Human Rights in China is a New York-based international

International organization

An intergovernmental organization, sometimes rendered as an international governmental organization and both abbreviated as IGO, is an organization composed primarily of sovereign states , or of other intergovernmental organizations...

, Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, non-governmental organization

Non-governmental organization

A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

 with a mission to promote international human rights and advance the institutional protection of these rights in the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

.

Founded by Chinese students and scholars in March 1989, HRIC [Human Rights In China] implements programs to generate institutional, systemic change in China while also engaging in critical advocacy strategies on behalf of individuals in China.

With offices in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 and New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, HRIC serves as a source of analysis and information on the human rights situation in China, as well as an active NGO advocate in the international arena. In 2005, HRIC was also recognized for its creative and effective use of technology by The Tech Museum of Innovation

The Tech Museum of Innovation

The Tech Museum of Innovation, or simply The Tech, is a museum located in the heart of Silicon Valley, in downtown San Jose, California USA.-History:...

 as one of twenty-five Tech Award Laureates of the year.

HRIC's Executive Director from 2002 to is Sharon Hom

Sharon Hom

Sharon Kang Hom is currently Executive Director of Human Rights in China and professor of law emerita, City University of New York School of Law. She was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of 2007's for their impact on business.-Biography:...

. Its former Executive Director is Xiao Qiang

Xiao Qiang

Xiao Qiang is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of China Digital Times, a bi-lingual China news website, and an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California at Berkeley...

.

Program

With a diverse network of domestic and international partners, HRIC links individual advocacy with systemic and policy interventions addressing human rights, technology, legal and administrative reform issues. HRIC's core programs and reports address human rights violations affecting China's rural population, migrant workers, ethnic minorities, women, and children.

Domestic advocacy

HRIC's domestic work with political prisoners provides support for legal representation and assistance to activists in China. HRIC works with domestic Chinese groups internationally and domestically in calling upon the Chinese government to engage in a constructive reassessment of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989

Tiananmen Square protests of 1989

The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...

 and subsequent crackdown and to move toward greater reforms and social stability.

By supporting domestic groups such as the Tiananmen Mothers

Tiananmen Mothers

The Tiananmen Mothers is a group of Chinese democracy activists promoting a change in the government's position over the suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989...

, HRIC links Chinese calls for redress to current international debates such as lifting the European Union arms embargo on China. HRIC's online June 4 Archive, is a Chinese-language archive documenting the history of the 1989 Tiananmen democracy movement. HRIC also maintains Fill the Square, an online petition mobilizing individuals and organizations worldwide to support the Tiananmen Mothers' demands for accountability for the June Fourth crackdown.

International advocacy

HRIC's advocacy initiatives contribute to multilateral and bilateral human rights policy discussions, analyses, and recommendations. HRIC provides briefings and reports to United Nations bodies

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

, international conferences, WTO processes, and the EU-China Dialogue. As of 2006, HRIC has submitted over 40 individual cases of the victims of human rights abuses to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is a UN-mandated body of independent human rights experts that investigates cases of arbitrary arrest and detention that may be in violation of international human rights law....

; 13 of the cases have had decisions made on them, and all of the 13 have been deemed arbitrary.

HRIC regularly addresses the relationship between corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...

, trade

Trade

Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...

, and human rights

Human rights

Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

 through reports, briefings, and presentations, thus contributing to a global framework that respects and promotes human rights. HRIC has outlined a best practices matrix for IT companies doing business in China involving information communication technology (ICT), surveillance and security, multilaterals, the media, governments, and NGOs.

Online advocacy

HRIC's online advocacy project supports Chinese citizens' increasing activism and promotes the free flow of information in China by building a technology platform that uses proxy server

Proxy server

In computer networks, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server...

 technology and a biweekly e-newsletter sent to hundreds of thousands of subscribers in China. The project includes the development of six interrelated Web sites with online Chinese publications, tools for accountability

Accountability

Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...

, and advocacy resources.

Ongoing publications

China Rights Forum is HRIC's bilingual quarterly journal. Since its founding in 1990, it has covered a range of issues regarding China's human rights developments. It includes articles from Chinese scholars, artists, writers and activists promoting democratic reform, labor rights, freedom of expression, and the rights of religious and ethnic minorities and disadvantaged groups. Archives of the articles are available online.

Biweekly Chinese Journal (中国人权双周刊) is a Chinese-language biweekly journal publishing in-depth analyses, current events commentaries, theoretical discussions, and law reviews, in addition to news from China that has been banned and censored in the mainland. Issues covered have included torture and corruption in China, Internet censorship, and China's legal system. The majority of the contributors and readers are mainland Chinese Internet users.

Daily News Brief is HRIC's daily news roundup.

Reports

HRIC's research fuels a range of reports and publications such as thematic reports and briefings, issues backgrounders, trends bulletins, and short reports on topical issues involving ethnic minorities, women and children, control of the media, labor rights and state secrets, legal reform, and social unrest. HRIC regularly issues reports on human rights issues and circulates them to multilateral bodies, media, policy makers, governments, and NGOs.

Recently published

In 2004, HRIC published researcher and economist He Qinglian

He Qinglian

He Qinglian is a Chinese author and economist, most prominently known for her critical view of Chinese society and media controls in China.-Biography:...

's Media Control in China, a Chinese-language report countering China's claims to easing controls on the media by openly portraying the oppressive, often violent, and lethal consequences of overstepping the government's limitations on freedom of speech and of the press. An update was released in July 2006.

This report has been widely circulated on Chinese Web sites, in classrooms, and at conferences. In 2008 the report was translated into English and published as The Fog of Censorship: Media Control in China; an ebook is also available on the organization's homepage.

Funding

HRIC is funded by private foundations and individuals from Europe, Asia, and North America. . It also receives funding from National Endowment for Democracy

National Endowment for Democracy

The National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, is a U.S. non-profit organization that was founded in 1983 to promote US-friendly democracy by providing cash grants funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress...

(NED).

External links

• HRIC Web site (English) (Simplified Chinese) (Traditional Chinese)
• China Rights Forum - HRIC's bilingual quarterly journal