Commentary | Chinese Human Rights Defenders

China: Bringing Down The House

October 1, 2016 Comments Off

China’s central government has made the construction of more affordable urban housing an official goal, but in China and elsewhere, creating affordable housing should not come at the expense of human rights.

Risky prospects: Engagement of Chinese human rights defenders with the Human Rights Council

June 1, 2016 Comments Off

For many Chinese human rights defenders and independent non-governmental organizations, difficulties and risks associated with engaging the Human Rights Council, including threat of Chinese government reprisals, outweigh the benefits. But there are meaningful actions the Council can take to improve access and to prevent and respond to reprisals.

The Plight of China’s Rights Lawyers

January 20, 2015 Comments Off

As 2014 came to a close, at least seven prominent Chinese human rights lawyers rang in the New Year from a jail cell. Under President Xi Jinping, the year was one of the worst in recent memory for China’s embattled civil society.

The Dark Side of the Boom: As China’s Economy Grows, Evictions and Land Grabs Rise With It

January 1, 2015 Comments Off

The booming construction and development industry in China has brought about a devastating side effect: violent episodes of land appropriation, housing evictions, and demolitions that typically victimize the poorest citizens, especially in urban areas.

China: Detained to Death

May 20, 2014 Comments Off

The detention of activists by the Chinese government is well known, but there is relatively little discussion about medical treatment in detention facilities. This issue is crucial for understanding what happened to Cao Shunli, a legal rights activist who died in custody in March 2014.