December 3, 2004

The Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) is shocked to learn the detention of its member, poet, freelance writer and journalist SHI Tao. Mr. Shi was taken away at his home in Taiyuan, the capital city of northwest Shanxi Province, by the police from National Security Bureau of Changsha, Hunan Province in the southern China, on November 24, 2004, without showing an arrest warrant. The security police, headed by a department head Mr. Zhang, also took Shi' s computer, writings and other personal belongings. Shi's wife, Wang Yuan, was threatened of possible serious consequence if she revealed Shi's arrest to media. On December 2, the police of National Security Bureau in Taiyuan showed Wang an email copy of Criminal Detention Certificate from Changsha, which charged Shi Tao of "suspicion of leaking national security" and returned several of his personal belongings, among them, a bank record. Wang asked the police to pass a written note to Shi. However, she was told that Shi was held incommunicado. Shi's whereabouts is still unknown.

The 36 year-old Shi Tao was a journalist at a series of newspapers for years. He resigned from his last post at the Dangdai Shang Bao (Modern Trade News) in Changsha in May 2004 and has worked as a freelance journalist and writer in his hometown Taiyuan ever since. He has been a poet since he was a teenage and published several poetry books. In recent years, he has published many essays, including political commentaries criticizing China's social problems on the overseas Chinese language media such as Democracy Forum.

ICPC is deeply concerned that Shi Tao may be at risk of ill-treatment in detention, and demands the assurance that he is given immediate access to legal representation as well as family visits. ICPC calls for Shi Tao's immediate and unconditional release if he is held solely for the legitimate practice of his profession, in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.