HRIC Weekly Brief
November 28, 2023
Top News 头条
This week heralds the one-year anniversary of the White Paper Movement, when protests across China and abroad successfully pushed the Chinese government to end its zero-COVID policy, and pro-democracy activism sprung up across college campuses worldwide. Numerous events have been planned in honor of the anniversary. Last week, students and dissidents gathered at the University of Southern California to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the White Paper Movement and express their solidarity. Across the pond, young activists have launched an “A4 Revolution Anniversary” human rights tour of Europe, with stops in London, Paris, and more. HRIC Executive Director Zhou Fengsuo spoke at the opening exhibition in London last week.
Tomorrow, November 29, at 3:30pm, HRIC and students will be hosting a demonstration to commemorate the White Paper Movement on the front steps of the US Capitol. We are honored to co-sponsor this event with Free Uyghur Now, The Uyghur Human Rights Project, the Athenai Institute, and student organizations from D.C. universities.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
In a League of Its Own: The Cyberspace Administration of China: Dr. Rogier Creemers gives a detailed analysis of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), including how the new Cybersecurity Law has given the CAC additional organizational powers and authority over online content.
China Cybersecurity and Data Protection Regulations – 2023 Recap and 2024 Outlook: This year, data protection and cross-border data transfer were a major topic of new legislation. But the legal terminology remains vague—just what counts as “important” data?
What’s in the New Amendments to China’s State Secrets Law?: As of last month, China is considering a new amended draft to the State Secrets Law, which boosts the authority of Xi Jinping and the CCP while increasing pressure on local governments and everyday citizens to “do their part” in defending the Party-State.
Hong Kong to restructure primary education to make it more ‘patriotic’: In an effort to comply with the new Mainland Patriotic Education Law, Hong Kong has implemented a policy mandating patriotic education in all primary schools by 2025, replacing the existing general studies curriculum.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
China’s enormous surveillance state is still growing: Skynet, the Chinese surveillance network, collects data from up to hundreds of millions of cameras, and is still growing. Local governments across China seek facial recognition capabilities “with no blind spots.”
Who benefits from China's surveillance technology?: Uganda’s government uses Huawei’s Safe City surveillance technology to fight crime and spy on political opponents.
Tenzin Norgay on the State of Surveillance and Propaganda in Tibet Today: Activist Tenzin Norgay describes Chinese propaganda strategies surrounding Tibet; concerning developments in DNA collection and big data analytics aimed at oppressing the Tibetan people; and how the CCP is unable to wipe out Buddhism despite their best attempts.
The CMP Dictionary: Digital Silk Road: China seeks to build a “parallel digital ecosystem” to compete with Western tech giants, offering other countries the perks of modern technology with an authoritarian twist.
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
Rights group says police ignored attacks on protesters by pro-China activists: The Washington Times spoke with HRIC’s Zhou Fengsuo about the APEC protests: “Last week’s brutal attacks on pro-democracy protesters…are an outrageous example of Chinese transnational repression that should be investigated and condemned.” Meanwhile, a police representative “declined to directly address” HRIC’s assertion that they did little to support protesters and even coordinated with pro-CCP groups to arrest a leading pro-democracy activist.
Related: Anti-Xi Protesters Say San Francisco Police Ignored Beatings During APEC.
Activists call for probe into China's 'consular volunteers' network: China recently formalized its system for drafting “consular volunteers,” individuals who are recruited to participate in consular work and oversight of overseas Chinese communities. HRIC Executive Director Zhou Fengsuo: "Much like it did with overseas police stations, the international community needs to face up to this form of [Chinese] government control."
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
鲜花与诗流落何方？这一年，被抓捕的年轻人还好吗？[Where did the flowers and poems go? How are the young people that were detained?]: On the first anniversary of the White Paper Movement, protesters from inside China share their stories. One young Uyghur man, named Yashire, was detained for 37 days before he was released on bail—but was detained again in August, and no one has been able to reach him.
Related: 白纸运动一周年：亲身参与的年轻人们怎么样了？[The first anniversary of the White Paper Movement: How are the young people who participated in it doing?].
Jailed Hong Kong, Chinese attorneys honored with human rights award: Last week, a Chinese court upheld the sentences of human rights attorneys Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi for “subversion.” This week, they, along with imprisoned Hong Kong barrister Chow Hang-tung, have received human rights awards from the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe for their work in “upholding the fundamental values of the legal profession.”
逾60团体就孙林遭警察殴打非正常死亡联署抗议书 [More than 60 groups signed a joint protest against Sun Lin's unnatural death after being beaten by the police]: Over 60 rights groups have signed a letter calling for an investigation into the death of Sun Lin, a journalist who is believed to have been beaten to death by state security police. HRIC’s Zhou Fengsuo, a co-sponsor of the letter, told VOA: "This is systemic state violence from top to bottom…It is very shameful and must be condemned. It is a public lynching, and the individual criminal police officers involved must also be held accountable."
Related: Nanjing police detain activist who spoke out about Sun Lin's death.
Prominent Chinese rights attorney incommunicado, believed detained: Human rights lawyer Tang Jitian disappeared two weeks ago, on his way to his mother-in-law’s funeral. A source reports that Tang is currently being held by police in a hotel, and is unable to communicate with anyone.
Uyghur educator, poet confirmed to have died in prison in Xinjiang: Abdusemet Rozi, Uyghur scholar who advocated for textbook reform, recently died while imprisoned at age 57. He was buried by the authorities before the family was informed, and Norway-based rights group Uyghuryar says that physical and mental torture played a role in Rozi’s declining health.
Dissident who fled China by jet ski convicted of illegal entry in S Korea: Kwon Pyong, who fled political persecution in China, has been given a suspended sentence of one year in prison by a South Korean court. Kwon has applied for asylum and hopes to seek refuge either in South Korea or a third country.
Hong Kong clerk jailed for 4 months after calling for downfall of China’s Communist Party on online forum: A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to four months in prison for posting 49 “seditious” comments on an online forum, including calling for sanctions on some Hong Kong officials for their human rights abuses.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
Report: Hundreds of mosques in China converted or closed since 2018: According to Human Rights Watch, the Chinese government has destroyed hundreds of mosques and damaged far more as part of its campaign to exert control over Islam in China.
Related: Visual Investigations—How China is tearing down Islam.
Hong Kong Watch launches groundbreaking new report on threats to freedom of religion or belief in Hong Kong: A new report finds that the National Security law has had a significant chilling effect of religious expression in Hong Kong, as well as posing a threat directly to those whose faith leads them to support democratic or human rights causes.
Hong Kong officials, civil servants study doctrine of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Communist Party theories: Hong Kong’s Civil Service Code mandates that the Civil Service must be politically neutral—yet, over 150 civil servants attended a lecture at the Civil Service College on “China’s path to modernization,” a phrase integral to Xi Jinping’s political philosophy.
International Responses 国际反应
UK will not return to Cameron era’s close ties with China, Sunak says: At a meeting with business leaders, the UK Prime Minister indicated that he did not plan to court a closer relationship with China.