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 01, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

3 Chinese rights activists vanish, apparently in state crackdown
The New York Times, November 30, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/world/asia/china-human-rights-activists-arrested.html

Related:
Disappeared lawyer a long-time target of surveillance, detention, and torture
China Change, November 30, 2016
https://chinachange.org/2016/11/30/disappeared-lawyer-a-long-time-target-of-surveillance-detention-and-torture/

"六四天网"创办人黄琦被捕 (Founder of rights website Tianwang, Huang Qi, arrested)
Deutsche Welle, December 1, 2016
http://www.dw.com/zh/六四天网创办人黄琦被捕/a-36597200

China’s most “radical” political prisoner dies in jail
China Change, November 30, 2016
https://chinachange.org/2016/11/30/chinas-most-radical-political-prisoner-dies-in-jail/

Related:
中国著名异议人士彭明于湖北监狱身亡 (Famous Chinese dissident Peng Ming dies in jail in Hubei)
Radio Free Asia, November 30, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql2-11302016101555.html

原《企業家之友》雜誌社長彭明死於獄中 (Former president of magazine Friends of Entrepreneurs, Peng Ming, dies in jail)
Radio France Internationale, November 30, 2016
http://trad.cn.rfi.fr/中國/20161130-原《企業家之友》雜誌社長彭明死於獄中

Access to Information (信息公开)

China is censoring people’s chats without them even knowing about it
Quartz, December 1, 2016
http://qz.com/848885/china-is-censoring-peoples-chats-without-their-even-knowing-about-it/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Chinese court tries former senior provincial official for graft
Reuters, November 30, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-corruption-idUSKBN13P188

China’s Politburo tightens benefits of retired and present party, state leaders
South China Morning Post, December 1, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2050769/chinas-politburo-tightens-benefits-retired-and-present

Government could go after more lawmakers in oath-taking saga, Hong Kong justice minister says
South China Morning Post, December 1, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2050781/government-could-go-after-more-lawmakers-oath-taking-saga

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Moscow learns From Beijing on Internet censorship
China Digital Times, November 30, 2016
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2016/11/moscow-learning-beijing-internet-censorship/

Alipay’s new app abuses personal data and reinforces China's class divisions, critics say
Global Voices, November 30, 2016
https://globalvoices.org/2016/11/30/alipays-new-app-abuses-personal-data-and-reinforces-chinas-class-divisions-critics-say/

Why Facebook's China adventure will need more than censorship to succeed
The Guardian, November 30, 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/30/why-facebooks-china-adventure-will-need-more-than-censorship-to-succeed

Hong Kong (香港)

【回鄉證解禁】何君堯指中央以前怯懦 現有了自信肯定傳統泛民「愛國不搞港獨」 (Lawmaker Junius Ho on the lifting of “Home Return Permit” ban: The central government was timid in the past, but now confident enough that traditional Hong Kong pan-dems “are patriotic and wouldn’t advocate independence”)
Ming Pao, December 1, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20161201/s00001/1480567025762

Related:
民主党调查:港独并非主流意见 (Democratic Party’s survey: Hong Kong independence is not the majority opinion)
Radio Free Asia, November 30, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/wsw-11302016102308.html

Lau Siu-lai says Hong Kong government’s case against her “political persecution”
South China Morning Post, November 30, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2050405/lau-siu-lai-says-hong-kong-governments-case-against-her

Beijing’s interpretation of Hong Kong Basic Law to apply retroactively
The Diplomat, December 1, 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2016/12/beijings-interpretation-of-hong-kong-basic-law-to-apply-retroactively/

English-language China news and commentary site The Nanfang closes citing commercial pressure
Hong Kong Free Press, December 1, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/12/01/english-language-china-news-and-commentary-site-the-nanfang-closes-citing-commercial-pressure/

Pro-independence activists in Taiwan and Hong Kong colluded to stir trouble, says Beijing
South China Morning Post, November 30, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2050399/pro-independence-activists-taiwan-and-hong-kong

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Police in China's Sichuan raid rights website, detain founder
“六四天网”创办人黄琦遭警方抄家羁押
Radio Free Asia, November 29, 2016
EN: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/tianwang-raid-11292016151040.html
CH: http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql2-11292016104030.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

China says foreign NGOs must provide funding proof
Reuters, November 29, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-lawmaking-ngos-idUSKBN13P08R

Related:
HRIC Law Note: Draft Law on Foreign NGOs Undermines Chinese Civil Society and China’s International Engagement
中国人权法律评论:境外非政府组织管理法草案损害了中国的民间社会和中国政府的国际参与
Human Rights in China, May 5, 2015
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/legal-resources/hric-law-note-draft-law-foreign-ngos-undermines-chinese-civil-society-and-chinas
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/chs/fa-lu-zi-xun/zhong-guo-ren-quan-fa-lu-ping-lun-jing-wai-fei-zheng-fu-zu-zhi-guan-li-fa-cao-sun-hai

China shutters online chat groups amid praise of Cuba's Castro
Radio Free Asia, November 29, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/shutters-11292016111423.html

中国独立媒体人高瑜病情加重 再被当局延长“监外执行” (Independent journalist Gao Yu's health worsens, “execution of sentence outside jail” extended by authorities)
Radio Free Asia, November 29, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/xl1-11292016111645.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Beijing prosecutors grant bail to four police officers under investigation over suspect’s mysterious death
South China Morning Post, November 29, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2050203/beijing-prosecutors-grant-bail-four-police-officers

China welcomes incoming head of U.N., where it wants a larger role
聯合國候任秘書長訪華,中國欲發揮更大影響力
The New York Times, November 29, 2016
EN: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/world/asia/china-un-chief-antonio-guterres.html
CH: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20161130/china-un-chief-antonio-guterres/zh-hant/

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China's new “cybersecurity” rules look like cyberprotectionism instead
The Diplomat, November 30, 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2016/11/chinas-new-cybersecurity-rules-look-like-cyberprotectionism-instead/

Hong Kong (香港)

Ban upheld against Hong Kong MPs who mocked oath of allegiance
The Guardian, November 30, 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/30/ban-upheld-against-hong-kong-mps-who-mocked-oath-of-allegiance

Hong Kong's rebellious lawmaker Yau Wai-ching
British Broadcasting Corporation, November 30, 2016
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-38129773

Hong Kong seeks to ban third pro-democracy member of parliament
The Guardian, November 29, 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/29/hong-kong-seeks-ban-third-pro-democracy-member-of-parliament-lau-siu-lai

Related:
民主派團結撐小麗 批梁振英搞政變 (Pan-dems unite in support of Siu-lai, denounce CY Leung’s coup)
InMedia, November 30, 2016
http://www.inmediahk.net/node/20161130a

【短片:宣誓覆核】政府將覆核資格 劉小麗憤怒轟不必要 民主派斥旁門左道否定市民意志 ([Video: Judicial review on oath-taking] Govt seeks to ban Lau Siu-lai, who slams the unnecessity of the move, pan-dems united in denouncing using back-doors to deny the citizens’ will)
Ming Pao, November 30, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20161130/s00001/1480474976256

“I let my voters down”: Localist Edward Leung apologises over oath-taking row
Hong Kong Free Press, November 30, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/11/30/i-let-voters-localist-edward-leung-apologises-oath-taking-row/

The anti-mainland bigotry of the Hong Kong democracy movement
Foreign Policy, November 29, 2016
http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/11/29/the-anti-mainland-bigotry-of-hong-kongs-democracy-movement/

Senior Chinese official calls for Hong Kong to oppose independence
Reuters, November 29, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-hongkong-idUSKBN13O1LT

Hong Kong’s richest man promises to elect someone who loves the city
The Diplomat, November 30, 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2016/11/hong-kongs-richest-man-promises-to-elect-someone-who-loves-the-city/

人類自由指數香港連續6年居首 經濟自由傲視全球 中國排141位倒數第19 (Hong Kong tops freedom index for the 6th consecutive year, with highest economic freedom globally; China ranks 141st out of 159 countries)
Ming Pao, November 30, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20161130/s00001/1480497631755

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Xinjiang court upholds “extraordinarily harsh” 19-year sentence for outspoken writer Zhang Haitao
Hong Kong Free Press, November 29, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/11/29/xinjiang-court-upholds-extraordinarily-harsh-19-year-sentence-for-outspoken-writer-zhang-haitao/

Fears grow over fate of “disappeared” Chinese rights lawyer
Radio Free Asia, November 28, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/fears-11282016122339.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

A Pulitzer winner is giving away her book in Chinese because the topic scared off publishers
Quartz, November 28, 2016
http://qz.com/846694/pulitzer-winner-mei-fong-is-giving-away-her-book-on-the-one-child-policy-in-chinese-because-the-topic-scared-off-publishers/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

南蒙古人权信息中心代表在联合国论坛发言 被中国打断 (Speech of Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center representative at UN forum interrupted by China for the reason of separatism and infringement of Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity)
Radio Free Asia, November 28, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/zl-11282016135550.html

New U.N. chief, in China, calls for human rights respect
Reuters, November 28, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-un-idUSKBN13N0TV

Related:
Chinese police detain, beat petitioners as U.N. chief calls for rights protection
Radio Free Asia, November 28, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/protection-11282016150802.html

China takes a chain saw to a center of Tibetan Buddhism
The New York Times, November 28, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/world/asia/china-takes-a-chain-saw-to-a-center-of-tibetan-buddhism.html

China steps up protection of property rights
Channel NewsAsia, November 27, 2016
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/china-steps-up-protection-of-property-rights/3322836.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China’s new tool for social control: A credit rating for everything
The Wall Street Journal, November 28, 2016
http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-new-tool-for-social-control-a-credit-rating-for-everything-1480351590

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

Beijing demands Singapore abide by “one-China” principle after military vehicles seized in Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, November 28, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2049769/beijing-demands-singapore-abide-one-china-principle

Religious extremism is spreading to inland China: Official
Channel NewsAsia, November 28, 2016
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/religious-extremism-is-spreading-to-inland-china-official/3325004.html

Hong Kong (香港)

Chris Patten to students: Hong Kong is not a nation state, do not deceive yourself
South China Morning Post, November 28, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2049866/chris-patten-students-hong-kong-not-nation-state-do-not-deceive

Related:
彭定康指港獨以為三五年可以推翻共產黨是自欺欺人 (Chris Patten on Hong Kong independence: If you think you can overthrow the Communist Party in the next two to five years, you are deceiving yourself)
Radio France Internationale, November 29, 2016
http://trad.cn.rfi.fr/中國/20161129-彭定康指港獨以為三五年可以推翻共產黨是自欺欺人

彭定康:香港自決不會發生 普選才是港人應得且會發生 (Chris Patten: Self-determination will not happen, universal suffrage is what Hong Kong people deserve and realistically possible)
Ming Pao, November 28, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20161128/s00001/1480341078070

黨報:香港譽為「食品安全港」因內地把好關 (State media: Hong Kong’s reputation as a “food safety port” is thanks to China’s good guard)
Ming Pao, November 29, 2016
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20161129/s00001/1480386241569

Commentary (评论)

The “mainlandization” of our courts? A very unusual Hong Kong appeal hearing
Hong Kong Free Press, November 29, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/11/29/mainlandisation-courts-unusual-hong-kong-appeal-hearing/

Should Facebook self-censor to enter the Chinese market?
ChinaFile, November 28, 2016
http://www.chinafile.com/conversation/should-facebook-self-censor-enter-chinese-market

Are Beijing loyalists really ready for modern Chinese history to be taught to all Hong Kong students?
South China Morning Post, November 28, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2049729/are-beijing-loyalists-really-ready-modern-chinese-history-be

Stuck at the bottom in China
The New York Times, November 28, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/opinion/stuck-at-the-bottom-in-china.html

文革後期的三大疑案 (Three mysteries of post-Cultural Revolution period)
Radio France Internationale, November 28, 2016
http://trad.cn.rfi.fr/中國/20161128-文革後期的三大疑案

Monday, November 28, 2016

Access to Justice (司法公正)

128 days in “China’s Guantanamo”: writer tells of secret detention after Occupy Central visit
South China Morning Post, November 28, 2016
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2049621/128-days-chinas-guantanamo-writer-tells-secret

Access to Information (信息公开)

The world according to a CCTV journalist based in London
China Change, November 27, 2016
https://chinachange.org/2016/11/27/the-world-according-to-a-cctv-journalist-based-in-london/

Will new censorship kill Chinese filmmaking?
British Broadcasting Corporation, November 26, 2016
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-china-blog-38105042

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

How China blocks independent candidates in its “democratic” elections
Hong Kong Free Press, November 26, 2016
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/11/26/china-blocks-independent-candidates-democratic-elections/

Millennial workers force factory rethink in China
Financial Times, November 27, 2016
https://www.ft.com/content/f5916282-b078-11e6-9c37-5787335499a0