November 4, 2003

The 28th October 2003, the public security bureau in Xiaogan District, Yingcheng , Hubei Province, arrested the internet writer Du Daobin , accusing him ¡°inciting subversion of state power¡±. We are seriously concerned about the incidence, which seriously violated the Chinese constitution and infringed the freedom of expression, and we protest.

One year ago, Liu Di (internet-pen-name Stainless Mouse ), the student from Beijing , was secretly arrested because of her several satirical- critical essays. The event has provoked the international protests. For the same reason, Mr. Luo Yongzhong from Changchun and Mr. Zhai Yujia from Yutai (in Shandong province) were arrested or sentenced. Such series of judicial persecutions recall the darkest and most barbaric events of witch-hunting against the freedom of opinion and expression under the Cultural Revolution, and they let every one of us face the unpredictable horror. This kind of persecution is also a persecution that persecutes all of us.

Mr. Du Daobin is an active member of our PEN Center (ICPC). We are particularly concerned about his safety. We have reported the incidence directly to the International PEN headquarters in London , and we seek supports from all PEN centers in the world. Our center will try everything for Mr. Du Daobin's release and for vindicating his innocence.

ICPC is a center of the global union of the writers in the world - International PEN, it is a non-political organization which is independent of any kind of government, and it is a ¡°Non Governmental Organization with Category A status at UNESCO¡±. And we will faithfully practice International P.E.N. Charter, ¡°to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere, regardless of their political or other views; to fight for freedom of expression and to defend vigorously writers suffering from oppressive regimes¡±, no matter such regimes are lift- or right-wing.

In this connection, we appeal also to the Chinese PEN Center which, same as us, is a center of the International PEN: please maintain the International P.E.N. Charter that we all have signed, ¡°P.E.N. stands for the principle of unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations, and members pledge themselves to oppose any form of suppression of freedom of expression in the country and community to which they belong, as well as throughout the world wherever this is possible¡±, and please join the campaign supporting Du Daobin .

We appeal also to our colleagues in China who, same as us, are poets, essayists, novelists or other humanity writers : please maintain our joint belief in freedom, please defend our basic human-value and dignity, please maintain the justice and conscience, and express yourselves courageously!

We believe, in defiance of the persecutions that Mr. Du Daobin , Ms. Liu Di , Mr. Luo Yongzhong and Mr.Zhai Yujia have suffered, a civilized society inspired with the spirit of human-right, freedom, democracy and law will come into being, and their endeavors will not be in vain.