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, February 16, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

权平涉煽颠案开庭 律师被解聘法院封锁消息 (“Inciting subversion” case against Quan Ping opens, defense lawyers “fired” and court blocks off information)
Mingpao, February 16, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-02152017120309.html

Related:
Chinese activist stands trial for subversion over “Xitler” t-shirt
Radio Free Asia, February 15, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/teeshirt-trial-02152017123713.html

Human rights lawyer swept up in “709 crackdown” to face court in Tianjin for subversion
South China Morning Post, February 16, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2071188/709-lawyer-face-court-tianjin-subversion

Related:
「709大圍捕」維權律師王全璋涉顛覆國家政權被起訴 (“709 Crackdown” rights defense lawyer Wang Quanzhang formally charged with “inciting subversion of state power”)
Radio Television Hong Kong, February 15, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1313766-20170215.htm

Access to Information (信息公开)

Why smog-reading apps pose a threat to Chinese authorities
South China Morning Post, February 16, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2071359/why-smog-reading-apps-may-pose-threat-chinese-authorities

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

China “eliminating civil society” by targeting human rights activists – report
The Guardian, February 16, 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/16/china-eliminating-civil-society-by-targeting-human-rights-activists-report

Related:
“They Target My Human Rights Work as a Crime”: Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China (2016)
Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), February 2017
https://www.nchrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/annual-report.pdf

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

「兩套班子」治疆 維穩發展齊抓 (Xinjiang Party Secretary Chen Quanguo says 2 teams will govern the region: one focused on stability maintenance and the other development)
Mingpao, February 16, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20170216/s00013/1487181992153

新疆通報7網上傳播暴恐信息案 (Xinjiang authorities reportedly bust 7 cases of individuals spreading terrorist information online)
Mingpao, February 16, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20170216/s00013/1487181991794

Related:
Xinjiang busts seven cases of illegal, extremist online content
Global Times, February 15, 2017
http://english.sina.com/china/s/2017-02-15/detail-ifyamkzq1320292.shtml

Hong Kong (香港)

Police chief expresses sadness over conviction of seven officers, mentions appeal mechanism
Hong Kong Free Press, February 16, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/02/16/police-chief-expresses-sadness-conviction-seven-officers-mentions-appeal-mechanism/

全國政協界別51名選委一致提名林鄭月娥為特首候選人 (All 51 election committee members in Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference sector decide to nominate Carrie Lam)
Radio Television Hong Kong, February 15, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1313765-20170215.htm

曾鈺成質疑林鄭「新」政綱:今日的娥打倒昨日的娥? (Jasper Tsang expresses doubt over Carrie Lam’s “new” platform: Carrie Lam contradicting herself?)
Mingpao, February 16, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170216/s00001/1487204675700

泛民推雷霆救兵 留票保曾胡入閘 (Pan-democrats have new plan to get both John Tsang and Woo Kwok-hing nominated)
Mingpao, February 16, 2017
http://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20170216/s00002/1487181909067