RAPID ACTION NETWORK
13 December 2004
RAN 55/04

Three prominent dissident intellectuals, literary critic Liu Xiaobo, writer Yu Jie and political theorist Zhang Zuhua were arrested yesterday afternoon in Beijing, and held for 12 hours before being freed this morning. International PEN fears that these arrests portend a wider crackdown against dissent in China, and a climate of fear that is stifling freedom of expression. It is calling on the Chinese authorities to halt this apparent crackdown on dissent, and to adhere to the principle of freedom of expression, as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, to which China is a signatory.

According to reports received Liu and his wife Liu Xia were taken away from their home in the Chinese capital Beijing, by police officers from the Beijing National Security Bureau in the late afternoon of 13 December 2004. Yu Jie was arrested about one hour later. Liu Xia, who was freed shortly after, said that she was ordered by police to stop her husband from publishing on the internet. They had reportedly been handed arrest warrants stating that they had been accused of ?participating in activities harmful to the state?. There are further reports that police remain outside their homes, and that they are under de facto house arrest.

Recent months have seen a steady stream of writers, intellectuals and other dissidents being arrested and harassed. The BBC World Service cites an article by a ?well known intellectual? as saying that ?intellectuals were now terrified? and that that there were fears of ?a return of totalitarianism to the mainland?. It adds that the press has been ordered not to give publicity to several well-known intellectuals, including Yu Jie. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4094075.stm

Journalist John Kahn writes that since President Hu Jintao replaced Jiang Zemin in September 2004, the political environment in China has become more repressive. ?The scope for discussing sensitive topics in the state-run news media has decreased ? while authorities appear intent on punishing people who violate unwritten rules about the limits of free speech?

Background
Dr Liu Xiaobo is a well known literary critic and dissident, he spent 18 months in prison for his part in the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement. He has since been harassed, imprisoned and arrested on numerous occasions, most recently in June this year when he was arrested, apparently in an attempt to stop events marking the anniversary of the 1989 pro-democracy movement. He has recently authored a number of articles on cyberdissidence in China.

Yu Jie, is a well-known writer known for his criticism of the Chinese authorities, and for his support for writers under attack for the practice of their right to freedom of expression.

Liu Xiaobo and Yu Jie are founder members of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre, set up in 2002. In late October this year, the two men organised an award ceremony in honour of Zhang Yihe, an author of book on political repression in China in the 1950s, which was subsequently banned although continues to be circulated in pirate copy. Zhang Zuhua had attended the award ceremony.

Recommended Action

Please send appeals:

Expressing concern at the brief arrests of Liu Xiaobo, Yu Jie and Zhang Zuhua
Referring to growing concerns of a growing intolerance of dissident opinions, and a corresponding increased pattern of arrests and harassment of writers and intellectuals.
Urging that the Chinese authorities halt this apparent crackdown on dissent, and to adhere to the principle of freedom of expression, as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, to which China is a signatory.

Appeals to:
His Excellency Hu Jintao
President of the People's Republic of China
State Council
Beijing 100032
P.R.China.

His Excellency Zhang Fusen
Minister of Justice
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Chaoyang-qu
Beijing-shi 100020
P.R.China.

Please 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 if possible.

For further information please contact Sara Whyatt at the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN, 9/10 Charterhouse Buildings, London EC1M 7AT, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 207 253 3226 Fax: +44 (0) 207 253 5711 email: swhyatt@wipcpen.org