Liu Xiaobo Anniversary
PEN International marks the ten-year anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to deceased writer, literary critic and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo on 10 December 2010. The Liu Xiaobo Anniversary Campaign acts as a commemoration of Liu Xiaobo’s life, his contribution to Chinese literature, and his selfless work promoting basic freedoms in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The anniversary date coincides with Human Rights Day, which commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948. The date also coincides with the publication of the Charter 08 Manifesto on 10 December 2008. This is a seminal document, co-authored by Liu Xiaobo and other Chinese activists, which calls for greater human rights and democratic freedoms in the PRC.
Watch Madeleine Thien’s video about our campaign
Liu Xiaobo had said he had no enemies, and indeed, he had none. The ideas he represented, that all people are equal, that they have the right to lead their lives as they wish, that individual liberty is the core of humanity, that we respect the dignity of each individual, became anathema for those in power in China. They jailed him for his words and ideas and only granted him medical parole when he had little time left. They tried to get the world to forget him; the world won't, just as the world won't forget the poets, writers, publishers, and intellectuals who continue to remain in jail in China, denied their freedoms and their platform. We will read their words, amplify their voices, and stare back at China, drawing inspiration from the man in front of the tank at Tiananmen Square, the Uyghurs in Chinese camps, the democracy activists on the streets of Hong Kong, as Charter 08 keeps reminding us. Salil Tripathi, Chair, PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee, Writer and Journalist.
What difference does the Liu Xiaobo Anniversary Campaign make?
Besides commemorating Liu Xiaobo, remembering his life and his enduring influence in the PRC, the campaign highlights the case of writers Gui Minhai, Kunchok Tsephel, Yang Hengjun and Qin Yongmin who are currently detained by the PRC government. For all featured writers, the campaign raises awareness of their situation, boosts advocacy work on their behalf and ensures that they and their families feel supported and not forgotten. Activities range from letter-writing to panel discussions, press conferences to publishing the work of imprisoned writers. PEN Centres and members worldwide take action to advocate for these cases throughout the campaign.
How can I take action for the Liu Xiaobo Anniversary Campaign?
Please raise awareness of a different writer, write letters to the PRC officials and call for their release using #LiuXiaoboanniversary, #GuiMinhai, #KunchokTsephel, #YangHengjun, #QinYongmin:
-
Name: Gui Minhai
Occupation: Poet, publisher, writer, bookseller
Situation: Detained. Sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
#LiuXiaoboanniversary #GuiMinhai
Background
Gui Minhai is a Swedish poet, writer, member of the Independent Chinese Centre (ICPC), and bookseller. Gui developed a love of poetry while studying history at Peking University. He later relocated to Sweden in the late 1980s to continue his studies, earning a PhD in Chinese history at the University of Gothenburg.
During the mid-2000s, Gui’s writing shifted from academic essays to commentaries on Chinese politics, including stories of political intrigue surrounding the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership. He became an active member of the publishing industry in Hong Kong, establishing several publishing houses specialising in books that were banned in the mainland.
Gui was one of five Hong Kong booksellers who were forcibly disappeared in 2015. In October 2015, Gui was reportedly abducted from his vacation home in Thailand and renditioned to the PRC by the security services, where he has remained in detention in the time since. On 24 February 2020, Gui was formally sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on national security charges.
PEN International considers Gui Minhai’s detention to be a clear breach of his right to freedom of expression and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
Take Action
Send an appeal to the Chinese authorities
Tell others: share Gui’s case and his work
Donate to Pen International
Ask the authorities to:
Release Gui Minhai immediately and unconditionally.
Provide Gui Minhai with immediate access to appropriate medical care.
Provide Gui Minhai with unrestricted access to legal representatives of his choosing and to representatives of the Swedish government.
End all policies that contravene the PRC government’s international human rights obligations.
Sample tweet:
#GuiMinhai’s detention is a breach of his right to freedom of expression. I call for his immediate and unconditional release. #LiuXiaoboanniversary @mfachina [or Twitter handles for other contacts below]
President Xi Jinping – General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of the People’s Republic of China.
Address: General Secretary Office, Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Zhongnanhai Ximen, Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100017, People’s Republic of China
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mfa_china
Ambassador GUI Congyou –Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Sweden
Address: Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Sweden, Lidovägen 8, 115 25 Stockholm, Sweden
Email: consular@chinaembassy.se
Ambassador CHEN Xu –Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
Address: 11, Chemin de Surville 1213 Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland.
Email: chinamissionspeaker@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amb_ChenXu
Ambassador ZHANG Jun – Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations.
Address: 350 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Email: chinamissionun@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chinaambun
Send copies to the diplomatic representatives in country: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjb_663304/zwjg_665342/2490_665344/
We encourage PEN members to continue to:
Publish articles and opinion pieces about this case in your national or local press;
Share information about Gui Minhai and your campaigning via social media; please use #LiuXiaoboanniversary and #GuiMinhai
Organise public events, press conferences and demonstrations.
Please let us know about your activities and actions. This helps us monitor the impact of our campaigning.
Sample tweet:
On the Liu Xiaobo Anniversary join @PEN_Int and call for the release of poet, publisher, writer and bookseller #GuiMinhai. Detained. Sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment [insert link]
Read Père David’s Deer, a poem written by Gui Minhai while in detention on 10 December 2017.
Under the harsh light day and night
I quickly turned into a Père David’s deer
it took only seven hundred days or so
for my graying hair to evolve into antlers
These strange creatures don’t live here
they say my name is “Neither Fish Nor Fowl”
When I was caught I started to evolve
When I started to evolve, I was tamed
As soon as my clothes were peeled away
I became a tamed David’s deer
I sobbed in front of the cameras
admitting I was a deer that had strayed away
In the secret garden, my swift devolution
turned speech into furry groans
turned a hat into a black hood
turned nationality and citizenship into diplomatic dispute
In every Chinese encyclopedia, it is written
that Père David’s deer is a rare beast unique to China
thus one such deer, at ease in the Swedish forest
began a new life in an Asian swamp
I am a devolved David’s deer
unable to choke down poems or prose
but while I am shamed in the swamp
I still yearn to run through the Swedish woods.
English translation by Anne Henochowicz.
-
Name: Kunchok Tsephel Gopey Tsang
Occupation: Writer, language teacher and human rights defender.
Situation: Detained. Sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.
#LiuXiaoboanniversary #KunchokTsephel
Background
Kunchok Tsephel Gopey Tsang is a Tibetan writer, language teacher and human rights defender. Born in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Gansu Province, Kunchok left the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1989 to pursue education through the Tibetan language in North India. He returned to the PRC in 1994 where he was immediately detained and tortured for two months before being released without ever being charged with a crime.
In the late 1990s Kunchok continued his education, studying English and Mandarin Chinese at the Beijing Minzu University and at the North Western Minzu University in Gansu. In 2004, he used his education as a Tibetan and English language teacher, and along with renowned Tibetan poet Kyabchen Dedrol, established Choemei, the first website that was dedicated to the promotion of Tibetan literature in the PRC.
In 2009, Kunchok was charged with ‘disclosing state secrets’ at a closed hearing and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. Recent reports have emerged that Kunchok has developed painful medical conditions while being detained.
PEN International considers Kunchok’s detention to be a clear breach of his right to freedom of expression and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
Take action
Send an appeal to the Chinese authorities
Tell others: share Kunchok’s case and his work
Donate to Pen International
Ask the authorities to:
Release Kunchok Tsephel immediately and unconditionally.
Provide Kunchok Tsephel with immediate access to appropriate medical care.
End the implementation of policies that undermine the use and development of the Tibetan language and undermine protections of Tibetan culture.
End all policies that contravene the PRC government’s international human rights obligations.
Sample tweet:
#KunchokTsephel’s detention is a breach of his right to freedom of expression. I call for his immediate and unconditional release. #LiuXiaoboanniversary
President Xi Jinping – General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of the People’s Republic of China.
Address: General Secretary Office, Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Zhongnanhai Ximen, Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100017, People’s Republic of China
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mfa_china
Ambassador CHEN Xu –Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
Address: 11, Chemin de Surville 1213 Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland.
Email: chinamissionspeaker@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amb_ChenXu
Ambassador ZHANG Jun – Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations.
Address: 350 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Email: chinamissionun@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chinaambun
Send copies to the diplomatic representatives in country: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjb_663304/zwjg_665342/2490_665344/
We encourage PEN members to continue to:
Publish articles and opinion pieces about this case in your national or local press;
Share information about Kunchok Tsephel and your campaigning via social media; please use #LiuXiaoboanniversary and #KunchokTsephel
Organise public events, press conferences and demonstrations.
Please let us know about your activities and actions. This helps us monitor the impact of our campaigning.
Sample tweet:
On the Liu Xiaobo Anniversary join @PEN_Int and call for the release of writer, language teacher and human rights defender #KunchokTsephel. Detained. Sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment [insert link].
-
Name: Yang Hengjun
Occupation: Novelist, blogger and political commentator
Situation: Detained. Charged with espionage
#LiuXiaoboanniversary #YangHengjun
Background
Yang Hengjun is an Australian novelist, blogger and political commentator who is committed to the advancement of human rights and political reform in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
A keen commentator on Chinese politics and the virtues of democratic pluralism, Yang’s writing has been regularly featured in The Diplomat and his blog posts garnered a significant following on Chinese social media, earning himself the nickname of ‘Democracy Peddler’. As a novelist, he has authored a fictional spy trilogy known as the Fatal Series.
Yang was abducted by the security services when visiting the PRC with his family in January 2019, and on 7 October 2020 he was formally charged with espionage. If convicted, Yang faces a potential sentence ranging from three years’ imprisonment to the death penalty.
PEN International considers Yang Hengjun’s detention to be a clear breach of his right to freedom of expression and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
Take Action
Send an appeal to the Chinese authorities
Tell others: share Yang’s case and his work
Donate to Pen International
Ask the authorities to:
Release Yang Hengjun immediately and unconditionally.
Allow Yang Hengjun’s family to leave the PRC without any restrictions.
Provide Yang Hengjun with unrestricted access to legal representatives of his choosing and to representatives of the Australian government.
End all policies that contravene the PRC government’s international human rights obligations.
Sample tweet:
#YangHengjun’s detention is a breach of his right to freedom of expression. I call for his immediate and unconditional release #LiuXiaoboanniversary
President Xi Jinping – General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of the People’s Republic of China.
Address: General Secretary Office, Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Zhongnanhai Ximen, Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100017, People’s Republic of China
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mfa_china
Ambassador CHENG Jingye - Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Commonwealth of Australia
Address: 15 Coronation Drive, Yarralumla, ACT 2600, Australia.
Email: chinaemb_au@mfa.gov.cn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/China...
Ambassador CHEN Xu –Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
Address: 11, Chemin de Surville 1213 Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland.
Email: chinamissionspeaker@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amb_ChenXu
Ambassador ZHANG Jun – Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations.
Address: 350 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Email: chinamissionun@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chinaambun
Send copies to the diplomatic representatives in country: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjb_663304/zwjg_665342/2490_665344/
Tell others: share Yang Hengjun’s case and his work
We encourage PEN members to continue to:
Publish articles and opinion pieces about this case in your national or local press;
Share information about Yang Hengjun and your campaigning via social media; please use #LiuXiaoboanniversary and #YangHengjun
Organise public events, press conferences and demonstrations.
Please let us know about your activities and actions. This helps us monitor the impact of our campaigning.
Sample tweet:
On the Liu Xiaobo Anniversary join @PEN_Int and call for the release of novelist, blogger and political commentator #YangHengjun. Detained. Charged with espionage. [insert link]
Yang Hengjun, excerpt from Fatal Weakness or Achilles Heel
“knocking starts again, and I give in first. I climb up, pull the towel off the chair beside my bed and wrap it around my waist, opening the door with a bare chest. When I open the door I see Landlord Bo trying to jam the key in the hole with shaking hands. From the looks of it, he's been trying for a while. Before I even have time to get angry, I see standing behind him two middle-aged men, one tall, one short. The old landlord backs off to one side, and the short, fat one of the two strangers flashes his ID in front of my face; before I have time to react, he says, "we're the police. You are Yang Wenfeng, is that correct?
-
Name: Qin Yongmin
Occupation: Writer and human rights defender
Situation: Detained. Sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment
#LiuXiaoboanniversary #QinYongmin
Background
Qin Yongmin is a writer, member of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC), and lifelong human rights defender. He first became politically engaged in the 1970s, when he participated in the Democracy Wall Movement and co-founded The Bell, an independent magazine that published essays that were critical of CCP policies during Mao’s rule.
Over the following decades, Qin has worked fearlessly, and at great personal cost, to use his writing to promote human rights and to seek greater dialogue between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government and Chinese civil society. His many achievements include the drafting of the Peace Charter, which sought to promote human rights and political reform in the PRC, and the establishment of the Human Rights Watch in China activist group. Other achievements include the Rose China website, which published online lecture series and pro-democracy writing.
In 2015 Qin was detained for three years before being sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment in July 2018. Recent reports of his detention have highlighted his deteriorating health and that he has been denied access to reading and writing materials. At 67 years old, Qin will have spent the majority of his adult life in prison by the time of his scheduled release in 2028.
PEN International considers Qin Yongmin’s detention to be a clear breach of his right to freedom of expression and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
Take Action
Send an appeal to the Chinese authorities
Tell others: share Qin’s case and his work
Donate to Pen International
Ask the authorities to:
Release Qin Yongmin immediately and unconditionally.
Provide Qin Yongmin with immediate access to appropriate medical care.
End all policies that contravene the PRC government’s international human rights obligations.
Sample tweet:
#QinYongmin’s detention is a breach of his right to freedom of expression. On the #LiuXiaoboanniversary, I call for his immediate and unconditional release.
President Xi Jinping – General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of the People’s Republic of China.
Address: General Secretary Office, Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Zhongnanhai Ximen, Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100017, People’s Republic of China
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mfa_china
Ambassador CHEN Xu –Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
Address: 11, Chemin de Surville 1213 Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland.
Email: chinamissionspeaker@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amb_ChenXu
Ambassador ZHANG Jun – Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations.
Address: 350 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Email: chinamissionun@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chinaambun
Send copies to the diplomatic representatives in country: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjb_663304/zwjg_665342/2490_665344/
We encourage PEN members to continue to:
Publish articles and opinion pieces about this case in your national or local press;
Share information about Qin Yongmin and your campaigning via social media; please use #LiuXiaoboanniversary and #QinYongmin
Organise public events, press conferences and demonstrations.
Please let us know about your activities and actions. This helps us monitor the impact of our campaigning.
Sample tweet:
On the Liu Xiaobo Anniversary join @PEN_Int and call for the release of writer and human rights defender #QinYongmin. Detained. Sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment. [insert link]
Qin Yongmin, To Zhao Suli, a poem written to his wife while in detention in 2018.
Mobile chat at night recalling the year when
I got lost in front of the station of flying train
Blaming suspiciously that new town of Kaifeng
Appeared unexpectedly like Pen Rack Mountain
Crossing the lake and laughing at the geese for their late return
Unware of the atrocity of bandits until arriving ashore
Regretting for unpaying on your three-year detention
I will certainly compensate you on our long wish to Lhasa
English translation by Yu Zhang, Secretary General of ICPC
Who was Liu Xiaobo?
Liu Xiaobo was President and founding member of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre. He was arrested in 2008 for signing the Charter 08 Manifesto and held incommunicado under pre-trial detention, at an undisclosed location in Beijing, until he was formally charged with ‘inciting subversion of state power’ and sentenced to eleven years in prison. Liu Xiaobo spent the last eight years of his life in Jinzhou prison in Northeast China, with little or no access to family, friends or colleagues. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China". He died in police custody in 2017.
Watch these videos about Liu Xiaobo:
For further information, please contact Sabrina Tucci, Communications and Campaigns Manager (Interim), info@pen-international.org
t. +44 (0)20 7405 0338 |Twitter: @pen_int | Facebook: www.facebook.com/peninternational | www.pen-international.org
Note to editors:
PEN International promotes literature and freedom of expression and is governed by the PEN Charter and the principles it embodies: unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations. Founded in London in 1921, PEN International – PEN’s Secretariat – connects an international community of writers. It is a forum where writers meet freely to discuss their work; it is also a voice speaking out for writers silenced in their own countries. Through Centres in over 100 countries, PEN operates on five continents. PEN International is a non-political organisation which holds Special Consultative Status at the UN and Associate Status at UNESCO. PEN International is a registered charity in England and Wales with registration number 1117088.