sinicizing” Christianity: The Bible according to Confucius
Bitter Winter, September 9, 2019

As China trade war escalates, 2020 U.S. Democrats scramble over their message
Reuters, September 9, 2019

The US legislation Hong Kong’s protesters want passed
Quartz, September 9, 2019

Related:
US bill on Hong Kong won’t help city out of political crisis, former diplomat says
South China Morning Post, September 8, 2019

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Australian government reportedly advised India to ban Huawei from 5G network
Reuters, September 10, 2019

卧底調查4年 中國勞工觀察揭侵權 富士康鄭州廠違法僱大量「派遣工」 (China Labor Watch reveals Foxconn’s Zhengzhou iPhone factory violates labor regulations)
Ming Pao, September 10, 2019

Related:
Apple and Foxconn broke Chinese labour law to build new iPhones
Financial Times, September 9, 2019

Jack Ma’s 55th birthday present to himself is stepping away from Alibaba
Quartz, September 9, 2019

Microsoft says Trump is treating Huawei unfairly
Bloomberg, September 8, 2019

Hong Kong Protestors Using Mesh Messaging App China Can't Block: Usage Up 3685%
Forbes, September 2, 2019

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong police ignore request from lawmakers to visit controversial San Uk Ling detention centre Hong Kong Free Press, September 10, 2019

【逃犯條例】消息:警新購一萬支伸縮警棍 專供休班警跟身執法 (Police have ordered 10,000 batons for officers to “execute their duty” while off-the-clock)
HK01, September 10, 2019

【逃犯條例】港鐵公開8.31太子站閉路電視部分畫面 (MTR releases select screenshots of August 31 surveillance footage of Prince Edward Station)
Ming Pao, September 10, 2019

Related:
一群市民在報章登全版聯署信 促港鐵公開 831 太子站 CCTV 及職員隨身錄影片段 (Citizens take out front-page ad urging disclosure of surveillance footage of Prince Edward station on August 31 to ease public concern)
Stand News, September 10, 2019

Hong Kong protests: police given medical reports of woman with eye injury despite her bid to block move
South China Morning Post, September 9, 2019

My town is the new Cold War’s Berlin: Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong
Reuters, September 9, 2019

Hong Kong journalists warn of rising police violence against them
The Guardian, September 9, 2019

Chargeboys, wizards and firefighters: The ‘Braves’ on the frontlines of Hong Kong’s protests
Agence France-Presse, September 9, 2019

教育局:人鏈活動令人憂慮 聲浪問題滋擾 引起衝突、傷人等 (Education Bureau says human chain activity “worrying” because it invites clashes and injuries)
Stand News, September 9, 2019

Related: Man detained after teacher injured in knife attack outside Hong Kong school as human-chain protests and class boycotts enter second week
South China Morning Post, September 9, 2019

香港示威冲突前沿的一名黑衣人:我们的理想和代价 (From the frontlines of Hong Kong’s protests: The price of our aspirations)
BBC, September 9, 2019

Commentary (评论)

16 NGOs call on UN member states to hold China accountable at Human Rights Council for persecuting rights defenders
Chinese Human Rights Defenders, September 9, 2019

Related:
Open letter on the rule of law in China
International Service for Human rights, September 9, 2019

Hong Kong, China and the United States: A major international issue
Jerome A. Cohen, September 10, 2019

Why China’s Communist Party is ‘struggling’
Hong Kong Free Press, September 10, 2019

我們與監控的距離:從香港、新疆、非洲看中國的「數位威權輸出」(Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Africa: How China exports digital authoritarianism)
The News Lens, September 10, 2019

【特寫】社工、急救、接放學 屹立在前線後的支援者們 (Social workers, first-aiders, drivers: The support backing protest frontlines)
Stand News, September 9, 2019

Monday, September 09, 2019

Xinjiang (新疆)

How China spins the Xinjiang story to the Chinese
Al Jazeera, September 8, 2019

US to seek support at UN to ‘call out’ China over treatment of Uygurs, Mike Pompeo says
Reuters, September 7, 2019

“Key individuals management” and the roots of China’s anti-Muslim surveillance system
Jamestown Foundation, September 6, 2019

Uyghur toddler drowns while parents are detained in Xinjiang internment camp
Radio Free Asia, September 6, 2019

Access to Justice (司法公正)

内地「掃黑除惡」行動 有維權律師倡問責機制免冤案 (Rights lawyer proposes accountability mechanism to avoid wrongful convictions in “sweeping evil” campaigns)
Radio Television Hong Kong, September 9, 2019

王全璋妻子稱警方向小學施壓 兒子再失學 (Wang Quanzhang’s son kicked out of school again after police pressure)
Radio Television Hong Kong, September 7, 2019

Related:
Imprisoned lawyer Wang Quanzhang’s six-year-old son once again forced out of school
China Change, September 6, 2019

Access to Information (信息公开)

Confucius Institutes: The growth of China's controversial cultural branch
BBC, September 7, 2019

Related:
Miami Dade College is shutting down its Confucius Institute
POLITICO, September 7, 2019

Taiwan president sues scholars for alleging her doctorate degree is fake
The Diplomat, September 7, 2019

Outspoken journalist in Australia and father in China harassed online
Sydney Morning Herald, September 6, 2019

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

From Beijing to Hampstead: how tale of HIV whistleblower rattled Chinese state
The Guardian, September 8, 2019

With love from Taiwan: Supporters send gas masks and filters to Hong Kong protesters
Hong Kong Free Press, September 7, 2019

How do people in China really feel about Hong Kong? It’s complicated
The Nation, September 6, 2019

香港铜锣湾书店台湾重启 众筹19小时达标 (Crowdfund campaign for Hong Kong bookseller to reopen bookshop in Taiwan meets goal within a day)
Radio Free Asia, September 6, 2019

Related:
Hong Kong bookseller held in China raises US$100,000 to open Taiwan store
Agence France-Presse, September 6, 2019

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China is expected to counter criticism at UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva
Foreign Brief, September 9, 2019

Related:
中方稱聯合國人權理事會非合適場合討論香港問題 (China claims UN Human Rights Council is “not appropriate” place to discuss Hong Kong issues)
Radio Television Hong Kong, September 7, 2019

Central Beijing locked down for overnight army parade rehearsal
Agence France-Presse, September 8, 2019

Hong Kong: Angela Merkel says China must ‘guarantee’ rights and freedoms
Agence France-Presse, September 7, 2019

U.S. defense secretary urges Chinese ‘restraint’ on Hong Kong
Bloomberg News, September 7, 2019

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Huawei heats up the battle for Internet in Canada’s north
BBC, September 9, 2019

Related:
Justin Trudeau sharpens criticism of China in Huawei spat
BBC, September 5, 2019

China to curb facial recognition and apps in schools
BBC, September 6, 2019

Hong Kong (香港)

Yuen Long attack victims sue police
The Standard, September 9, 2019

Related:
民主黨聯7.21傷者提民事索償 追究警隊疏忽職守 (Victims of July 21 Yuen Long attacks file lawsuit against police for negligence)
Inmediahk.net, September 8, 2019

【逃犯條例】各區中學聯校築人鏈 重申五大訴求 (Thousands of secondary school students form human chains in support of protests, reiterate five demands)
Ming Pao, September 9, 2019

Related:
High school students form “human chain” in support of Hong Kong protest movement
Hong Kong Free Press, September 9, 2019

Hong Kong protesters march to US consulate calling for support
Al Jazeera, September 8, 2019

Related:
9.8美領館請願:集會提早結束,示威者破壞多個港鐵站,4站關閉,多區警民對峙延至午夜 (Protests on Sept 8: March to US embassy, MTR stations vandalized and closed, clashes with police)
The Initium, September 8, 2019

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong confirms arrest for “bail breach” after trip to Taiwan
Agence France-Presse, September 8, 2019

Hong Kong restricts airport access, thwarting planned disruption Al Jazeera, September 8, 2019

“Protect the Children”: Hong Kong’s grandpa protesters speak softly but carry a stick Agence France-Presse, September 8, 2019

太子數百市民續促公開錄影 防暴以胡椒噴霧直射記者 (Hundreds gather outside Prince Edward station demanding disclosure of CCTV footage of August 31 amidst rumors of injured protesters gone missing)
Inmediahk.net, September 7, 2019

Related:
Hong Kong lawmaker and protesters demand CCTV footage of police storming MTR station
Hong Kong Free Press, September 6, 2019

Hong Kong government urged by Court of Final Appeal to backdate benefits to 2017 after gay civil servant Angus Leung wins landmark LGBT case
South China Morning Post, September 6, 2019

Commentary (评论)

我们戴上面罩,走入香港的另一个世界
The New York Times, September 6, 2019

八月大事回顧:槍、眼、火、淚,警民衝突白熱化的八月風暴 (Guns, eyes, fire, and tears: A look back on Hong Kong’s stormy August)
The Initium, September 4, 2019

Carrie Lam listened to 19 Hong Kong elites after ignoring millions of marchers in June— that’s why the bill withdrawal has solved nothing
South China Morning Post, September 9, 2019

‘The Revolution of Our Times’: The core issue in need of resolution
China Change, September 8, 2019

Thanks, Yanks, but no thanks: Why US intervention in Hong Kong’s crisis may be more than protesters bargained for
Hong Kong Free Press, September 8, 2019

Opinion: Merkel must step up her China strategy
Deutsche Welle, September 8, 2019

Elements of a solution appear in Hong Kong, but no sign of a breakthrough in Beijing
Hong Kong Free Press, September 7, 2019

Xi Jinping’s claim to Mao’s mantle carries risks
Financial Times, September 6, 2019

China’s accidental Belt and Road turns six
Foreign Policy, September 6, 2019

Friday, September 06, 2019

Xinjiang (新疆)

China hacked Asian telcos to spy on Uighur travelers: sources
Reuters, September 5, 2019

Related:
路透:为北京服务的黑客侵入亚洲电信公司系统监控维族人行踪 (Beijing’s hackers breached Asian telecoms systems to spy on Uyghurs)
Voice of America, September 5, 2019

Xinjiang officials must keep up the pressure in the run-up to China’s National Day, says local party chief Chen Quanguo
South China Morning Post, September 5, 2019

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Tibetan monk gets three-year prison term after being held for more than a year
Radio Free Asia, September 5, 2019

Canada: Trudeau accuses China of using ‘arbitrary detentions’ for political ends
The Guardian, September 5, 2019

周永康之子周滨诉讼案难寻律师 (Zhou Yongkang’s son faces difficulty finding representation after 5th lawyer terminates contract)
Radio France Internationale, September 5, 2019

Human rights lawyer disappears months after release
ChinaAid, August 30, 2019

Access to Information (信息公开)

China releases a movie drama featuring its belt-and-road project
The Economist, September 5, 2019

China’s Hong Kong narrative is confusing its own people
Quartz, September 5, 2019

Related:
Minitrue: Do not report on withdrawal of HK extradition bill
China Digital Times, September 5, 2019

China opts for low-key coverage of Hong Kong extradition bill withdrawal
South China Morning Post, September 5, 2019

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Gay Chinese take a modest first step towards civil unions
The Economist, September 5, 2019

Hong Kongers find flickers of hope in Ukraine's Winter on Fire
Al Jazeera, September 5, 2019

Wife of lawyer under house arrest pens appeal to Merkel ahead of China trip
Radio Free Asia, September 5, 2019

Hong and Kong? Berlin’s panda cubs at centre of Chinese human rights row
The Guardian, September 5, 2019

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Hong Kong a priority for U.S. Senate Democrats, leader says
Reuters, September 6, 2019

中国精英藏富香港 “一国”与“两制”难取舍?(China’s elite with riches in Hong Kong are now caught between “one country” and “two systems”)
Deutsche Welle, September 5, 2019

China urges Canada to reflect on ‘mistakes’ but approves new envoy
Hong Kong Free Press, September 5, 2019

Maldives: US Ambassador’s scathing attack rattles China at IOC (Indian Ocean Conference)
Asian News International, September 5, 2019

Angela Merkel in China: A trip fraught with difficulties
Deutsche Welle, September 6, 2019

Senior officials concede loss of U.S. clout as Trump prepares for U.N. summit
Foreign Policy, September 5, 2019

Solomon Islands to sever ties with Taiwan, shift alliance to Beijing
Reuters, September 5, 2019

Related:
Beijing offers development fund if Solomon Islands breaks diplomatic ties with Taipei
Reuters, September 5, 2019

Local board candidate offers virtual cash credits to potential supporters on WeChat
New Zealand Herald, September 54, 2019

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

教育部科技司:校园推广人脸识别技术应谨慎,将限制和管理 (Ministry of Education warns caution regarding facial recognition technology on campus, to propose restrictions)
The Paper, September 6, 2019

Hong Kong (香港)

【逃犯條例】8.31太子站真相未明 兩少女站內下跪求公開CCTV (Two young women kneel in Prince Edward MTR station requesting release of surveillance footage of Aug. 31 MTR attacks) Ming Pao, September 6, 2019

Related:
MTR decides to keep station footage for 3 years
Radio Television Hong Kong, September 6, 2019

中国为何愤怒指责美国是香港抗议“幕后黑手”
In Hong Kong protests, China angrily connects dots back to U.S.
The New York Times, September 5, 2019

Why this bookseller is still afraid to return home to Hong Kong
Vice News, September 5, 2019

Related:
Here’s why people in Hong Kong are terrified of being extradited to China
Vice News, September 6, 2019

粉嶺嘉盛苑女子墮樓亡 逾百市民獻花悼念 (Hundreds bring flowers to estate in Fanling after 9th suicide in anti-extradition movement)
Inmediahk.net, September 5, 2019

何君堯指罷課等如違法 派惠州社團成員監察學校 (Legislator Junius Ho says class boycott “equal to violating the law,” sends group to monitor schools and students)
Inmediahk.net, September 5, 2019

As Hong Kong protesters push on, no sign of more concessions by government
The New York Times, September 5, 2019

Home of Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher firebombed
Financial Times, September 5, 2019

Joshua Wong calls for renewed campaign for fully democratic elections in Hong Kong
Radio Free Asia, September 5, 2019

The American father and son exporting tear gas to Hong Kong
BuzzFeed News, September 5, 2019

Commentary (评论)

Why the mutually assured destruction rhetoric in Hong Kong is dangerous
The Diplomat, September 6, 2019

Opinion: Hong Kong residents would rather sacrifice their future than submit to authoritarian rule
The Los Angeles Times, September 5, 2019

林郑月娥真的向香港人民让步了吗?
Hong Kong, Carrie Lam didn’t do it for you
The New York Times, September 5, 2019

Election bans must be legally justified
South China Morning Post, September 5, 2019

The Hong Kong government is as leaderless as the protesters
Foreign Policy, September 5, 2019

China has a soft-power problem: Beijing is eager to exert cultural influence, but only a free society, in open conversation with itself, can create global aspirations
Wall Street Journal, September 5, 2019

What China experts have to do to get on Beijing’s visa ‘whitelist’
Washington Post, September 5, 2019