HRIC Weekly Brief
May 14, 2024
Top News 头条
Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who finished serving four years in prison after reporting on the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, had been expected to be released on Monday, May 13. However, her current whereabouts remain unknown, sparking concerns that Zhang might have been put under another form of control by the authorities. Activists are worried that Zhang may be under house arrest, like activist Chen Jianfang, thus denying her urgently needed, long-overdue medical treatment and recuperation. Zhang’s former lawyer, Ren Quanniu, said that Zhang could also have been “sent somewhere to have ‘soft prison’ time for one to three months … [for] a period of time where they are not allowed contact with the outside world, not allowed to move somewhere.”
This year is the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre on June 4, 1989. Organizations around the world are holding events around the anniversary. In commemoration, HRIC is publishing translations of a series of poems associated with the 1989 student movement. HRIC hopes that sharing these poems will help readers today understand the thoughts and dreams of those protestors at Tiananmen Square, and inspire us to continue fighting for freedom and human rights. Furthermore, the writer of two Tiananmen-era poems, Liao Yiwu, who spent four years in prison for writing them, shared his personal experiences as a writer persisting under the harsh censorship of the Chinese government.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
New rules let China's state security police check people's devices: From July 1, state security police will be given sweeping powers to search electronic devices, including smartphones and laptops, as part of a nationwide campaign to ensure "national security."
This Week in Asian Law: May 5-11: The Building and Operation Work Rules for the People’s Court Case Database released by the Supreme People’s Court now requires judges to refer to similar cases in the database during adjudication (and discuss in their judgments any database cases cited by the litigants).
China’s National Legislature Releases 2024 Legislative Plan: Prominent themes of this year’s legislation include government institutional reforms, crime and public safety, sci-tech and education, ideology and culture, and national security and other foreign-related issues.
A tale of two slogans: China’s top judicial bodies now subscribe to the principle of “to serve the overall situation” instead of “to serve the people,” wherein safeguarding national security and safeguarding the status of the Communist Party regime are the top priorities.
Hong Kong court ban on pro-democracy anthem ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ sparks new fears over heightened censorship in Hong Kong: Overturning a lower court ruling in July 2023 that rejected the government’s bid due to free speech concerns, the Court of Appeal judgment comes in the wake of the enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Bill, known as “Article 23 legislation.”
Related: Glory to Hong Kong: Gov’t ‘anxious’ to see Google respond to request to wipe protest song, says justice chief: The Hong Kong Secretary of Justice said the government had informed Google about an injunction order, following the court ban on “broadcasting, performing, printing, publishing, selling, offering for sale, distributing, disseminating, displaying or reproducing” the song with seditious intent.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
Censorship, Muted Media Coverage, and Public Speculation Follow Guangdong's Deadly Meizhou-Dabu Expressway Collapse: Despite the high number of casualties and intense public interest in the disaster, Chinese state—and commercial—media coverage has been muted, and a number of articles and social media posts on the topic have been deleted.
TikTok sues U.S. government, saying potential ban violates First Amendment: In the latest development regarding the so-called “TikTok Bill,” TikTok has sued the U.S. government, arguing that invoking national security concerns is not a sufficient reason for restricting free speech, and that the burden is on the federal government to prove that this restriction is warranted.
Australian study says China uses global apps, games for propaganda: An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report claims that Beijing’s propaganda chiefs are forging ties with Chinese tech companies to gather personal data from a wide range of social media apps or platforms and popular online games.
China suspected of massive cyberattack on database of UK armed forces personnel: According to reports, a recently uncovered Chinese cyberattack targeted a UK Ministry of Defence “third-party payroll system including the details of tens of thousands of British armed forces and veterans.”
US confronts China over Volt Typhoon cyber espionage: Last month in Beijing, U.S. officials raised the issue of Volt Typhoon, a sweeping cyber espionage campaign in which Chinese hackers were thought to have broken in to dozens of American critical infrastructure organizations, aimed at leveraging access in the event of a war or conflict—a nod to escalating U.S.-China tensions over Taiwan.
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
HRIC Executive Director Speaks at Cambridge Union Society in UK: Last week at the Cambridge Union, HRIC's Zhou Fengsuo discussed human rights issues in China from 1989 through today. The event was a full house, supported by members of the Chinese, Hong Kong, and local Cambridge communities.
Related: 人权机构在世界知名大学举办巡回演讲，纪念六四35周年 [Human rights organizations hold lecture tours at world-renowned universities to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre].
Related: 六四35週年／溫支聯辦座談 籲延續民主香火 [35th Anniversary of June Fourth: Vancouver Society In Support of Democratic Movement Forum Calls for Flourishing Democracy].
The escaped dissident still pursued decades on by China: As China has become more confident and controlling at home, it has also sought to extend its reach abroad and become more assertive in tracking down those it considers dissidents in other countries.
Related: Former spy alleges global Chinese spy network hunts and abducts dissidents: An investigation by Australia's public broadcaster accuses China's secret police service of tracking down dissidents living overseas, and that its unit had been operational in Sydney as recently as last year.
Chinese students abroad can’t escape a ‘climate of fear’: According to an Amnesty International report, Chinese students studying abroad report widespread fear that activities like attending vigils or openly discussing political views in class could get them and their families back home in trouble.
Chinese police harass family members of US-based content creators: Chinese authorities are stepping up pressure on the family members of U.S.-based YouTubers and other creative professionals in a bid to censor the content they make on American soil.
Chinese agents hatched brazen plot to kidnap RFA cartoonist: Chinese security forces once sought to kidnap Radio Free Asia cartoonist Rebel Pepper, according to a defected agent.
3 men charged in the UK with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service: According to the police, the three men had agreed to engage in information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist the Hong Kong intelligence service.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
Uyghur official jailed after refusing land acquisition: This comes amid ongoing tensions over land in the county, where residents say Chinese developers are forcing them to hand over their farms for little or no compensation.
Related: Uyghur activist moved to safe location after perceived threat in Paris. According to the president of the European Uyghur Institute, last week group of eight unidentified men appeared on her doorstep and called for her to let them in.
Pro-China activists harass Tibetan protesters in Hungary during Xi’s visit: Pro-Beijing counterprotestors tore a large “Free Tibet” banner, waved at least 16 Chinese flags to hide the Tibetan flags the protesters were holding from view, and blocked a Tibetan flag hanging on a bridge over Xi’s motorcade.
Lawmakers ask HK court to call them as witnesses in Jimmy Lai case: A group of current and former politicians from nine countries have demanded to be called as witnesses in the Lai’s trial, saying that they have been cited dozens of the times throughout the trial, but have not formally been contacted.
Journalists dismiss official claims of press freedom in Hong Kong: Journalists in Hong Kong are not convinced by the Hong Kong government’s attempts to play down the risks facing journalists under its recently enacted Article 23 security legislation.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
China's Mouthpieces Go Quiet: In recent months, the unexplained disappearances of high-level ministers in China and silence of the part of the official press has fueled much speculation about unease within those in power.
‘Significant’ Volume of Xinjiang Cotton Mislabeled as US or Brazilian: Forced-labor-linked cotton from Xinjiang is still sneaking its way into products sold by U.S. and global retailers, with a sizable portion hidden in blended fibers identified as American or Brazilian in origin.
China recruits Mandarin-speaking teachers to move to Inner Mongolia: The move appears to be part of a nationwide move to eradicate the use of Mongolian in primary and secondary education, overseas activists said.
International Responses 国际反应
‘Countries are now forced to confront it’: Rise in Chinese espionage arrests alarms Europe: Experts say the recent increase in arrests and investigations reflects a changing mood in Europe towards Chinese threats.
Lawyer debunks China’s historical narrative of control over Xinjiang: International lawyer Michael van Walt describes Xinjiang as a colony that China has occupied for the past 70 years, and counters Chinese claims that there has been continuous Chinese rule going back 2,000 years.
Hongkongers seeking permanent residency in Canada to be granted work permits to extend stay: The new policy, to be launched on May 27, will grant Hong Kong applicants a new open work permit, allowing them to extend their stay in Canada while they wait for the government’s decision on their application.