---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: WIPC-ICPC <wipc@comhem.se>
Date: 2009/11/12
Subject: ICPC Calls on President Obama to Pay Attention to Writers Imprisoned in China
To: WIPC-ICPC <wipc@comhem.se>
From: WIPC-ICPC <wipc@comhem.se>
Date: 2009/11/12
Subject: ICPC Calls on President Obama to Pay Attention to Writers Imprisoned in China
To: WIPC-ICPC <wipc@comhem.se>
Press Release
November 11, 2009
ICPC Calls on President Obama to Pay Attention to Writers Imprisoned in
China
On the eve of U.S. President Barack Obama's first state visit to China,
Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) has sent a letter urging him to press
the Chinese government for the release of all prisoners of conscience,
including several of ICPC members.
The letter, signed by ICPC President Mrs. Tienchi Martin-Liao and Executive
Secretary Dr. Yu Zhang, was delivered on Tuesday. It brings the special
attention to the cases of three of ICPC members imprisoned, two of whom are
suffering from severe health problems.
"It is the mission of the 250 members of the Independent Chinese PEN
Center, more than 60 percent of whom are located inside China, to fight for
the freedom of expression in China and to protect our courageous colleagues
who use their pen to prod China toward a more free and democratic path of
development."
Dr. Liu Xiaobo, a Beijing-based prominent writer and ICPC's Honorary
President serving as its president from 2003 to 2009, has been detained
since December 8 last year for suspicion of "inciting subversion of state
power" simply for his role in drafting Charter 08, an open letter cosigned
so far by more than 10,000 Chinese citizens, calling for political reforms
and human rights improvements, and also for his critical writings during
recent years. On October 1st of this year, the 60th anniversary of the
founding of the People's Republic of China, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed a resolution calling upon the Chinese government to
immediately release Liu Xiaobo.
Mr. Yang Tongyan (aka Yang Tianshui), a Nanjing-based dissident writer, has
been serving a sentence of 12 years imprisonment for "subverting state
power" since 2005 and is now suffering from several diseases, including
intestinal tuberculosis, tubercular peritonitis, diabetes, and nephritis.
Mr. Zhang Jianhong (aka Li Hong), a Ningbo-based prominent writer, has been
suffering from neurotrauma in a prison hospital since 2007 while serving a
sentence of 6 years imprisonment since 2006, and his situation has been
getting worse, particularly with both of his arms paralyzed. Both of Yang
and Zhang are in urgent need of medical parole in order to receive proper
treatments.
The letter urges President Obama to take the following actions during his
upcoming trip to China:
"1) Demand that the Chinese Government release all imprisoned writers and
other prisoners of conscience.
"2) Issue a response to the resolution passed by the U.S. House of
Representatives calling for the immediate release of Mr. Liu Xiaobo.
"3) Call upon the Chinese authorities to grant medical parole for Mr. Yang
Tianshui and Mr. Zhang Jianhong."
For the full text of the letter, please see the attachment.
The Independent Chinese PEN is among 145 member centers of the International
PEN, the oldest human rights organization and international literary
organization. It aims to protect Chinese writers' freedom of speech and
freedom to write worldwide and advocates for the rights of Chinese writers
and journalists who are imprisoned, threatened, persecuted or harassed.
For more information, contact
Dr. Yu Zhang
Executive Secretary
Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC)
Tel: +46-8-50022792
Email: secretariat@chinesepen.org
November 11, 2009
ICPC Calls on President Obama to Pay Attention to Writers Imprisoned in
China
On the eve of U.S. President Barack Obama's first state visit to China,
Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) has sent a letter urging him to press
the Chinese government for the release of all prisoners of conscience,
including several of ICPC members.
The letter, signed by ICPC President Mrs. Tienchi Martin-Liao and Executive
Secretary Dr. Yu Zhang, was delivered on Tuesday. It brings the special
attention to the cases of three of ICPC members imprisoned, two of whom are
suffering from severe health problems.
"It is the mission of the 250 members of the Independent Chinese PEN
Center, more than 60 percent of whom are located inside China, to fight for
the freedom of expression in China and to protect our courageous colleagues
who use their pen to prod China toward a more free and democratic path of
development."
Dr. Liu Xiaobo, a Beijing-based prominent writer and ICPC's Honorary
President serving as its president from 2003 to 2009, has been detained
since December 8 last year for suspicion of "inciting subversion of state
power" simply for his role in drafting Charter 08, an open letter cosigned
so far by more than 10,000 Chinese citizens, calling for political reforms
and human rights improvements, and also for his critical writings during
recent years. On October 1st of this year, the 60th anniversary of the
founding of the People's Republic of China, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed a resolution calling upon the Chinese government to
immediately release Liu Xiaobo.
Mr. Yang Tongyan (aka Yang Tianshui), a Nanjing-based dissident writer, has
been serving a sentence of 12 years imprisonment for "subverting state
power" since 2005 and is now suffering from several diseases, including
intestinal tuberculosis, tubercular peritonitis, diabetes, and nephritis.
Mr. Zhang Jianhong (aka Li Hong), a Ningbo-based prominent writer, has been
suffering from neurotrauma in a prison hospital since 2007 while serving a
sentence of 6 years imprisonment since 2006, and his situation has been
getting worse, particularly with both of his arms paralyzed. Both of Yang
and Zhang are in urgent need of medical parole in order to receive proper
treatments.
The letter urges President Obama to take the following actions during his
upcoming trip to China:
"1) Demand that the Chinese Government release all imprisoned writers and
other prisoners of conscience.
"2) Issue a response to the resolution passed by the U.S. House of
Representatives calling for the immediate release of Mr. Liu Xiaobo.
"3) Call upon the Chinese authorities to grant medical parole for Mr. Yang
Tianshui and Mr. Zhang Jianhong."
For the full text of the letter, please see the attachment.
The Independent Chinese PEN is among 145 member centers of the International
PEN, the oldest human rights organization and international literary
organization. It aims to protect Chinese writers' freedom of speech and
freedom to write worldwide and advocates for the rights of Chinese writers
and journalists who are imprisoned, threatened, persecuted or harassed.
For more information, contact
Dr. Yu Zhang
Executive Secretary
Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC)
Tel: +46-8-50022792
Email: secretariat@chinesepen.org
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