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, July 31, 2017

We have concluded our Daily Brief Special Feature on Liu Xiaobo, prominent Chinese public intellectual and 2010 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who died tragically in Chinese custody on July 13, 2017. For more information on Liu Xiaobo’s life and work, background information, and updates on his wife, Liu Xia, please see HRIC’s special action page: Liu Xiaobo's Living Legacy. We hope this page will be a useful information resource and help generate more effective action by the international community.

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Mainland Chinese driver for Hong Kong reporters arrested after Liu Xiaobo service
South China Morning Post, July 28, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2104552/mainland-chinese-driver-hong-kong-reporters-arrested-after

Related:
刘霞尚未返家继续被禁止与亲友通话 (Liu Xia hasn’t returned home and is not allowed to talk to family and friends)
Radio France Internationale, July 30, 2017
http://cn.rfi.fr/中国/20170730-刘霞尚未返家继续被禁止与亲友通话

台湾追悼刘晓波 余杰:软禁刘霞超越法西斯 (Church in Taiwan mourns Liu Xiaobo; Yu Jie: the house arrest of Liu Xia is worse than what the fascists and Nazis did)
Radio Free Asia, July 30, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hcm-07302017122900.html

吴淦狱中祭刘晓波文披露 言及自己所遭酷刑 (Wu Gan mourns Liu Xiaobo in prison and says he is tortured)
Weiquanwang, July 29, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/07/blog-post_178.html

Liu Xiaobo: Thousands urge China to free Liu Xia
Al Jazeera, July 30, 2017
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/liu-xiabo-thousands-urge-china-free-liu-xia-170729092534849.html

709事件被捕人获委派律师 家属称不会尽信 (709 crackdown targets are appointed lawyers, family members say they do not believe it)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 28, 2017
http://gbcode.rthk.hk/TuniS/news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/video-gallery.htm

广东出台全国首部实施《律师法》地方性立法规定, 设置专门救济途径保障律师执业权利 (Guangdong introduces local legislation for national “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Lawyers,” sets up specialized project to protect lawyers’ right to practice)
Legal Daily, July 28, 2017
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2017-07/28/content_7262612.htm

广东警方刑拘142名“善心汇”传销组织涉案人员 (Guangdong police hold 142 Shan Xin Hui members under criminal detention for allegedly carrying out pyramid scheme)
Xinhua News Agency, July 30, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2017-07-30/doc-ifyinwmp0880746.shtml

Access to Information (信息公开)

稱違中國法律 蘋果中國App Store下架VPN程式 (Apple removes VPN apps from App Store in China, saying they are against Chinese law)
Mingpao, July 29, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170729/s00004/1501336087537

Related:
Apple removes apps offering virtual private networks from its China store
Global Voices, July 30, 2017
https://globalvoices.org/2017/07/30/apple-removes-apps-offering-virtual-private-networks-from-its-china-store/

Weibo next to carry torch in crusade against celebrity gossip
Sixth Tone, July 28, 2017
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1000593/weibo-next-to-carry-torch-in-crusade-against-celebrity-gossip

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

吉林市23村突遭水库泄洪家被淹 上千灾民政府讨说法无果堵路抗议 (23 villages in Jilin city suddenly flooded, over 1,000 victims protest after discussions with government fail to produce results)
Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/xl2-07272017094211.html

湖南万人上街抗议建垃圾厂 当局逼党员签名支持 (10,000 Hunan residents protest garbage plant construction, authorities force party members to sign in support of the project)
Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/xl1-07272017093953.html

Transgender activists in China just scored a historic victory
Vox, July 27, 2017
https://www.vox.com/world/2017/7/27/16049820/china-transgender-discrimination-lawsuit-mr-c

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China's Xi: We can't be “blindly optimistic” on corruption inside the Communist Party
Newsweek, July 27, 2017
http://www.newsweek.com/communist-party-blindly-optimistic-about-corruption-643166

Germany said concerned by China's unwillingness to discuss Nobel laureate's widow
Reuters, July 28, 2017
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-idUSKBN1AD0YY

Related:
德国关注中国继续限制刘晓波遗孀基本自由 (Germany pays close attention to China’s continued restriction of Liu Xiaobo’s widow’s basic freedoms)
Voice of America, July 28, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/voanews-20170728-germany-china-liu-xia/3962861.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

“It’s a game of whack-a-mole”: overseas VPN service providers gain as china tightens control on Internet use
South China Morning Post, July 29, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2104494/its-game-whack-mole-overseas-vpn-service-providers-gain-china

Hong Kong (香港)

Even in death Liu Xiaobo is an inspiration to many Hong Kong people
Iris So and Kwun Tong, South China Morning Post, July 28, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2104497/even-death-liu-xiaobo-inspiration-many-hong-kong-people

Disqualified Hong Kong lawmakers move out of their offices but vow to return
South China Morning Post, July 28, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2104543/disqualified-hong-kong-lawmakers-move-out-their-offices-vow

Hong Kong’s democratic struggle and the rise of Chinese authoritarianism
China Policy Institute, July 27, 2017
https://cpianalysis.org/2017/07/27/hong-kongs-democratic-struggle-and-the-rise-of-chinese-authoritarianism/

林鄭:不應政治、妖魔化方案 跨境執法憂慮匪夷所思 (Carrie Lam: “One place, two checks” shouldn’t be demonized and cross-border law enforcement is a fantasy)
HK01, July 30, 2017
https://www.hk01.com/港聞/108484/-一地兩檢-林鄭-不應政治-妖魔化方案-跨境執法憂慮匪夷所思

Related:
陳茂波認為一地兩檢有助鞏固香港於大灣區及南中國地位 (Chan Mo-po: “One place, two checks” will help Hong Kong build strategic position in south China)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 30, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1345256-20170730.htm

香港眾志指「憲法與基本法」教材套偏頗 促請當局收回 (Demosisto says textbooks are in violation of the Basic Law and urges gov’t to withdraw)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 29, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1345145-20170729.htm

Commentary (评论)

Can China’s rights lawyers withstand the pressure?
China Digital Times, July 27, 2017
https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2017/07/can-chinas-rights-defense-movement-withstand-pressure/