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, March 29, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Jailed Taiwan activist Lee Ming-cheh denied correspondence rights by China, wife says
Agence France-Presse, March 29, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/29/jailed-taiwan-activist-lee-ming-cheh-denied-correspondence-rights-china-wife-says/

一部电影让他失去十年青春和自由 (He lost ten years of youth and freedom for making a documentary)
Voice of America, March 29, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/tibetan-filmmaker-20180328/4321410.html

China detains “underground” bishop with role in deal with Vatican
Reuters, March 28, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-china-bishop/china-detains-underground-bishop-with-role-in-deal-with-vatican-idUSKBN1H4196?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

China’s supreme court calls for more leniency in air gun cases
Sixthtone, March 28, 2018
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1002013/China%E2%80%99s%20Supreme%20Court%20Calls%20for%20More%20Leniency%20in%20Air%20Gun%20Cases

Chinese police jail two women over “vehicle reversing” video clip
武汉市民因“倒车”视频遭超期羁押后获释
Radio Free Asia, March 27, 2018
EN: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/chinese-police-jail-two-women-over-vehicle-reversing-video-clip-03282018104812.html
CH: https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf2-03272018103516.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Shanghai to ease restrictions on foreign law firms
Shanghai Daily, March 29, 2018
http://english.sina.com/buz/b/2018-03-29/detail-ifyssmmc0860684.shtml

When Xi met Kim: How China and North Korea depicted it
中朝媒体如何报道金正恩访华?
The New York Times, March 28, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/world/asia/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-meeting-.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/asia-pacific/20180329/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-meeting-/

台电影大陆遭封杀 国台办要禁台独艺人 (China bans a Taiwan movie, Taiwan Affairs Office says China will block actors who support Taiwan independence)
Radio Free Asia, March 28, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hcm1-03282018104725.html

有企业规定不转发单位公号文章就扣钱, 有公司要求员工二十四小时打开定位系统, 一些企业内部管理奇葩规定有侵权之嫌 (Companies demand employees to turn on GPS 24/7, repost companies’ public account articles on personal WeChat or have pay docked)
Legal Daily, March 27, 2018
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2018-03/27/content_7506291.htm?node=5955

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

现代版连坐第一案 “屠夫”父亲诉国家赔偿1千万 (Right activist “Butcher” Wu Gan’s father file court action against China for arbitrary arrest and harassment)
Radio Free Asia, March 28, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf1-03282018110616.html

China is trying to prevent the formation of a vocal Uighur diaspora
The Economist, March 28, 2018
https://www.economist.com/news/china/21739777-it-has-persuaded-friendly-countries-send-lots-them-home-china-trying-prevent

Government Accountability (政府问责)

七城市国控空气监测站点受人为干扰 相关人员被处理 (Seven cities officials are held accountable for cheating air quality monitoring station)
Chinanews.com, March 29, 2018
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2018/03-29/8478750.shtml

第二批中央环保督察7省份共问责1048人 其中省部级3人(Central environmental inspectors scrutinized, 1048 held accountable, including 3 provincial level officials)
Beijing News, March 29, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/03/29/481108.html

China urges northern cities to shut factories as smog builds - report
Reuters, March 27, 2018
https://goo.gl/c53gNA

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

五角大楼顾问警告:中国人工智能武器不得不防 (Pentagon advisor warns of China’s “artificial intelligence weapon”)
Voice of America, March 29, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-ai-20180329/4321837.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Hong Kong privacy watchdog demands answers from Facebook on data security after Cambridge Analytica scandal
South China Morning Post, March 28, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2139340/hong-kong-privacy-watchdog-demands-answers-facebook-data

Airbnb China tells hosts it will share their data with the gov’t from Friday
Hong Kong Free Press, March 28, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/28/airbnb-china-tells-hosts-will-share-data-govt-friday/

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

China academics divided over Australia influence crackdown
The Financial Times, March 28, 2018
https://www.ft.com/content/d79f10c4-3224-11e8-b5bf-23cb17fd1498

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong court rejects legal bid to disqualify pro-democracy lawmaker Au Nok-hin
Hong Kong Free Press, March 29, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/29/breaking-hong-kong-court-rejects-legal-bid-disqualify-pro-democracy-lawmaker-au-nok-hin/

Hong Kong youth commission starts work, as teenager becomes youngest adviser to the government
South China Morning Post, March 29, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2139359/hong-kong-youth-commission-starts-work-teenager-becomes

Related:

反佔中青年自薦加入成功 團體批新青年委員會「掩耳盜鈴」促全港青年民選產生 (Groups criticize Youth Development Commission choice of vocal anti-Occupy youth as advisor, urge direct election of representatives by all Hong Kong youth)
Inmedia, March 29, 2018
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1056079

Rent control, subsidies dismissed for Hong Kong – “but we’ll build more flats”, leader Carrie Lam says
South China Morning Post, March 28, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2139285/rent-control-subsidies-dismissed-hong-kong-well-build-more

Hong Kong lawmakers receive letters calling for “assassination” of election officers and justice chief
Hong Kong Free Press, March 28, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/28/hong-kong-lawmakers-receive-letters-calling-assassination-election-officers-justice-chief/

Hong Kong Baptist University student union hopeful has ‘no bottom line’, vows to continue Mandarin fight
South China Morning Post, March 28, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2139330/hong-kong-baptist-university-student-union-hopeful-has-no

Commentary (评论)

Can Xi Jinping make use of the power he has accumulated?
The Economist, March 29, 2018
https://www.economist.com/news/china/21739770-promoting-party-expense-bureaucracy-deters-reform-can-xi-jinping-make-use

Can China's great show of unity last?
The Diplomat, March 28, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/can-chinas-great-show-of-unity-last/

Chairman Xi, Chinese idol
China File, March 14, 2018
http://www.chinafile.com/library/nyrb-china-archive/chairman-xi-chinese-idol

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

RSF urges China to free citizen-journalist held at “black site” for six months
Reporters Sans Frontières, March 28, 2018
https://rsf.org/en/news/rsf-urges-china-free-citizen-journalist-held-black-site-six-months

Beijing rights lawyers prevented from sending money to son studying overseas
“709”律师王宇给海外留学儿子汇款受限
Radio Free Asia, March 27, 2018
EN: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/overseas-03272018130235.html
CH: https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql2-03272018103137.html

Xinjiang authorities detain Uyghurs “wanting to travel abroad”
Radio Free Asia, March 27, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/travel-03272018162009.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

有企业规定不转发单位公号文章就扣钱, 有公司要求员工二十四小时打开定位系统, 一些企业内部管理奇葩规定有侵权之嫌 (Companies demand employees to turn on GPS 24/7, repost companies’ public account articles on personal WeChat or have pay docked)
Legal Daily, March 27, 2018
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2018-03/27/content_7506291.htm

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

“一点也不在乎习近平”:新一波海外学运观察 (“Don’t give a damn about Xi Jinping”: New wave of student movement overseas)
The New York Times, March 28, 2018
https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20180328/never-my-president/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

吕梁原副市长张中生受贿10.4亿一审被判死刑 (Disgraced former deputy mayor sentenced to death penalty for accepting RMB 1.04 billion bribe)
The Beijing News, March 28, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/03/28/480925.html

China and Russia accused of waging “war on human rights” at UN
The Guardian, March 27, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/27/china-and-russia-accused-of-waging-war-on-human-rights-at-un

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Xiaomi forms AI team to develop more leading edge products
Sina English, March 28, 2018
http://english.sina.com/buz/b/2018-03-28/detail-ifysqfnh8023283.shtml

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

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un met China’s Xi Jinping on first foreign trip
Agence France-Presse, March 28, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/28/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-met-chinas-xi-jinping-first-foreign-trip/

Exclusive: Satellite images reveal show of force by Chinese navy in South China Sea
Reuters, March 27, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-defence/exclusive-satellite-images-reveal-show-of-force-by-chinese-navy-in-south-china-sea-idUSKBN1H3135

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong court urged to dismiss voter’s judicial review bid on pan-democrat’s election candidacy
South China Morning Post, March 28, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2139270/hong-kong-court-urged-dismiss-voters-judicial-review-bid-pan

Activist jailed again for desecrating flags
The Standard, March 28, 2018
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=194224&sid=4&sid=4

Former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang lodges appeal against order to pay HK$4.6 million court costs
South China Morning Post, March 28, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2139189/former-hong-kong-chief-executive-donald-tsang-lodges-appeal

Is Hong Kong “ceding” land to mainland China? Fears grow after revelation joint checkpoint at rail terminus will not operate under lease
South China Morning Post, March 28, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2139179/hong-kong-ceding-land-mainland-china-fears-grow-after

Related:
Video: Drama at Express Rail Link meeting as democrats protest bid to move controversial bill forward
Hong Kong Free Press, March 27, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/27/video-drama-express-rail-link-meeting-democrats-protest-bid-move-controversial-bill-forward/

保安上訴脫襲警罪 官斥警方過度武力不合理 (High Court acquits bar security over assaulting police charge, slams police for using excessive force)
Mingpao, March 27, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180327/s00001/1522134506328

Commentary (评论)

Is Xi flying too close to the sun?
The Diplomat, March 27, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/is-xi-flying-too-close-to-the-sun/

Li Ao, writer and political firebrand in Taiwan, dies at 82
李敖:捍卫自由的反叛“狂人”
The New York Times, March 26, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/obituaries/li-ao-taiwanese-dissident-who-fought-martial-law-dies-at-82.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/obits/20180327/li-ao-taiwanese-dissident-who-fought-martial-law-dies-at-82/

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

余律师案情况通报: 许艳起诉澎湃新闻 (Xu Yan, wife of rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, sues The Paper for reporting fake news)
Weiquanwang, March 26, 2018
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2018/03/blog-post_748.html

为获释访民接风洗尘 江苏10人以“寻衅滋事”被抓捕 (10 arrested in Jiangsu for welcoming out-of-prison petitioner)
Radio Free Asia, March 26, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/gf1-03262018112756.html

司法部召开部长办公会议 傅政华要求把习近平总书记的要求和人民的期待作为检验全系统工作的最高标准(Minister of Justice Fu Zhenghua: “Newly structured MOJ is first and foremost a political institution,” studying the important instructions of Xi Jinping should be top priority)
Legal Daily, March 26, 2018
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2018-03/26/content_7506202.htm

Access to Information (信息公开)

“Call me by your name” joins an illustrious list of great films censored in China
Quartzy, March 27, 2018
https://quartzy.qz.com/1237821/call-me-by-your-name-joins-the-list-of-movies-banned-in-china/

China deletes posts about article calling on academics to resist thought control
北大元培学院副院长请辞 校方封锁消息
Radio Free Asia, March 26, 2018
EN: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/deletes-03262018122047.html
CH: https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/kejiaowen/ql1-03262018111054.html

Related:
北大元培學院院長亮相闢謠 (Dean of Peking University talks to party mouthpiece and denies resignation)
Sing Tao Daily, March 26, 2018
http://hd.stheadline.com/news/realtime/chi/1175241/

Shining a cleansing light on China’s dark secrets
学者沈志华:盼共产党将隐秘历史公诸于世
The New York Times, March 23, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/23/world/asia/shen-zhihua-china-history-north-korea.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20180326/shen-zhihua-china-history-north-korea/

Related:
专访文革研究专家宋永毅:唯有甄别史料真伪,才能认识文革性质 (Song Yongyi: Cultural Revolution can only be understood when real history is separated from the fake)
The Initium, March 26, 2018
https://theinitium.com/article/20180327-opinion-songyongyi-cultural-revolution/

微博社区公告:关于处置发布违禁节目影片账号的公告和短视频发布重要提示 (Sina Weibo shuts down 436 and suspends 66 accounts for 30 days for posting “illegal” videos or links, SAPPRFT bans re-editing of classics)
Sina Weibo, March 23, 2018
https://www.weibo.com/1934183965/G8KNlenLe?type=comment#_rnd1522134603616

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China accuses U.S. of arrogance for Xi criticism at rights forum
Reuters, March 26, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-un-usa/china-accuses-u-s-of-arrogance-for-xi-criticism-at-rights-forum-idUSKBN1H20ZA

Related:
At the U.N., China and Russia score win in war on human rights
Foreign Policy, March 26, 2018
http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/26/at-the-u-n-china-and-russia-score-win-in-war-on-human-rights/

Shanghai U-turn after outcry over revoking residency rights
South China Morning Post, March 26, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2138916/shanghai-u-turn-after-outcry-over-revoking-residency-rights

观海解局:最高法一审判长与律师勾结,敛财数百万 (Supreme People’s Court judge found guilty of colluding with defense lawyer, accepting bribes of RMB 3 million)
Kanfanews, March 26, 2018
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2043798

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Jaywalkers under surveillance in Shenzhen soon to be punished via text messages
South China Morning Post, March 27, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/tech/china-tech/article/2138960/jaywalkers-under-surveillance-shenzhen-soon-be-punished-text

扎克伯格刚刚登报道歉,李彦宏说中国人对隐私没那么敏感 (Robin Li, chief of Baidu, claims Chinese are not as sensitive in terms of privacy and love to trade it with convenience)
The Beijing News, March 27, 2018
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/invest/2018/03/27/480762.html