International PEN Writer in Prison Committee

RAPID ACTION NETWORK
6 October 2004

RAN 46/04

CHINA: Internet essayist, writer and journalist Huang Jinqiu (aka Qing Shuijun) sentenced to twelve years in prison on subversion charges for his writings.

The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN protests the heavy prison sentence handed down to internet essayist, writer and journalist Huang Jingqiu (aka Qing Shuijun), who was sentenced to 12 years in prison on 27 September 2004 on subversion charges for his writings. Huang Jinqiu has been detained since 13 September 2003, and was held incommunicado until January 2004. International PEN considers Huang Jinqiu to be detained solely for the peaceful expression of his opionions, and therefore in contravention of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We call for his immediate and unconditional release.

According to PEN's information, leading internet essayist, writer and journalist Huang Jinqiu was sentenced to twelve years in prison on 27 September 2004 by the Changzhou Intermediate People's Court on charges of 'subversion of state power' for a large number of essays published on the Internet. Huang has been detained since 13 September 2003, but his arrest was not reported until mid-December 2003 and even then remained little publicised outside the Chinese-language media. His detention was not officially acknowledged by the Chinese authorities until January 2004.

Huang Jingqiu was born in Shangdong Province in 1974, and trained at the Lu Xun Literature Institute, a leading writing school. His writings have been well-recognised from an early age, and at the age of twenty he published his first book. He has worked as a journalist and editor of several newspapers and magazines since the age of eighteen, including the Guanzhou daily Yangcheng Wanbao. In 2000 he gained a scholarship to study journalism at the Central Academy of Art in Malaysia, and became well known in the overseas Chinese internet community for his essays published on the Chinese-language news website 'Boxun.com' under the pen-name Qing Shuijun (Mr Clear Water). These essays have been collected into two publications, one that is non-political and published under his real name, and one collection of political commentaries published for security reasons under his pen-name Qing Shuijun.

In early 2001 his articles began to attract the attention of the Chinese authorities, who reportedly visited his parents and warned them of their concerns about him. He attracted further attention in January 2003 by announcing on Boxun.com his intention to found a political party, the China
Patriot Democracy Party (CPDP). Although his announcement is said to have attracted a lot of interest, it is not thought that the CPDP was ever organised in practice. Later that year, in August 2003, he returned to China, and according to his articles which he continued to post on Boxun.com throughout his journey he began to be followed by the secret police on 15 August 2003, first in Yunan Province, then in Sichuan and through to Shanghai. In early September 2003, Huang Jingqiu visited his parents in Shangdong Province; his last article was published on 10 September 2003, entitled 'Me and My Public Security Friends'. It was not until January 2004 that his family was officially notified by the authorities of his arrest on 13 September 2003 in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province.

Huang's trial began on 22 June 2004 at the Changzhou Intermediate People's Court on subversion charges. It is reported that the court was unable to reach a verdict initially because of lack of evidence, but after the case was referred back to the prosecution further evidence was submitted and he was convicted on 27 September 2004 of 'organising, planning and performing subversion of state power by publishing a large number of reactionary articles on the Internet in his capacity as member of the preparatory committee of the China Patriotic Democratic Party'. He was handed down a twelve-year prison sentence and is detained at Changzhou Detention Centre, Jiangsu Province. His is appealing the sentence.

Please send appeals:

- Protesting the heavy prison sentence handed down to internet essayist, writer and journalist Huang Jinqiu, and calling for his immediate and unconditional release in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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 Cathy McCann at International PEN WiPC, 9/10 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AT, U.K. Tel: +44 (0)207 253 3226, fax: +44 (0)207 253 5711, email: cmccann@wipcpen.org

Last Updated: October 7, 2004