CHINA FOCUS: Writers Called to Action

4 July 2008

International PEN's China Focus features monthly actions on freedom of expression issues in China in the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games which open on 8 August 2008. For more information on the campaign and how to take part please visit the PEN website: PEN China Campaign. Also go to International PEN Poem Relay (Sydney/Swiss German PEN), www.penpoemrelay.org, and ‘We Are Ready For Free Expression' (American, Canadian and Independent Chinese PEN), www.pen.org .

****Total detained 43****

NEW ARRESTS

In June 2008, PEN recorded five new arrests of writers and journalists in China:

Internet writer Huang Qi, arrested on 10 June 2008 in Chengdu, after criticising the Chinese government's handling of the consequences of the earthquake of 12 May 2008 in Sichuan province. Huang, director and co-founder of the Tianwang Human Rights Center in Chengdu, had been imprisoned on subversion charges from 2003 to 2005 for setting up a web site that investigated corruption, advocated democracy, and called for the release of those imprisoned in the wake of the Tiananmen protests.

Two associates working with Huang Qi at Tianwang, Internet writer Huang Xiaomin and webmaster Zhang Qi, were detained on 16 May after declaring their intentions to join rescue activities in Sichuan. Huang Xiaomin was released after 15 days, and there are reports that he was extensively questioned by police about his relation to Huang Qi and their activities at Tianwang. Zhang Qi is still being held incommunicado.

Feng Zhenghu, a Shanghai-based human rights defender, online writer and lawyer was detained from 5-15 June for publishing and distributing a collection of articles alleging nearly two hundred wrongful convictions by Shanghai courts.

Zeng Hongling (f), a retired university teacher, was arrested in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on 9 June for "illegally providing information overseas" after publishing a series of three articles on overseas Chinese websites about her experiences of last month's earthquake in the province. Ms Zeng lives in Mianyang, a town very badly hit by the earthquake which struck on 12 May. She remains detained.

On 26 June the PEN American Center called on President Bush's Administration and the US Congress to step up pressure on the People's Republic of China to release imprisoned writers and journalists and end press censorship in the 50 days remaining before the Olympic Games open in Beijing (go to www.pen.org

for the full text). The text has been adapted and Centres are encouraged to contact the WiPC headquarters (as per bellow) to receive a copy of the sample letter to lobby their own governments.

PEN members are also urged to continue to send appeals to the Chinese authorities protesting the continuing arrests of writers and journalists in China as the Olympic Games near.

Letters should:

Refer to the fact that there are currently 43 writers and journalists in prison;
Point out that all are detained for their writings and peaceful activism towards improvements in civil and political rights in China;
State that these imprisonments are counter to the international human rights standards to which China is a signatory, notably the International Convention on Human Rights, specifically Article 19 that protects the rights to freedom of expression;
Express particular concern that there has been no apparent easing of restrictions on free expression in recent months.

Appeals should be sent to the Chinese embassy in your country.

READ:

Chip Rolley's inspirational article ‘Stanzas Without Borders - the History of the PEN Poem Relay' - http://www.penpoemrelay.org/0806-sydneypen-magazine-StanzaswithoutBorders.pdf

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
For a full list of alerts issued by PEN since April 2008 on cases in China go to:http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/go/freedom-of-expression/campaigns

PEN Centres are encouraged to continue to send appeals. To ensure that the information is still up to date, please check first that the action date has not expired (indicated at end of each alert).

LINKS TO OTHER ORGANISATIONS' ACTIONS AND REPORTS

Falling Short - a CPJ report which documents China's failure to meet its press freedom pledges when the Olympics were awarded in 2001: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2007/Falling_Short/China/index.html

Article 19/Reporters Sans Frontiers joint action ‘End the Gagging of Olympic athletes' : http://www.article19.org/advocacy/campaigns/olympics.html

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports on the harassment of foreign journalists in the run-up to the Olympics: http://www.cpj.org/news/2008/asia/china30apr08na.html

Dancing in Shackles: a Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China (2007) by Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD): http://crd-net.org/Article/Class9/Class11/200805/20080501034205_8531.html

How China Leads the World in Web Censorship: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,551110,00.html

For further information please contact Cathy McCann at International PEN Writers in Prison Committee, Brownlow House, 50/51 High Holborn, London WC1V 6ER, Tel.+ 44 (0) 20 7405 0338, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7405 0339, email: cathy.mccann@internationalpen.org.uk