(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC of International PEN is seriously concerned about the lengthy prison sentence handed down to historian Xu Zerong, apparently solely for his legitimate academic research. According to the WiPC’s information, Xu, research associate professor at the South East Asia Institute, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, was arrested in Guangzhou, south China, on 24 June […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC of International PEN is seriously concerned about the lengthy prison sentence handed down to historian Xu Zerong, apparently solely for his legitimate academic research.
According to the WiPC’s information, Xu, research associate professor at the South East Asia Institute, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, was arrested in Guangzhou, south China, on 24 June 2000, and formally charged on 25 July 2000 in connection with “the illegal publication of books and periodicals…since 1993”. He was sentenced in January 2002 by a Shenzhen court to thirteen years in prison, three years for “economic crimes” and ten years on charges of “leaking state secrets”. It appears that the first set of charges relate to the allegedly illegal publication of books and periodicals and the sale of book authorisation numbers since 1993. The second set of charges are thought to relate to his use of allegedly classified documents concerning Chinese military operations in the Korean War (1950-53), gathered in the course of his research. Xu is appealing his sentence.
Xu’s research specialised in Chinese Communist Party history, military history and China’s relations with Southeast Asia. He received his doctorate from St. Anthony’s College, Oxford University, in 1999, and wrote his doctoral thesis on the Chinese military intervention into the Korean War. Xu, aged 47, is from Guangzhou. In 1985, he moved to Hong Kong where he gained permanent residency. While there, he reportedly set up a publishing house and helped set up the Chinese-language academic journal “Chinese Social Sciences Quarterly”. He was also reportedly an assistant researcher for the official Xinhua News Agency.
Xu was detained incommunicado for the eighteen months leading up to his trial. His current place of detention is not known.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– expressing serious concern that the sentence handed down to Xu may violate Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and if this is the case, calling for his immediate and unconditional release
Appeals To
His Excellency Jiang Zemin
State Council
Beijing 100032
P.R.ChinaHis Excellency Xiao Yang Buzhang
Minister of Justice
Sifabu
Xiaguangli
Beijing 100016
P.R.ChinaPlease note that fax numbers are no longer available for the Chinese authorities, so you may wish to ask the diplomatic representative for China in your country to forward your appeals.
Please copy appeals to the diplomatic representative for China in your country and to the source, if possible.
