Special action to mark the tenth anniversary of pro-democracy movement suppression

(WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a WiPC special action to mark the tenth Anniversary of the suppression of the 1989 pro-democracy movement, 1 to 10 June 1999: To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the brutal suppression of the 1989 Pro-Democracy Movement, the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN is launching a campaign to release […]

(WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a WiPC special action to mark the tenth
Anniversary of
the suppression of the 1989 pro-democracy movement, 1 to 10 June 1999:

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the brutal suppression of the 1989
Pro-Democracy Movement, the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN
is launching a campaign to release all those currently detained in China for
peacefully expressing their views. The aims of the campaign are as follows:

– to grant an amnesty to all those still imprisoned in connection with the
1989 pro-democracy protests;
– to abolish the practice of administrative sentencing to terms of
“re-education through labour”;
– to release immediately and unconditionally all those detained in violation
of their right to freedom of expression and association.

There are currently 25 cases known to PEN of writers or journalists
imprisoned in the Peoples’ Republic of China (including the Tibet Autonomous
Region) for the peaceful expression of their opinions. Of these, eleven are
still detained in connection with the 1989 pro-democracy protests. They are
Chen Yanbin, Chen Zhixiang, Chen Ziming, Yu Dongyue, Zhang Jingsheng, Zhang
Yafei, Jampel Changchup, Jampel Chunjor, Ngawang Gyaltsen, Ngawang Oeser and
Ven. Ngawang Phulchung. Many of those still imprisoned for their activities
during the 1989 protests were convicted of “counter-revolutionary” offences
which were removed from China’s Criminal Law when it was revised in March
1997. They received harsh sentences at summary trials which did not conform
to international standards of fairness. International PEN is therefore
calling upon the Chinese authorities to grant an amnesty to all those still
imprisoned for their involvement with the 1989 protests.

In the ten years since 1989, China has experienced enormous economic and
social changes which have led to increased freedom and prosperity for many
people. However, the Chinese authorities’ lack of tolerance of dissent has
continued, and in spite of China’s signing of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights on 5 October 1998, writers continue to be
imprisoned for their peaceful political dissent. The three cases outlined
below have been chosen to illustrate PEN’s major concerns spanning the ten
years since 1989.

LIU Xiaobo
During the 1990’s, International PEN has become particularly concerned about
the practice of administrative sentencing to terms of “re-education through
labour” (RTL), a form of arbitrary detention which has increasingly been
used to silence dissent. The present detention of prominent literary critic
and leading pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo is a case in point. Liu Xiaobo
has been repeatedly detained for his peaceful dissident activities, and is
currently serving a three-year RTL sentence for organising a petition
calling for freedom of speech and the right to form independent political
parties. Liu became known in the late 1980s as a student activist and later
a lecturer in Chinese literature. He founded a literary salon which
published an underground magazine. Liu, now aged 43, was first detained in
June 1989 for his leading role in the Tienanmen Square pro-democracy
demonstrations, and was held until January 1991. On 18 May 1995, he was
re-arrested whilst collecting signatures among writers, student leaders and
scholars petitioning for a revision to the laws governing human rights,
freedom of expression and a constitutional court. He was held without trial
until January 1996. He was arrested once again on 8 October 1996 for his
peaceful dissident activities and sentenced to three years “re-education
through labour” on 9 October 1996 (see IFEX alerts of 5 October and 5 June
1998, 28 October, 7 July and 15 January 1997, 11 October 1996, 27 June and
24 May 1995).

XU Wenli
During 1998, a renewed government crackdown on dissidents led to the arrest
and sentencing to thirteen years’ imprisonment of writer, editor and veteran
human rights activist Xu Wenli. Xu Wenli, aged fifty-five, was arrested on 1
December 1998 in connection with the unofficial China Democratic Party
(CDP), of which he is chairman. The party had been seeking permission to
become legally recognised at the time of his arrest. He was sentenced to 13
years imprisonment in a one-day trial held in Beijing on 21 December. The
clampdown on the CDP during the latter part of 1998 was part of a widespread
government crackdown against dissent and a tightening of control over the
media and publishing, following a period of relative tolerance. This serious
deterioration of freedom of expression comes at a time of economic
instability, growing unemployment and worker unrest. Xu Wenli, founder and
editor of the 1970’s unofficial journal April Fifth Tribune, had previously
served a 12-year prison term for his involvement in the 1979 Democracy Wall
Movement. His account of his own trial entitled “My Self Defence” was
smuggled out of prison and published in Hong Kong in 1985. He was released
in May 1993.

XUE Deyun (pen name MA Zhe)
Of particular concern to International PEN in 1999 is an alarming new
pattern of arrests of writers specifically for their writings. The harsh
prison sentence handed down to Guiyang dissident poet Xue Deyun in November
1998 for his involvement with a cultural revival movement has extremely
worrying implications for the literary community in China at the present
time. Poet Xue Deyun was arrested on 26 January 1998 with three other poets,
Ma Qiang, Wu Ruohai and Xiong Jinren (who have all since been released), as
they were preparing to launch an unofficial literary journal supporting
literary freedoms entitled China Cultural Renaissance. He was sentenced to 7
years imprisonment in November 1998 for “engaging in subversive activities”,
violating “article 105.2 of the Chinese Penal Code”, and attempting to
overthrow “the socialist system by rumour-mongering [or] slander”. Xue
Deyun previously spent three years in prison for taking part in the December
1986 student protests in Beijing (see IFEX alerts of 27 April and 9 February
1999, and 10 July 1998).

The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN is seriously concerned
about the ongoing detention of dissidents in China solely for the peaceful
expression of their opinions, and reminds the government of China of its
commitment to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
International PEN calls upon the Chinese authorities to release immediately
and unconditionally all those detained in violation of their right to
freedom of expression and association as guaranteed by Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which it is a
signatory.

Recommended Action

His Excellency Jiang Zemin

President

State Council

Beijing 100032

P.R.China.

Fax: +86 10 6512 5810

His Excellency Premier Zhu Rongji

Prime Minister

Office of the Premier

Guowuyan 9

Xihuangcheggenbejie

Beijing 100032

P.R.China.

Fax: +86 10 6512 5810 /  +86 10 6467 7351
His Excellency Xiao Yang Buzhang

Minister of Justice

Sifabu

Xiaguangli

Beijing 100016

P.R.China.

Fax: +86 10 6467 7351
In Canada contact:
His Excellency Peixin Zha,

Ambassador

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China

515 St. Patrick Street

Ottawa, Canada

Fax: +613 789 1911