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.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Access to Justice (司法公正)

十二届全国人大常委会第三十一次会议在京举行(NPC’s Standing Committee holds 31st meeting in Beijing)
National People’s Congress, Dec 22, 2017
http://www.npc.gov.cn/npc/xinwen/syxw/2017-12/22/content_2034302.htm

北京警校一哥涉害死維權人士 被美列入制裁名單 (US sanctions Party Secretary of Beijing People’s Police College over death of human rights defender Cao Shunli)
Apple Daily, December 22, 2017
https://hk.news.appledaily.com/china/realtime/article/20171222/57612456

Related:
Small step toward accountability: US sanctions a Chinese official over death of Cao Shunli
China Human Rights Defenders, December 22, 2017
https://www.nchrd.org/2017/12/small-step-toward-accountability-us-sanctions-a-chinese-official-over-death-of-cao-shunli/

人民陪审员法一审:选任学历降至高中 (First draft of People’s Assessors Law lowers education requirement of lay jurors to high school level)
The Paper, December 22, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2017-12-22/doc-ifypwzxq5276268.shtml

法官法拟修改:非因法定情形法官不被调离审判岗位 (Judges Law draft revision protects judges from arbitrary removal)
Beijing News, December 22, 2017
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2017/12/22/469694.html

Related:
法官法检察官法修订草案一审:拟设两级遴选委员会(Judges and Procuratorates Law revision proposes two tiers of selection committees)
The Paper, December 22, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2017-12-22/doc-ifypwzxq5301225.shtml

China adds new protections for graft suspects amid detention system overhaul
Reuters, December 22, 2017
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-lawmaking-corruption/china-adds-new-protections-for-graft-suspects-amid-detention-system-overhaul-idUSKBN1EG0EG

Two Uyghur students die in China’s custody following voluntary return from Egypt
Radio Free Asia, December 21, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/students-12212017141002.html

Chinese army “spared no-one” in 1989 mass killings in Beijing: UK cables
英国近期解密六四事件外交档案
Radio Free Asia, December 21, 2017
EN: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/tianmen-revelations-12212017131357.html
CH: http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/yl-12202017105100.html?searchterm:utf8:ustring=%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

黑龙江省民代幼教师6000多人到省教育厅上访维权 (6000 kindergarten substitute teachers from Heliongjiang petition provincial Department of Education for their rights)
Weiquanwang, December 21, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/12/6000.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

No man an island: China warns against straying from party path
Reuters, December 22, 2017
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-politics/no-man-an-island-china-warns-against-straying-from-party-path-idUSKBN1EG0DD

监察法草案:监察委副主任由本级人大常委会任免 (Draft Supervision Law proposes NPC Standing Committee holds powers of appointment and removal of deputy-secretary of Supervisory Commission)
The Paper, December 22, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2017-12-22/doc-ifypwzxq5272995.shtml

土壤污染防治法草案二审:治污不力 市长将被约谈 (Second draft law on Preventing and Controlling Soil Pollution requires local officials to be questioned for weak enforcement)
The Paper, December 22, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/nd/2017-12-22/doc-ifypvuqf0024923.shtml

政府给社会组织强制摊派扶贫任务将被严肃追责(Governments can be harshly sanctioned for forcing their poverty alleviation responsibilities on social organizations)
Legal Daily, Dec 22, 2017
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2017-12/22/content_7428378.htm?node=5955

Hong Kong (香港)

記協:《香港01》六四報道被擱置 憂涉政治因素(Hong Kong Journalists Association is concerned Hong Kong 01 report on June 4 incident was shelved due to political factors)
Mingpao, December 22, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171222/s00001/1513925160863/

Related:
《香港01》刪改六四事件解密檔案報道惹關注(Revision of declassified Hong Kong 01 report on June 4 incident raises concerns about media censorship)
British Broadcasting Company, December 21, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-42436695

人大常委會下周三表決一地兩檢草案 譚惠珠:不涉釋法 (NPC Standing Committee agrees to Wednesday vote on co-location agreement, Maria Tam says Basic Law interpretation not involved)
Radio Television Hong Kong, December 22, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1371425-20171222.htm/

Hong Kong employer who abused domestic worker Erwiana ordered to pay HK$810k in damages
Hong Kong Free Press, December 21, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/21/hong-kong-employer-abused-domestic-worker-erwiana-ordered-pay-hk810k-damages/

I never said I’d help halt soaring property prices: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam
South China Morning Post, December 22, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2125374/i-never-said-id-turn-tide-soaring-property-prices-hong-kong

Related:
Hong Kong property prices on the rise, families look for affordable homes
Voice of America, December 21, 2017
https://www.voanews.com/a/housing-in-hong-kong-/4173017.html

Commentary (评论)

因國家安全之名(In the name of national security)
Mingpao, December 22, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171222/s00022/1513860986197

What's really behind Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea?
The Diplomat, December 22, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/whats-really-behind-chinese-assertiveness-in-the-south-china-sea/

You’re registered. Now what?
China File, December 21, 2017
http://www.chinafile.com/ngo/latest/youre-registered-now-what

China’s Belt and Road meets Trump’s Afghanistan plan
The Diplomat, December 21, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/chinas-belt-and-road-meets-trumps-afghanistan-plan/