2012年11月24日星期六

十八大后第一回合中共用警察回应民主党制衡

十八大后第一回合中共用警察回应民主党制衡


作者:陈树庆  文章来源:参与

中国共产党第十八次代表大会已经结束,大会报告中清醒地认识到“反腐败斗争依然十分严峻”,向人民承诺要“全面建设小康社会”、“扩大社会主义民主,加快建设社会主义法治国家,发展社会主义政治文明”。

对于反腐败斗争,中国民主党人始终认为,绝对的权力导致绝对的腐败,任何权力必须有制衡。中国现实的腐败泛滥,其中最重要的一个根源就是中共当局的所谓“领导权”凌驾于法律和民权之上,并且这种所谓的“领导权”在没有法律、在野党、民间有效制衡下,常常被贪官污吏所依托、发挥而谋取有损于社会公平正义、国家利益和人民权利的特权私利。执政党必须受到法律、民间、在野党的有力制衡!为此,早在2004年底中国民主党浙江委员会(当时还叫筹委会)就起草了中国大陆第一部《中国政党法草案》,并由草案起草召集人王荣清先生撰写了立法议案说明,《政党法草案》和《说明》向全国人大常委会及执政党中共的中央办公厅都予以寄发并在网上公开,全面系统地阐述了在一个正真的共和国,对政党的基本规范和要求,力图将中国大陆的政党政治纳入民主法治的正常轨道。

中共十八大报告提出要“全面建设小康社会”,为中国人民的民生发展、生活幸福规划了美好的前景,这在当今贫富严重不均,广大群众社会保障实际覆盖面不广并分配不公,生活生存压力大、上学难、就医难、养老难等等困境下,的确起到了很好的抚慰作用。基于人性的弱点即使统治者也在所难免,中国民主党人认为,没有充分的民权,民生就就难以得到有效的保证。就像有人为大家切蛋糕分蛋糕,如果人民群众对于切蛋糕者自己及裙带关系偷吃多占、甚至把蛋糕弄坏都没有揭露、表达愤怒、要求更换切分蛋糕者的权利,就不能指望及有效保证分蛋糕者口口声声承诺的“要把蛋糕做大,分配公平”。

为此,中国民主党浙江委员会成员吕耿松先生抱着高度的社会责任感,善意、有理、有节地起草了《中国民主党浙江委员会致习近平、张德江的公开信》,对中共十八大报告的社会主义民主、法治、发展民生之言辞凿凿进行验证。那么中共当局到底是如何“坚持党的领导、人民当家作主、依法治国有机统一”来应对这种验证的呢?请看:

2012 1123日下午1330分,杭州市公安局国保支队的政治警察郑波和拱墅区公安分局的两个国保警察,突然将中国民主党人陈树庆传唤至杭州大关苑派出所,讯问《公开信》事情以及其他陈树庆博客言论等等,下午1620分左右就已经结束讯问,但一直拖到下午将近17时才放陈树庆回家。

20121123下午14时左右,杭州市公安局和西湖区公安局的国保警察十几人突然包围中国民主党人吕耿松的家,冲进去翻了个底朝天进行了近三个小时的大抄家,同时将吕耿松先生带到辖区的翠苑派出所传讯,直到将近晚上2230分才被释放回家。

20121123下午15时,杭州市公安局和西湖区公安局的国保警察还冲到中国民主党人徐光上班的公司,将徐光押至西溪派出所,传唤直到晚上23时左右才结束。

我们始终认为,一个健康的社会,对于当权者不能没有反对的声音、不能丧失制衡的力量,虽然中国民主党在中国大陆的力量还很弱小,我们中国民主党人将一如既往地努力发挥在野党应有的社会责任,为捍卫人权、推动民主法治之社会进步,坚定脚步、勇往直前。

陈树庆
20121124完稿于中国杭州

参与首发,转载请注明出处。(www.canyu.org

2012年11月20日星期二

卓玛加、吴义龙荣获2012年“刘晓波写作勇气奖”


独立中文笔会狱中作家日新闻公报
授予卓玛加、吴义龙2012刘晓波写作勇气奖和八名荣誉会员称号

作者:WIPC
(独立中文笔会20121115日讯)国际笔会独立中文笔会理事会近日批准狱中作家委员会的提名,将第三届刘晓波写作勇气奖(第七届狱中作家奖)授予卓玛加和吴义龙,以表彰他们长期以来无惧监禁的写作勇气和坚韧毅力;同时批准增加陈西、高智晟、扎西热丹、贡却才培、更嘎仓央、岗吉志巴加、饶文蔚、李必丰为本会重点营救的荣誉会员,并上报国际笔会。
独立中文笔会重点救援的原78名荣誉会员中至今已有61人获释,包括喻东岳、姜维平、高勤荣、李民英、罗永忠、姜力均、罗长福、杨建利、毛庆祥、赵岩、蔡卓华、李建平、李元龙、喻华峰、胡石根、赵常青、程翔、李长青、岳天祥、杨子立、张宏海、拖乎提·吐尼雅孜、陶海东、贺彦杰、李智、吴义龙、郭起真、陈树庆、曾宏玲(女)、魏桢凌、王荣清、吴保全、张鹏、范燕琼(女)、秦永敏、哈达、张玉辉、何德普、徐伟、靳海科、罗勇泉、陈道军、孙林、黄琦、徐泽荣、胡佳、阿卜杜勒加尼·梅梅特民、阿布露莎(女)、吕耿松、黄晓敏、郭飞雄、黄金秋、唐才龙、左晓环、郑贻春、王茘蕻(女)、张起、袁显臣、胡明君、王小宁、刘永根;目前系狱者还有17人:孔佑平、努尔莫哈提·亚辛、齐崇怀、许万平、陆建华、郭泉、谭作人、海莱特·尼亚孜、刘贤斌、陈卫、李铁、买买提江阿布都拉、东科、布旦、尕让云巴、卓日次成、文炎。此外,因言获罪系狱的本会会员还有4人:师涛、杨天水、刘晓波、朱虞夫。
刘晓波写作勇气奖原是独立中文笔会于2006年设立的狱中作家奖,前四届获奖者为杨天水、张林、吕耿松、杜导斌和徐泽荣。2010年为纪念已被判重刑11年的本会荣誉会长、前会长刘晓波20多年来的写作勇气和对本奖的一向支持而定现名,前两届获奖者为刘贤斌、扎加纳(缅甸)、哈达、秦永敏和陈卫。
卓玛加现年36岁,1976年出生于青海祁连县一个村落,毕业于青海师范大学,曾在祁连县某中学任教,后去北京深造,临毕业之际于2003年流亡印度达兰萨拉,在西藏流亡政府创办的成人学校专修英语,期间完成《骚动的喜马拉雅山》一书中文初稿,于20045月返回西藏,在拉萨市某中学任教的同时完成该书的编辑和修订工作。此后据说搜集各种资料准备着手写一本关于西藏历史地理的书时,于200539日被捕,并于当年1130日由拉萨市中级人民法院秘密审判判处有期徒刑106个月。据报道他于20077月被从拉萨曲水监狱转到西宁劳改农场,并患有重病。致卓玛加被判重刑的《骚动的喜马拉雅山》原书为中文稿,全书共5718万余字,由西藏流亡作家笔会翻译成藏文,藏、汉两种版本于2007年在印度达兰萨拉出版发行。国际笔会等人权团体对卓玛加案一直非常关注,认为这是中国当局侵犯言论、写作和出版自由的一个典型案例,并多次发起声援和抗议活动,向中国当局呼吁释放卓玛加,但均遭中国政府否决。
吴义龙现年45岁,毕业于安徽大学中文系,1996年考入杭州大学(后与浙江大学合并)攻读文艺学理论专业硕士,19985月成立杭州三联读书会,讨论社会现实问题,主编读书会会刊《读书人》杂志。6月他与王有才、祝正明等筹组中国民主党浙江筹备委员会,参与起草《中国民主党章程(草案)》和《中国民主党浙江筹备委员会成立公开宣言》;8月底始,他先后二次前往全国20多个省、市、自治区联络成立中国民主党各地筹委会,并为成立全国筹委会做了大量准备工作;9月参与创办和编辑浙江筹委会党刊《在野党》;10月在王有才等被监视居住后与祝正明、朱虞夫、毛庆祥等组成浙江筹委会常务工作组,任联络及发言人,组织营救活动;11月成立全国筹委会被选为53名联络成员之一,并向有关部门申请注册中国民主党全国委员会。1999119日,吴义龙在已完成毕业论文即将毕业之际被浙江大学开除学籍。1999426日晚,吴义龙在广州访友时被捕,押回杭州后被监视居住915日与毛庆祥、朱虞夫、徐光一起作为同案嫌疑人被杭州市公安局正式逮捕。在押期间通过他人秘密带出一封信,信中详细阐述了创建中国民主党的目的及民主党公开、理性、非暴力、合法的四项准则。同年1025日,杭州中级人民法院法院开庭审理吴义龙、毛庆祥、朱虞夫和徐光案,112日以颠覆国家政权罪判处吴义龙有期徒刑十一年,剥夺政治权利三年;1210日,浙江省高级人民法院二审驳回上诉,维持原判。随后,吴义龙被转押杭州市余杭区浙江省第四监狱。在狱中为维护政治犯应有的会见家属、看报及写作等权利而多次绝食,曾被长期单独关小号禁闭室。服刑期间完成了11部书稿,包括《权利政治论》、《论语解读》、《中国问题及其对策》等,总计近500万字。曾因拒绝认罪,被当局取消假释的权利。2010914日吴义龙在服满11年刑期后获释,继续从事有关民主理论的写作和人权民主活动。20111226日晚,被杭州市国保警察抄家两小时,以从事民主党活动为由传唤至279点,后强行押送回安徽枞阳老家。随后数次返回杭州时,均一到杭州就遭当地警方抓捕羁押并驱逐回安徽。
每年1115日,国际笔会在世界各地的会员都一起纪念狱中作家日,表彰狱中同仁反抗言论压制和维护言论自由的奋斗勇气。独立中文笔会重申,言论自由包括写作自由和出版自由是所有人不可剥夺的基本人权,将继续为恢复刘晓波、卓玛加、刘贤斌、陈卫等所有系狱写作者的自由不懈努力。
独立中文笔会是国际笔会——世界上最悠久的人权组织和国际性文学组织的155个成员分会之一,致力于维护全球中文作家的言论和写作自由,维护世界各地因从事其专业工作而遭监禁、威胁、迫害或打压的作家和新闻工作者的权益。关于笔会致力于保护作家和维护言论自由的更多信息,请参见 http://www.chinesepen.orghttp://www.liuxiaobo.eu
ICPC Statement on PEN International Day of Imprisoned Writers
Two Writers Honoured Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award

Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) has honoured two imprisoned writers, Dolma Kyab and WU Yilong, the laureates of ICPC's Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award in 2012 for their long-term tenacity and courage in writing regardless of imprisonments. Besides, ICPC have named 8 new honorary members - CHEN Xi, GAO Zhisheng, Tashi Rabten, Kunchok Tsephel Gopey Tsang, Kunga Tseyang, Gangkye Drubpa Kyab, RAO Wenwei and LI Bifeng.

As of today, 61 of ICPC's 78 previous honorary members have been released, while 17 remain in prison, including KONG Youping, Nurmuhemmet YASIN, QI Chonghuai, XU Wanping, LU Jianhua, GUO Quan, TAN Zuoren, Hailaite Niyazi, LIU Xianbin, CHEN Wei, LI Tie, Memetjan Abdulla, Jangtse Donkho, Buddha, Kalsang Jinpa, Dokru Tsultrim, and WEN Yan. Four ICPC members, SHI Tao, YANG Tongyan, LIU Xiaobo and ZHU Yufu, are still in jail.

The "Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award" was previously ICPC’s “Writers in Prison Award” created in 2006. The previous laureates from 2006-2009 were YANG Tongyan, ZHANG Lin, LÜ Gengsong, DU Daobin and XU Zerong. In March 2010, it was renamed after Dr. Liu Xiaobo, ICPC’s honorary president and former president, to mark his courage in writing manifested over the last 20 years as well as his constant support to this award. Dr. Liu was detained in 8 December 2008 and has been serving a severe sentence of 11 years in prison since 2009. The previous laureates of the award in 2010 and 2011 were LIU Xianbin, Zarganar (Burma), Hada, QIN Yongmin and CHEN Wei.

Dolma Kyab, 36, is a Tibetan writer and former teacher in Qinghai Province. He was born in a village in Qilian County, Qinghai Province in 1976. He graduated from Qinghai Normal University and became a teacher in a secondary school in Qilian County. Then he went to Beijing for further studies, and exiled to Dharamsala, India in 2003. He studied English in an adult school founded by the exiled Tibetan Government and wrote the Chinese draft of The Restless Himalayas. He returned to Tibet in May 2004 and taught in a secondary school in Lhasa. After he finished editing the book, he collected information to prepare for writing another book on the history and geography of Tibet. On 9 March 2005, he was arrested and then on 30 November sentenced to ten and a half years imprisonment by the Lhasa Intermediate People's Court after a secret trial. It was reported he was transferred from Lhasa to a Reform-Through-Labour camp in Xining, Qinghai Province in July 2007 and suffered from serious illness. His book The Restless Himalayas, which caused severe punishment to Dolma Kyab, was originally written in Chinese, with 57 Chapters and more than 180,000 characters. It has been translated into Tibetan by the Exiled Tibetan Writers PEN. The Chinese and Tibetan versions were published in Dharamsala, India in 2007. PEN International and other human rights groups have been concerned about the case of Dolma Kyab as a typical example of Chinese authorities violating freedoms of speech, writing and publication, and have repeatedly launched solidarity campaigns to urge the Chinese authorities to release Dolma Kyab. But the Chinese Government keeps ignoring these actions.

WU Yilong, 45, is a freelance writer and a prominent human rights activist based in Zhejiang Province. He graduated from Anhui University and became a college teacher. He studied for a master's degree in literary and art theories at Hangzhou University (later merged into Zhejiang University) in 1996. He established “Hangzhou Sanlian Book Club” in May 1998 to discuss social problems and edited the club's journal Readers magazine. In June 1998, Wu Yilong and Wang Youcai, Zhu Zhengming and others organized to set up the Zhejiang Province Preparatory Committee of the China Democratic Party. Wu was also involved in drafting of the Charters of China Democratic Party (CDP) and the Declaration of Establishment of the Zhejiang Province Preparatory Committee of CDP. In September 1998, he participated in founding and editing Opposition, the journal of his committee. In November 1998, he was elected as one of the 53 contact persons of the National Preparatory Committee of CDP and applied to the relevant government departments to register the CDP. On 19 January 1999, Wu was dismissed from Zhejiang University although he had completed his thesis for graduation. On the evening of 26 April 1999, he was arrested in Guangzhou when visiting his friends there. Then, he was taken back to Hangzhou and was put under “residential surveillance”. On 15 September 1999 he was arrested with Mao Qingxiang, Zhu Yufu and Xu Guang as co-accused suspects by the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau. During detention, Wu secretly sent out a letter through some friends' help in which he detailed the purpose of founding CDP and its four principles of being “open, rational, non-violent and lawful”. On 25 October 1999, Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court held an open hearing of the case of Wu Yilong, Mao Qingxiang, Zhu Yufu and Xu Guang. On 2 November 1999 Wu Yilong was sentenced to eleven years imprisonment and three years deprivation of political rights for “subverting the state power”. In prison, he completed 11 manuscripts about 5 million characters in total, including the Theory of Political Rights, the Interpretation of the Analects, and the Problems and Its Countermeasures in China. He was denied the right to parole because of his refusing to plead guilty. On 14 September 2010, he was released due to expiry of his sentence. Since then he has continued to write on the theories of democracy and took part in human rights activities. In August 2011, he joined ICPC. On the evening of 26 December 2011, his home was raided by Hangzhou state security police for two and a half hours. Then he was summoned for interrogation until 9 am in the morning of 27 December for “engaging in democratic activities” and forcibly escorted back to his hometown Zongyang County, Anhui Province. Later he attempted to return to Hangzhou for several times, but he was detained and deported back to Anhui Province.

Each year on 15 November, members of PEN international all over the world commemorate “Day of Imprisoned Writers” and honor the courage of our colleagues imprisoned to fight against the repression and defend freedom of expression. ICPC reiterates that freedom of expression, including freedom to write and publish, is inalienable and fundamental human rights. ICPC will continue to urge release of Liu Xiaobo, Dolma Kyab, Liu Xianbin, Chen Wei and all of those imprisoned for their words.

PEN International is the oldest human rights organization and international literary organization. ICPC is among its 145 member centers and aims to protect writers’ freedom of expression and freedom to write worldwide and advocates for the rights of writers and journalists who are imprisoned, threatened, persecuted or harassed in China particularly.

For more information, please contact
Patrick Poon, Executive Secretary
Tel: +852-94173765 Email:
poonkarwai@gmail.com

Yu Zhang, Dr.
Coordinator of Press & Translation Committee
Tel: +46-8-50022792 email:
yuzhang08@live.se, icpc.members@gmail.com
Websites: http://www.chinesepen.org/english and http://www.liuxiaobo.eu/


卓玛加、吴义龙荣获2012年“刘晓波写作勇气奖”

独立中文笔会狱中作家日新闻公报
授予卓玛加、吴义龙2012刘晓波写作勇气奖和八名荣誉会员称号

作者:WIPC
(独立中文笔会20121115日讯)国际笔会独立中文笔会理事会近日批准狱中作家委员会的提名,将第三届刘晓波写作勇气奖(第七届狱中作家奖)授予卓玛加和吴义龙,以表彰他们长期以来无惧监禁的写作勇气和坚韧毅力;同时批准增加陈西、高智晟、扎西热丹、贡却才培、更嘎仓央、岗吉志巴加、饶文蔚、李必丰为本会重点营救的荣誉会员,并上报国际笔会。
独立中文笔会重点救援的原78名荣誉会员中至今已有61人获释,包括喻东岳、姜维平、高勤荣、李民英、罗永忠、姜力均、罗长福、杨建利、毛庆祥、赵岩、蔡卓华、李建平、李元龙、喻华峰、胡石根、赵常青、程翔、李长青、岳天祥、杨子立、张宏海、拖乎提·吐尼雅孜、陶海东、贺彦杰、李智、吴义龙、郭起真、陈树庆、曾宏玲(女)、魏桢凌、王荣清、吴保全、张鹏、范燕琼(女)、秦永敏、哈达、张玉辉、何德普、徐伟、靳海科、罗勇泉、陈道军、孙林、黄琦、徐泽荣、胡佳、阿卜杜勒加尼·梅梅特民、阿布露莎(女)、吕耿松、黄晓敏、郭飞雄、黄金秋、唐才龙、左晓环、郑贻春、王茘蕻(女)、张起、袁显臣、胡明君、王小宁、刘永根;目前系狱者还有17人:孔佑平、努尔莫哈提·亚辛、齐崇怀、许万平、陆建华、郭泉、谭作人、海莱特·尼亚孜、刘贤斌、陈卫、李铁、买买提江阿布都拉、东科、布旦、尕让云巴、卓日次成、文炎。此外,因言获罪系狱的本会会员还有4人:师涛、杨天水、刘晓波、朱虞夫。
刘晓波写作勇气奖原是独立中文笔会于2006年设立的狱中作家奖,前四届获奖者为杨天水、张林、吕耿松、杜导斌和徐泽荣。2010年为纪念已被判重刑11年的本会荣誉会长、前会长刘晓波20多年来的写作勇气和对本奖的一向支持而定现名,前两届获奖者为刘贤斌、扎加纳(缅甸)、哈达、秦永敏和陈卫。
卓玛加现年36岁,1976年出生于青海祁连县一个村落,毕业于青海师范大学,曾在祁连县某中学任教,后去北京深造,临毕业之际于2003年流亡印度达兰萨拉,在西藏流亡政府创办的成人学校专修英语,期间完成《骚动的喜马拉雅山》一书中文初稿,于20045月返回西藏,在拉萨市某中学任教的同时完成该书的编辑和修订工作。此后据说搜集各种资料准备着手写一本关于西藏历史地理的书时,于200539日被捕,并于当年1130日由拉萨市中级人民法院秘密审判判处有期徒刑106个月。据报道他于20077月被从拉萨曲水监狱转到西宁劳改农场,并患有重病。致卓玛加被判重刑的《骚动的喜马拉雅山》原书为中文稿,全书共5718万余字,由西藏流亡作家笔会翻译成藏文,藏、汉两种版本于2007年在印度达兰萨拉出版发行。国际笔会等人权团体对卓玛加案一直非常关注,认为这是中国当局侵犯言论、写作和出版自由的一个典型案例,并多次发起声援和抗议活动,向中国当局呼吁释放卓玛加,但均遭中国政府否决。
吴义龙现年45岁,毕业于安徽大学中文系,1996年考入杭州大学(后与浙江大学合并)攻读文艺学理论专业硕士,19985月成立杭州三联读书会,讨论社会现实问题,主编读书会会刊《读书人》杂志。6月他与王有才、祝正明等筹组中国民主党浙江筹备委员会,参与起草《中国民主党章程(草案)》和《中国民主党浙江筹备委员会成立公开宣言》;8月底始,他先后二次前往全国20多个省、市、自治区联络成立中国民主党各地筹委会,并为成立全国筹委会做了大量准备工作;9月参与创办和编辑浙江筹委会党刊《在野党》;10月在王有才等被监视居住后与祝正明、朱虞夫、毛庆祥等组成浙江筹委会常务工作组,任联络及发言人,组织营救活动;11月成立全国筹委会被选为53名联络成员之一,并向有关部门申请注册中国民主党全国委员会。1999119日,吴义龙在已完成毕业论文即将毕业之际被浙江大学开除学籍。1999426日晚,吴义龙在广州访友时被捕,押回杭州后被监视居住915日与毛庆祥、朱虞夫、徐光一起作为同案嫌疑人被杭州市公安局正式逮捕。在押期间通过他人秘密带出一封信,信中详细阐述了创建中国民主党的目的及民主党公开、理性、非暴力、合法的四项准则。同年1025日,杭州中级人民法院法院开庭审理吴义龙、毛庆祥、朱虞夫和徐光案,112日以颠覆国家政权罪判处吴义龙有期徒刑十一年,剥夺政治权利三年;1210日,浙江省高级人民法院二审驳回上诉,维持原判。随后,吴义龙被转押杭州市余杭区浙江省第四监狱。在狱中为维护政治犯应有的会见家属、看报及写作等权利而多次绝食,曾被长期单独关小号禁闭室。服刑期间完成了11部书稿,包括《权利政治论》、《论语解读》、《中国问题及其对策》等,总计近500万字。曾因拒绝认罪,被当局取消假释的权利。2010914日吴义龙在服满11年刑期后获释,继续从事有关民主理论的写作和人权民主活动。20111226日晚,被杭州市国保警察抄家两小时,以从事民主党活动为由传唤至279点,后强行押送回安徽枞阳老家。随后数次返回杭州时,均一到杭州就遭当地警方抓捕羁押并驱逐回安徽。
每年1115日,国际笔会在世界各地的会员都一起纪念狱中作家日,表彰狱中同仁反抗言论压制和维护言论自由的奋斗勇气。独立中文笔会重申,言论自由包括写作自由和出版自由是所有人不可剥夺的基本人权,将继续为恢复刘晓波、卓玛加、刘贤斌、陈卫等所有系狱写作者的自由不懈努力。
独立中文笔会是国际笔会——世界上最悠久的人权组织和国际性文学组织的155个成员分会之一,致力于维护全球中文作家的言论和写作自由,维护世界各地因从事其专业工作而遭监禁、威胁、迫害或打压的作家和新闻工作者的权益。关于笔会致力于保护作家和维护言论自由的更多信息,请参见 http://www.chinesepen.orghttp://www.liuxiaobo.eu
ICPC Statement on PEN International Day of Imprisoned Writers
Two Writers Honoured Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award

Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) has honoured two imprisoned writers, Dolma Kyab and WU Yilong, the laureates of ICPC's Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award in 2012 for their long-term tenacity and courage in writing regardless of imprisonments. Besides, ICPC have named 8 new honorary members - CHEN Xi, GAO Zhisheng, Tashi Rabten, Kunchok Tsephel Gopey Tsang, Kunga Tseyang, Gangkye Drubpa Kyab, RAO Wenwei and LI Bifeng.

As of today, 61 of ICPC's 78 previous honorary members have been released, while 17 remain in prison, including KONG Youping, Nurmuhemmet YASIN, QI Chonghuai, XU Wanping, LU Jianhua, GUO Quan, TAN Zuoren, Hailaite Niyazi, LIU Xianbin, CHEN Wei, LI Tie, Memetjan Abdulla, Jangtse Donkho, Buddha, Kalsang Jinpa, Dokru Tsultrim, and WEN Yan. Four ICPC members, SHI Tao, YANG Tongyan, LIU Xiaobo and ZHU Yufu, are still in jail.

The "Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award" was previously ICPC’s “Writers in Prison Award” created in 2006. The previous laureates from 2006-2009 were YANG Tongyan, ZHANG Lin, LÜ Gengsong, DU Daobin and XU Zerong. In March 2010, it was renamed after Dr. Liu Xiaobo, ICPC’s honorary president and former president, to mark his courage in writing manifested over the last 20 years as well as his constant support to this award. Dr. Liu was detained in 8 December 2008 and has been serving a severe sentence of 11 years in prison since 2009. The previous laureates of the award in 2010 and 2011 were LIU Xianbin, Zarganar (Burma), Hada, QIN Yongmin and CHEN Wei.

Dolma Kyab, 36, is a Tibetan writer and former teacher in Qinghai Province. He was born in a village in Qilian County, Qinghai Province in 1976. He graduated from Qinghai Normal University and became a teacher in a secondary school in Qilian County. Then he went to Beijing for further studies, and exiled to Dharamsala, India in 2003. He studied English in an adult school founded by the exiled Tibetan Government and wrote the Chinese draft of The Restless Himalayas. He returned to Tibet in May 2004 and taught in a secondary school in Lhasa. After he finished editing the book, he collected information to prepare for writing another book on the history and geography of Tibet. On 9 March 2005, he was arrested and then on 30 November sentenced to ten and a half years imprisonment by the Lhasa Intermediate People's Court after a secret trial. It was reported he was transferred from Lhasa to a Reform-Through-Labour camp in Xining, Qinghai Province in July 2007 and suffered from serious illness. His book The Restless Himalayas, which caused severe punishment to Dolma Kyab, was originally written in Chinese, with 57 Chapters and more than 180,000 characters. It has been translated into Tibetan by the Exiled Tibetan Writers PEN. The Chinese and Tibetan versions were published in Dharamsala, India in 2007. PEN International and other human rights groups have been concerned about the case of Dolma Kyab as a typical example of Chinese authorities violating freedoms of speech, writing and publication, and have repeatedly launched solidarity campaigns to urge the Chinese authorities to release Dolma Kyab. But the Chinese Government keeps ignoring these actions.

WU Yilong, 45, is a freelance writer and a prominent human rights activist based in Zhejiang Province. He graduated from Anhui University and became a college teacher. He studied for a master's degree in literary and art theories at Hangzhou University (later merged into Zhejiang University) in 1996. He established “Hangzhou Sanlian Book Club” in May 1998 to discuss social problems and edited the club's journal Readers magazine. In June 1998, Wu Yilong and Wang Youcai, Zhu Zhengming and others organized to set up the Zhejiang Province Preparatory Committee of the China Democratic Party. Wu was also involved in drafting of the Charters of China Democratic Party (CDP) and the Declaration of Establishment of the Zhejiang Province Preparatory Committee of CDP. In September 1998, he participated in founding and editing Opposition, the journal of his committee. In November 1998, he was elected as one of the 53 contact persons of the National Preparatory Committee of CDP and applied to the relevant government departments to register the CDP. On 19 January 1999, Wu was dismissed from Zhejiang University although he had completed his thesis for graduation. On the evening of 26 April 1999, he was arrested in Guangzhou when visiting his friends there. Then, he was taken back to Hangzhou and was put under “residential surveillance”. On 15 September 1999 he was arrested with Mao Qingxiang, Zhu Yufu and Xu Guang as co-accused suspects by the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau. During detention, Wu secretly sent out a letter through some friends' help in which he detailed the purpose of founding CDP and its four principles of being “open, rational, non-violent and lawful”. On 25 October 1999, Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court held an open hearing of the case of Wu Yilong, Mao Qingxiang, Zhu Yufu and Xu Guang. On 2 November 1999 Wu Yilong was sentenced to eleven years imprisonment and three years deprivation of political rights for “subverting the state power”. In prison, he completed 11 manuscripts about 5 million characters in total, including the Theory of Political Rights, the Interpretation of the Analects, and the Problems and Its Countermeasures in China. He was denied the right to parole because of his refusing to plead guilty. On 14 September 2010, he was released due to expiry of his sentence. Since then he has continued to write on the theories of democracy and took part in human rights activities. In August 2011, he joined ICPC. On the evening of 26 December 2011, his home was raided by Hangzhou state security police for two and a half hours. Then he was summoned for interrogation until 9 am in the morning of 27 December for “engaging in democratic activities” and forcibly escorted back to his hometown Zongyang County, Anhui Province. Later he attempted to return to Hangzhou for several times, but he was detained and deported back to Anhui Province.

Each year on 15 November, members of PEN international all over the world commemorate “Day of Imprisoned Writers” and honor the courage of our colleagues imprisoned to fight against the repression and defend freedom of expression. ICPC reiterates that freedom of expression, including freedom to write and publish, is inalienable and fundamental human rights. ICPC will continue to urge release of Liu Xiaobo, Dolma Kyab, Liu Xianbin, Chen Wei and all of those imprisoned for their words.

PEN International is the oldest human rights organization and international literary organization. ICPC is among its 145 member centers and aims to protect writers’ freedom of expression and freedom to write worldwide and advocates for the rights of writers and journalists who are imprisoned, threatened, persecuted or harassed in China particularly.

For more information, please contact
Patrick Poon, Executive Secretary
Tel: +852-94173765 Email:
poonkarwai@gmail.com

Yu Zhang, Dr.
Coordinator of Press & Translation Committee
Tel: +46-8-50022792 email:
yuzhang08@live.se, icpc.members@gmail.com
Websites: http://www.chinesepen.org/english and http://www.liuxiaobo.eu/