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中国又一混合周：二位获释，一位判刑，一位无限期拘留
笔会正追踪39位仍系狱中国作家和记者
（纽约、多伦多、华盛顿2008年2月5日讯）笔会今天欢迎香港记者程翔获假释，此前他因间谍罪在华南广州监狱中正服其五年徒刑。这位新加坡《海峡时报》记者在刑满前两年获释，是过去一周内第二位获释者。记者李长青因“散步虚假和恐怖信息”服刑三年，于2月2日刑满释放。
不过，笔会注意到，奥运会前对作家和记者的镇压仍在继续。作家兼维权人士吕耿松，在网络发表批评当局的文章后，自2007年8月24日被关押，今年1月22日由杭州中级人民法院开庭审判，今天以“煽动颠覆国家政权罪”被判有期徒刑四年并剥夺政治权利一年。
1月30日，博客作者兼活动家胡佳被捕一个多月后，由北京市人民检察院以“煽动颠覆国家政权罪”批准正式逮捕。根据中国法律，他现在可以未经审判关押到北京奥运会以后。笔会收到报告说，胡佳因其案件涉及“国家机密”被禁见律师，他的妻子、博客合作者曾金燕被软禁，实质上被禁止与外界联系，所有与她家的来往通讯线路都被中国当局切断。
“显然，我们感到高兴，中国当局提早两年释放了程翔，自笔会启动‘我们准备好了’的行动以来，狱中作家的总人数首次下降。” 美国笔会自由写作和国际项目主任拉里·赛姆斯说，“不幸的是，吕耿松的判刑和胡佳的正式逮捕显示，中国政府仍决定在奥运会前打压异议人士。”
去年12月，中国有关当局以骚扰、恐吓甚至短期监禁独立中文笔会的一些会员，制止了该会的一次中国作家聚会。在聚会前被关押者中的李剑虹，于12月底再次被软禁，以制止她为胡佳呼吁的行动，而且据报她被警告不得撰写政治敏感文字。网络异议人士王德佳在被拘留一月后于1月12日获释，只不过他得同意不再写“攻击党和国家领导人”、“煽动、颠覆国家政权的文章”或任何“政论性”的文章。
“很清楚，中国政府认为，它在将作家关押或虐待后，就能使作家权衡轻重。” 加拿大笔会执行主任伊泽贝尔·哈里说，“这是当我们在184天内走向奥运时的扰人发展。中国当局现在正面临着紧要选择：继续走使异议禁声的下坡路，还是转身向上，履行其对世界的承诺，将尊重其公民言论自由的基本权利。”
独立中文笔会会长郑义，将程翔在中国农历新年除夕假释，与胡佳于12月底被捕相比，称释放程翔“肯定更人性得多。……我们现在要求中国政府，释放中国监狱里的所有作家和记者，使那个数目降为零。”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact: Isobel Harry, PEN Canada, (416) 703-8448 ext. 22, iharry@pencanada.caSarah Hoffman, PEN American Center, (212) 334-1660 ext. 111, sarah@pen.orgYu Zhang, Independent Chinese PEN Center, +46-8-50022792,
wipc@penchinese.net
Two Releases, One Conviction, One Indefinite Detention: Another Mixed Week in China
184 Days before the Olympics, 39 Writers still in Chinese prisons
New York, Toronto, February 5, 2008—PEN today welcomed the release on parole of Hong Kong-based journalist Ching Cheong from prison in Gangzhou, southern China, where he was serving a five-year sentence for espionage. The Singapore Straits Times reporter’s release, two years before his sentence was due to expire, was the second within the past week. Journalist Li Changqing, who had served three years in prison for “spreading false and alarmist information,” was released on February 2 on the expiration of his sentence.
PEN noted, however, that the pre-Olympic crackdown on writers and journalists continues. Writer and human rights activist Lu Gengsong, who has been detained since August 24, 2007 after his articles critical of the authorities were published online, stood trial before the Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court on January 22, and today was sentenced to four years in prison and one year’s deprivation of political rights for “inciting subversion of state power.”
On January 30, more than one month after his arrest, activist and blogger Hu Jia was formally charged with “inciting subversion of state power” by the Beijing Municipal People’s Procuratorate. Under Chinese law, Hu can now be held without trial until after the Beijing Olympics. PEN has received reports that he is being denied access to his lawyers because the case involves “state secrets.” His wife, fellow blogger Zeng Jinyan, remains under house arrest, virtually incommunicado, with all communication lines to and from her home cut by Chinese authorities.
“Obviously, we are pleased that Chinese authorities have released Ching Cheong from prison two years early and that the total number of writers in prison has declined for the first time since PEN launched our “We Are Ready” campaign,” said Larry Siems, Director of Freedom to Write and International Programs at PEN American Center. “Unfortunately, the sentencing of Lu Gengsong and the formal charging of Hu Jia serve as reminders that the Chinese government remains determined to suppress dissent in advance of the Olympics.”
In December, Chinese authorities prevented a gathering of Chinese writers from the Independent Chinese PEN Center from taking place by harassing, intimidating, and event temporarily detaining some of its members. Li Jianhong, who had been among those held in advance of the gathering, was again placed under house arrest at the end of December to prevent her from acting on Hu Jia’s behalf, and she has reportedly been warned not to write anything politically sensitive. Cyber-dissident Wang Dejia was released from a one-month detention on January 12 only after he agreed to refrain from writing anything “attacking the leadership of the Party and State,” “inciting subversion of state power,” or any “political commentary.”
“It is quite clear that the Chinese government believes that it can leverage writers after they have been detained and possibly ill-treated,” said Isobel Harry, Executive Director of PEN Canada. “This is a troubling development as we move within 184 days of the Olympic Games. China is now facing a crucial choice: continue down the road of silencing dissent, or turn around and live up to their promises to the world that they will abide by their citizens’ fundamental right to freedom of expression.”
Zheng Yi, President of the Independent Chinese PEN Center, compared the release of Ching Cheong on the eve of the Lunar New Year to the detention of Hu Jia in the last days of December, calling Ching’s release “definitely much more human.” “We now look to the Chinese government to release all writers and journalists imprisoned in China, and bring that number down to zero.”
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