China Campaign 2008

TAKE ACTION

English PEN, in conjunction with International PEN and national PEN centres across the globe, launched its 'China Campaign 2008: We Are Ready for Freedom of Expression' this March. PEN's campaign challenges the Chinese authorities to grant early release to dozens of writers, journalists and bloggers who are imprisoned in China as a result of publishing their opinions in print or online. (For a current China caselist click here)

PEN believes the detention of these writers constitutes a violation of their fundamental human right to free expression, that many were convicted following unfair trials, under vaguely-defined laws, and were given disproportionately heavy sentences. Many also require early release on medical and humanitarian grounds, and must be granted their basic human rights in detention - including access to visitors and urgent medical attention.

China has the largest number of writers in prison of any country, in absolute terms, and, though the number may seem small relative to the size of the Chinese population, these cases have had an overall chilling effect on other writers in China, where there is widespread censorship and self-censorship. The suffering experienced by the prisoners and their families is also beyond measure in terms of simple statistics.

PEN further seeks an end to other abuses and obstacles hampering the freedom to write in China, such as 'soft detention' (house arrest), surveillance, travel bans, and bureaucratic measures to undermine independent publishing houses. The laws used to regulate the press and publishing industry in China require urgent reform, and the two main criminal laws under which writers are convicted and imprisoned need to be both revised and more fairly and narrowly applied. (Click here to read more about the two main laws used to imprison Chinese writers.)

Uighur and Tibetan writers in China are doubly vulnerable. Like other Chinese writers they are subject to censorship and an arbitrary judicial system, but, as members of religious and ethnic minorities, they are particularly targeted as victims of cultural repression. Any expression of their cultural diversity has become regarded as potential treason, and those who express separatist views are severely punished. (Read more about Uighur Rights and Writers and Tibetan Rights and Writers.)

China must be held accountable to the promises that Beijing made to the IOC and international community when it was bidding for the Olympic Games, concerning improvement of human rights and freedom of the press in particular. So far they have shown little sign of intending to keep these promises, with the charge of 'inciting subversion against State power' being cynically used against those critical of human rights issues and other social problems linked to the preparation for the Games. Significant improvements in the freedom to write in China must be seen before the Games begin, and last even after the world's attention has moved away.

READ ABOUT ENGLISH PEN'S HONORARY MEMBERS IN CHINA: 

    DOLMA KYAB                          TOHTI TUNYAZ

      SHI TAO                             NURMUHEMMET YASIN

     HUANG JINQIU                            HU SHIGEN