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.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Bo Xilai Case (薄熙来案)

薄熙来案一审结束 法庭宣布择期宣判 (Bo Xilai’s trial ends, decision will be announced later)
Xinhua, August 26, 2013
http://china.huanqiu.com/politics/2013-08/4286696.html

Political stagecraft in trial of fallen China boss
薄熙来案已公开庭审记录或有删节
New York Times, August 25, 2013
http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20130826/c26bo/dual/

薄熙来最后陈述:此事在劫难逃 只剩余生 (Bo’s final statement: I know I am doomed)
British Broadcasting Corporation, August 26, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/08/130826_china_bo_trial_wrap.shtml

See court transcript:
Jinan Intermediate People’s Court, August 22, 2013
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2013/08/26/280341.html

As trial ends, fallen Chinese politician blames love triangle
薄熙來曝王立軍叛逃幕後三角戀
New York Times, August 26, 2013
http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20130826/c26trial/dual/

Education (教育)

小学生减负 为什么这么难 (Why is it so difficult to reduce pupils’ burden?)
Beijing News, August 26, 2013
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/graphic/2013/08/26/280332.html

Environment (环境)

Burning issues in air pollution
Caixin, August 23, 2013
http://english.caixin.com/2013-08-23/100573493.html

See full report at PNAS.org
Evidence on the impact of sustained exposure to air pollution on life expectancy from China’s Huai River policy
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/07/03/1300018110.full.pdf+html

Health (健康)

Recovery is slow in rural China’s "cancer villages"
McClatchy, August 19, 2013
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/08/19/199714/recovery-is-slow-in-rural-chinas.html

Human Rights Defenders (人权卫士)

张林维权被安徽蚌埠市批捕 (Rights defender Zhang Lin arrested in Bangbu, Anhui)
Voice of America, August 26, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/content/zhang-weilin-arrested/1736599.html

For more information on Zhang Lin see:
合肥声援张安妮就学活动遭清场
Police End Protest in Support of 10-Year-Old’s Right to Attend School
Human Rights in China, April 17, 2013
CH: http://www.hrichina.org/cn/content/6586
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/content/6644

Information Control (信息控制)

薛蛮子北京一出租屋嫖娼被抓 被称“中国第一嫖客” (Weibo "VIP" Xue Manzi detained after being caught with prostitutes)
Beijing Morning News, August 26, 2013
http://leaders.people.com.cn/n/2013/0826/c58278-22690255.html

Related:
Noted Chinese blogger arrested on prostitution solicitation charge
Los Angeles Times, August 25, 2013
http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-china-blogger-arrest-prostitution-20130825,0,1815378.story

Related Twitter post
艾未未 Ai Weiwei ‏@aiww, August 26, 2013
一个境外媒体人透露,薛蛮子被抓之前,主管网络的一个高官曾找他谈单独谈话威胁。(An overseas journalist reveals that Xue Manzi was threatened by a high ranking official in charge of the Internet in a private meeting before he was taken away.)
https://twitter.com/aiww/status/371891626949349376


自上海法官团伙集体嫖娼事发后,高层慎重研究决定,将“嫖娼卖淫”这一博大精深的中华非物质文化遗产收为国有,此决策再次体现了我党以德治国宇宙真理掌控社会主义宏观调控的决心,网上引发热议 (After the Shanghai judges prostitution ring was revealed, top officials decided to make prostitution—a profound "Intangible Cultural Heritage" of China—state-owned. This decision once again demonstrates our party’s resolve in mastering socialist macro-control with ruling by virtue and universal truth. This has sparked a heated debate online.)
https://twitter.com/aiww/status/371783921073008640

浙江刑拘2名治安处罚46名网络谣言制造者 (Two criminally detained, 46 punished in Zhejiang for being “online rumor spreaders” according to public security law)
Xinhua, August 26, 2013
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2013-08-26/200928052330.shtml

网络谣言制造者傅学胜被上海警方依法刑拘 (Online rumor maker criminally detained in Shanghai)
Xinhua, August 26, 2013
http://news.eastday.com/c/20130826/u1a7618040.html

山西因网络违法犯罪批捕23人 关闭27家网站 (23 arrested for online violation, 27 websites closed in Shanxi)
Shanxi Daily, August 26, 2013
http://news.eastday.com/c/20130826/u1a7618221.html

记者刘虎涉嫌制造传播谣言被拘 被押一级看守所 (Reporter Liu Hu detained for spreading rumors after exposing official corruption)
Beijing Morning News, August 26, 2013
http://news.eastday.com/c/20130826/u1a7619074.html

Land, Property, Housing (土地、财产、房屋)

中国144地级市规划建200余新城新区被指贪大求快 (144 middle-sized city gov'ts plan to build more than 200 new districts, labeled "greedy" for trying to expand to much too fast)
Beijing News, August 26, 2013
http://news.163.com/13/0826/02/9760KCN700014AEE.html

Inner Mongolian herder beaten to death in land clash
Radio Free Asia, August 21, 2013
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/inner-mongolia-08232013160401.html

Migrants (农民工)

China's new migrant workers want more
Bloomberg, July 30, 2013
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-30/chinas-new-migrant-workers-want-more

Open Government Information (信息公开)

中国政法大学组建“政府信息公开促进联盟” (China University of Political Science and Law sets-up the "Coalition to Promote Open Government Information")
Beijing News, August 25, 2013
http://news.163.com/13/0825/02/973DOUIV00014AED.html

Opinion (观点)

学习时报刊文:法治是实现中国梦的制度基础 (Party Magazine article: Rule of law is the institutional foundation to realize the Chinese dream)
China News Service, August 26, 2013
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2013/08/26/280328.html

人民日报评论员:用法治思维和法治方式反腐败 (Commentator for the People's Daily: Use rule of law "thinking" and "style" to combat corruption)
Xinhua, August 26, 2013
http://news.eastday.com/c/20130826/u1a7619242.html