WiPC 2008 Resolution: China

The Assembly of Delegates of International PEN, meeting at its 74th Congress in Bogota, Colombia, 17-22 September 2008

Welcomes the releases of WANG Dejia on bail, CHING Cheong on parole, YUE Tianxiang, YU Huafeng, and Hu Shigen due to the respective reduction of their sentences, since the last Congress of International PEN in July, 2007.

Considering the continuous suppression of the right to freedom of expression throughout China, from its capital city of Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympics to the inland province of Sichuan suffering from the 12 May 2008 earthquake disaster, the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, the Autonomous Regions of Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia.

Disappointed by the fact that China has not kept its commitment to ensure press freedom when hosting the 2008 Olympics but instead has intensified the governmental assaults on liberal media, in which journalists are dismissed and even arrested, publications closed, books banned and news blackouts imposed on politically sensitive events; particularly illustrated by the case of QI Chonghuai and HE Yanjie, two journalists in Shandong Province, who were sentenced to imprisonment, respectively for 4 and 2 years, on the charge of "blackmailing" for their reporting on official corruption.

Alarmed by the relentless harassment of and attacks against Chinese intellectuals, particularly the arbitrary arrests of Internet writers and journalists of whom over 40 are currently imprisoned, thus maintaining China as the largest jailer of writers and journalists in the world.

Disturbed by the continuous use of administrative detention, including the infamous "Re-education Through Labour" (RTL) system, to jail dissident writers for up to 3 years without the due process guaranteed under its own laws.

Further Disturbed by the increasing abuse of China's Criminal Law by arbitrarily charging dissident writers and outspoken journalists with criminal offences to suppress freedom of expression and the press, in particular "endangering the social/national security", "inciting subversion of state power" and "illegally holding/leaking state secrets", as well as charging independent publishers with "illegal business practices".

Concerned by evidence of growing threats to freedom of expression in Hong Kong and Macao, such as denying several journalists, including Dr. Yu ZHANG of the Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC), permission to enter Hong Kong for a World Press Freedom Day event.

Worried about the growing Internet censorship throughout the country, in which thousands of websites are blocked, popular Chinese Internet forums discussing sensitive issues closed, and online writers and journalists harassed and imprisoned for their publications of critical reports and commentaries on overseas websites, including the sentences against HU Jia, CHEN Shuqing and LU Gengsong on the charge of "inciting subversion", as well as the detentions of CHEN Daojun, ZENG Hongling and HUANG Qi.

Shocked by the increasing persecution of Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) members, including the sentencing of SHI Tao (10 years), ZHANG Lin (5 years), YANG Tongyan (12 years), ZHANG Jianhong (6 years) and YAN Zhengxue (3 years), the re-arrest of Du Daobin, the harassment, brief detention and travel restriction of more than 30 members, including its Vice-president JIANG Qisheng, Board Members LIU Xiaobo, ZHAO Shiying and WANG Yi, members LIAO Yiwu, LI Jianhong, LIU Di, TENG Biao, LI Jianqiang, JIANG Bo, XIONG Zhongjun, LIU Shui, ZHOU Yuanzhi and SUN Wenguang, and the denial of ZHANG Yu, a Chinese citizen residing in Sweden, permission to enter the Chinese mainland for a family visit.

Outraged by the violent crackdown on the largely peaceful protests in Lhasa on 14 March 2008 and in many other Tibetan areas since then, and China's continued imposition of repressive measures in the autonomous regions of Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.

Urges the government of the People's Republic of China to:

Stop the harassment and persecution of ICPC members, and lift all restrictions on their freedom to exit and enter mainland China, particularly to attend International PEN conferences;

Cease its efforts to censor cyberspace and to immediately release all Internet writers jailed for peacefully expressing their opinions;

Release all prisoners in the autonomous regions of Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia who have been detained in violation of their right to freedom of expression, including Tibetan writers and journalists Dawa Gyaltsen, Jampel Gyatso, Dolma Kyab and Jamyang Kyi, Uighur writers Abdulghani Memetemin, Tohti Tunyaz, Mehbube Ableh and Nurmuhemmet Yasin, and Mongolian writer Hada;

Release all imprisoned writers and journalists in China, including SHI Tao, ZHANG Lin, YANG Tianshui, ZHANG Jianhong, YAN Zhengxue, HUANG Jinqiu, ZHENG Yichun, KONG Youping, XU Zerong, XU Wei, JIN Haitao, YANG Zili, ZHANG Honghai, LI Zhi, Du Daobin, WANG Xiaoning, GUO Qizhen, YANG Maodong, CHEN Shuqing, LU Gengsong, HU Jia, QI Chonghai, HE Yanjie, CHEN Daojun, ZENG Hongling and HUANG Qi;

Ratify its signature of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in October 1998;

Engage in a complete and meaningful reform of the Chinese legal system in accordance with international standards and its own Constitution to guarantee fair trials, the full rights of defence and appeal, the legal practices of attorneys, and a prison system that ensures the health and safety of inmates; particularly to cease the practice of using the charge of "subversion" against writers and of "holding/leaking state secret" against journalists; and to abandon the infamous RTL system.