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, January 26, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Torture accusations as EU ambassador raises case of Chinese lawyer Xie Yang
Hong Kong Free Press, January 25, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/01/25/torture-accusations-eu-ambassador-raises-case-chinese-lawyer-xie-yang/

Related:
Two held in Northeastern China after online campaign for tortured lawyer
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/campaign-01252017123116.html

国际关注危难律师日 29名各国律界人士谴责中国迫害律师 (29 legal professionals worldwide criticize China on “Day of Endangered Lawyer” for persecuting lawyers)
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/xl1-01252017102850.html

中国人权律师团2016十大人权案件出炉 709案列首位 (Chinese human rights lawyers’ group publishes list of 10 biggest human rights cases of 2016, “709 Crackdown” case ranks number 1)
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/xl2-01252017102920.html

Related:
Mass Crackdown on Chinese Lawyers, Defenders and International Reactions: A Brief Chronology
Human Rights in China, January 23, 2017
http://www.hrichina.org/en/mass-crackdown-chinese-lawyers-defenders-and-international-reactions-brief-chronology

Access to Information (信息公开)

自由派北京天则所批关闭其网站违法 (The liberal Unirule Institute of Economics in Beijing criticizes “illegal” closing down of their website)
Voice of America, January 26, 2017
http://www.voachinese.com/a/news-china-liberals-unirule-website-shutdown-20170125/3691394.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

China to crack down further on “cult” activities
Reuters, January 25, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/uk-china-religion-crime-idUSKBN15917O

Related:
“两高”发布新惩治邪教犯罪司法解释 七种邪教犯罪行为将从重处罚 (The SPC and SPP jointly issue new legal interpretation on punishment of “cult” crimes, severe punishment will be imposed on 7 types of “cult” crime)
Legal Daily, January 25, 2017
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2017-01/25/content_6997114.htm

When China’s feminists came to Washington
Foreign Policy, January 25, 2017
http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/25/when-chinas-feminists-came-to-washington-womens-march-feminist-five-activism/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Global corruption worsens under populist leaders: watchdog
South China Morning Post, January 25, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2065334/global-corruption-worsens-under-populist-leaders

Related:
观察组织:中国清廉排名有上升仍较低 (Anti-corruption watchdog: China’s ranking for integrity increases but remains low)
Voice of America, January 26, 2017
http://www.voachinese.com/a/news-china-corruption-20170125/3691780.html

China corruption prosecutions drop for first time in five years
去年中国公诉腐败官员5年来首次减少
Financial Times, January 26, 2017
EN: https://www.ft.com/content/41a961d2-e2bb-11e6-9645-c9357a75844a
CH: http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001071175

Tibetan doctor linked to self-immolation is freed after beatings, torture
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/doctor-01252017153010.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

The who, what and why in China’s latest VPN crackdown
South China Morning Post, January 26, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2065432/who-what-and-why-chinas-latest-vpn-crackdown

Analysts: China's new Internet controls may hurt China
Voice of America, January 25, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/china-internet-controls/3691276.html

Hong Kong (香港)

Lawyers group criticizes “unwise” gov’t ban on political groups selling merchandise at New Year fair
Hong Kong Free Press, January 25, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/01/25/lawyers-group-criticises-unwise-govt-ban-on-political-groups-selling-merchandise-at-new-year-fair/

Former Hong Kong governor accuses UK of “selling its honor” over protests
The Guardian, January 26, 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/26/britain-hong-kong-democracy-activists-chris-patten

Chinese military newspaper hurls insults at Hong Kong pop star
Radio Free Asia, January 25, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/popstar-01252017134319.html

Commentary (评论)

Autonomy in Hong Kong is at a 20-year low
The Washington Post, January 25, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/01/25/autonomy-in-hong-kong-is-at-a-20-year-low/

Implementing the overseas NGO law—Six NGOs manage to register in Shanghai
NGOs in China Blog, January 24, 2017
http://ngochina.blogspot.hk/2017/01/implementing-overseas-ngo-law-six-ngos.html

Why China will be able to sell itself as the last liberal great power
The Washington Post, January 24, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/01/24/why-china-will-be-able-to-sell-itself-as-the-last-liberal-great-power/