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, August 18, 2015

Access to Justice (司法公正)

湖南律师蔡瑛长沙出境被阻止 (Hunan lawyer Cai Ying blocked from leaving China)
Radio Free Asia, August 17, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-08172015095238.html

Related:
Mass suppression of lawyers reveals true nature of Xi’s “rule by law”
对维权律师的大规模镇压揭示了习近平“依法治国”的真实面目
Human Rights in China, July 16, 2015
EN: http://www.hrichina.org/en/mass-crackdown-chinese-lawyers-and-defenders
CH: http://hrichina.org/chs/zhong-guo-da-gui-mo-zhen-ya-wei-quan-lu-shi-he-huo-yue-ren-shi

Access to Information (信息公开)

China cracks down on websites accused of spreading “rumors” about the Tianjin blast
Vice, August 18, 2015
https://news.vice.com/article/china-cracks-down-on-websites-accused-of-spreading-rumors-about-the-tianjin-blast

Related:
(国家网信办依法查处50家传播涉天津港火灾爆炸事故谣言网站 (The Cyberspace Administration of China investigates 50 websites for spreading rumors about the Tianjin explosion)
People’s Daily, August 15, 2015
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2015/0815/c1001-27467538.html

Authorities suppress “right to know” about Tianjin explosions
Reporters without Borders, August 18, 2015
http://en.rsf.org/china-authorities-suppress-right-to-know-18-08-2015,48237.html

公安部“净网行动”清理网上违法信息19万余条 (Ministry of Public Security: “Cleaning the Internet” initiative has cleared 190,000 pieces of illegal information online)
Xinhua, August 18, 2015
http://news.ifeng.com/a/20150818/44459594_0.shtml

Related:
Chinese police arrest 15,000 for Internet crimes
Reuters, August 18, 2015
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/18/us-china-internet-idUSKCN0QN1A520150818

Chinese paper promises there will be no Tianjin blast cover-up. Why nobody believes It.
Washington Post, August 17, 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/08/17/chinese-paper-promises-there-will-be-no-tianjin-blast-cover-up-why-nobody-believes-them/

太原女子微信疯传“恐怖分子来晋”谣言被查处 (Taiyuan woman investigated for posting crazy rumor on Weibo about “terrorists advancing”)
China News, August 17, 2015
http://gj.tynews.com.cn/c/2015-08/17/content_1039732.htm

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

After Tianjin blasts, people demand action
天津爆炸后民众要求答复和行动
Voice of America, August 17, 2015
EN: http://www.voanews.com/content/death-toll-rises-in-tianjin-disaster-as-residents-seek-compensation/2920701.html
CH: http://www.voachinese.com/content/tianjin-blast-after-20150817/2921492.html

Beijing “encircled by security checkpoints” ahead of war anniversary parade
Radio Free Asia, August 17, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-parade-08172015141953.html

Nomad mother calls out for Tibetan freedom, is detained
阿坝一牧女示威抗议被捕
Radio Free Asia, August 17, 2015
EN: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/nomad-08172015143950.html
CH: http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/dz-08172015120818.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Tianjin blasts shake public confidence in leadership, analysts say
South China Morning Post, August 17, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850351/tianjin-blasts-shake-public-confidence-leadership-analysts-say

Related:
Confusion mounts over Tianjin warehouse ownership
天津爆炸涉案仓库所有权成谜
The Financial Times, August 17, 2015
EN: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/af116316-44bd-11e5-af2f-4d6e0e5eda22.html
CH: http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001063541

天津爆炸事故"头七"祭 瑞海多名高层被控制 (“First 7 days” of Tianjin explosion: residents and rescuers hold memorials for victims, 10 senior-level of Ruihai employees are under police control)
Deutsche Welle, August 18, 2015
http://bit.ly/1UQjNxg

天津爆炸中的受损房屋,谁赔?(Tianjin explosion: who will pay for the damaged houses?)
Caijing, August 17, 2015
http://blog.caijing.com.cn/expert_article-151570-85328.shtml

天津爆炸受损市民户数超过1.7万 (Tianjin explosion: residents of damaged homes exceed 17,000)
British Broadcasting Corporation, August 18, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/08/150818_tianjin_blast_compensation

Former Chinese power company boss goes on trial on corruption charges
South China Morning Post, August 18, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1850398/former-chinese-power-company-boss-goes-trial-corruption

Shanxi arrests four ex-party officials for graft
The Standard, August 17, 2015
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=65596

China dismisses warning about agents operating secretly in U.S.
The New York Times, August 17, 2015
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/world/asia/china-obama-administration-warning-agents-us.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Expert tips: How to follow cybersecurity
Foreign Policy, August 17, 2015
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/08/17/expert-tips-how-to-follow-cybersecurity/

Hong Kong (香港)

Six challenges to Hong Kong’s judicial independence
Hong Kong Free Press, August 17, 2015
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/08/17/six-challenges-to-hong-kongs-judicial-independence/

Opinion and Editorial (观点和社论)

Without transparency, probe into Tianjin blasts will yield few answers
South China Morning Post, August 18, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1850358/without-transparency-probe-tianjin-blasts-will-yield-few

Rooting out PLA corruption is helping Xi Jinping to build his power base
South China Morning Post, August 17, 2015
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1850147/rooting-out-pla-corruption-helping-xi-jinping-build-his

Scaling China’s Great Firewall
The New York Times, August 18, 2015
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/opinion/murong-xuecun-scaling-chinas-great-firewall.html