Top News 头条
In a groundbreaking decision, Argentina's highest criminal court has ruled that under the principle of universal jurisdiction, human rights groups may sue members of the CCP regime for genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur people. The case was brought by the World Uyghur Congress, Uyghur Human Rights Project, and Lawyers for Uyghur under the universal jurisdiction provisions set out in Article 118 of Argentinian Constitution, which allow for complaints concerning international crimes to be tried by any court in Argentina, no matter where these offences occur around the world. Previously, other universal jurisdiction cases, including charges related to human rights violations in Tibet and the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, have been initiated in other jurisdictions. However, there has never been a successful universal jurisdiction case on behalf of the Uyghur people. If the plaintiffs are successful, it would send a strong signal to the Chinese government and international community.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
Lingua Sinica Newsletter, 17 June: The Cyberspace Administration of China has published its first comprehensive annual report on "internet rule of law development," indicating its ambition to shape international cyberspace governance rules through more assertive participation in global internet governance forums and bilateral negotiations on data flows, emerging technologies, and telecommunications services.
Hong Kong’s First Comprehensive Cybersecurity Law: Key Requirements Under the Critical Infrastructure Protection Ordinance: This new milestone legislation establishes a legal framework to protect essential services from cyber threats and imposes strict compliance obligations on designated critical infrastructure operators, with enforcement set to begin in 2026.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
Evaluating X: A Community-Led Human Rights Impact Assessment: HRIC's community-led rights impact assessment on X finds that X’s policies and enforcement have had a disproportionately negative impact on Chinese human rights defenders who seek to express themselves freely outside of China’s Great Firewall.
_China_Chatbot_23: Some Chinese AI companies are bypassing U.S. chip export controls with the help of American companies like Nvidia and Hugging Face, and the Cyberspace Administration of China’s new non-binding guidelines on conducting “social experiments” would allow AI to “promote harmonious co-existence” and “increase social cohesion.”
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
Catching Up With China's Most Effective Dissident: An interview with Teacher Li (@whyyoutouzhele on X), an art student-turned-activist in exile who is now running one of China's most significant, uncensored news accounts, giving millions of Chinese and global followers alike a peek into the real, raw issues of the country today.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
Words of the Week: “Being Traveled” (被旅游, bèi lǚyóu): A new report published by NGO Safeguard Defenders titled “Holidays in Handcuffs” delves into the common practice of “forced travel,” where politically targeted individuals are removed from their home regions by the Chinese authorities during “sensitive” periods.
Veteran Chinese dissident faces ongoing police harassment despite prison release: Three months post-release, Chen Yunfei has been repeatedly summoned by police for interrogations, who are also severely restricting his movements and preventing him from resuming work.
The spirit of Apple Daily lives on: Former Apple Daily journalists collaborated with Reporters Without Borders to publish a special edition of Apple Daily in honor of the fourth anniversary of its closing.
Hong Kong artist given suspended sentence for criminal damage over ‘Freedom’ graffiti: Chan King-fai had painted graffiti that read “Freedom” in Central and Sheung Wan districts in January. After Chan plead guilty to 12 counts of criminal damage, the judge suspended his sentence for two years.
Hong Kong workers strike against the exploitation of Keeta, a food delivery platform: Keeta is a globally expanding food delivery platform owned by mainland-based delivery company Meituan. Workers say it has slashed pay rates and pressured workers to pay 20-30% of their income back to the company in order to receive higher priority for orders.
Seeking out ‘soft resistance’ will harm Hong Kong artists, prominent playwright says after minister’s warning of scrutiny: Playwright Candace Chong remarked that the focus on “soft resistance” might become an operation to “disturb people,” as every minor detail and every report from “a nobody” might be considered as evidence of soft resistance.
Related: Gov’t resources must not fall into the hands of ‘non-patriots,’ Hong Kong environment chief says. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan advocated for tightening the scrutiny of applicants and recipients of the government’s Environment and Conservation Fund.
Related: ‘Soft resistance’ may arise during Hong Kong development, official warns. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn suggested that “soft resistance” may arise in areas such as land development, compensation for resettlement, and reclamation projects.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
China: A global threat to human rights? Ken Roth and Emily Feng: Ken Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, and award-winning Chinese American journalist Emily Feng jointly examine Xi Jinping’s past, exploring what distinguishes his style of authoritarianism and how it affects human rights both within China and globally.
Hong Kong grows more opaque on arrests in national security cases: The Security Bureau said detailed breakdowns of arrest figures are “classified information related to safeguarding national security in the HKSAR and thus will not be made public,” fueling growing concerns about government transparency as it tightens controls on dissent.
Hong Kong teachers allegedly told to avoid US Independence Day events: Teachers were warned not to participate in such activities to “avoid violating the national security law and Hong Kong laws.”
Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong warns of persisting national security threats: Xia Baolong, the director of China’s Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, said various forms of “soft resistance” continue to emerge in new forms.
International Responses 国际反应
U.S. lawmakers honor Dalai Lama with bipartisan resolution ahead of 90th birthday: The resolution reaffirms that only the Dalai Lama should determine his successor and that any attempt by Beijing to select or appoint one would be an “invalid interference” and violation of Tibetan Buddhists’ right to religious freedom.