30. 09.2010 Delegation of PEN International, Chinese Embassy, Tokyo

At the suggestion of the German PEN Centre and according to the unanimous decision of the general assembly at PEN World Congress in Tokyo, PEN International delivered a strongly worded statement to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Tokyo.

The delegation delivering the statement: Vice President of
PEN International Eugene Schoulgin (former International Secretary), Jens Lohman, Danish PEN, Emmelie Ciriaque Milce Prophete, Verly Jacques Debel, Haïti PEN, Dominik Riedo, President of Swiss German PEN (
recording the delivery), Kristin T. Schnider (former member of the Board of PEN International, former President of the Swiss German PEN Centre)

The statement expresses 'alarm', 'concern' and 'shock' over China's status as one of the world's most prolific jailers of writers and journalists, and decries the 'arbitrary' arrests they face; the use of 'administrative detention, including the infamous "Re-education Through Labour" system to jail dissident writers for up to 3 years without due process'; escalating censorship; and the increasing persecution of Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) members Shi Tao and, most recently, Liu Xiaobo;.
asking the Chinese Government to release the numerous writers and prisoners of conscience, imprisoned because of non violent exercise of their freedom of expression,
naming cases of Uyghur, Tibetan, Mongolian and Han Chinese (including Dawa Gyaltsen, Avdulghani Memetemin, Hada, Liu Xiaobo) and asking the
Chinese Government to finally ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which had been signed by the People's Republic of China
as long ago as October 1998.

The Statement: http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/go/news/resolution-on-the-people-s-republi...

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• PEN International
• Freedom of Expression
• China
• Writers in Prison