国际笔会诗歌接力于3月25日启动

国际笔会诗歌接力在中国传递言论自由火炬 

www.penpoemrelay.org 

 

国际笔会诗歌接力，以系狱诗人兼记者师涛的《六月》诗为重点，用笔会独特的方式——诗歌及翻译，力图提醒中国言论自由问题。 

世界各笔会已以超过60种语言翻译和录制了《六月》，并利用国际互联网作为主要工具，将该诗虚拟环“游”世界，从一个笔会到另一个笔会，从一种语言到另一种语言，在旅途中加入新的译文，最终到北京参加2008年奥运会。 

师涛因“非法向境外提供国家机密”的罪名正在监狱中服十年徒刑，他被定罪是由于向一个海外网站发的一封电子邮件，使用了一个雅虎电邮户头，而雅虎向中国当局提供了有关他身份的资料。

《六月》诗是关于1989年天安门“六四镇压”悲剧的冥思，而该事件在中国仍然是个被禁话题。（请参阅有关师涛的附件及其诗歌） 

国际笔会秘书长尤金·舒尔金说：“全世界各笔会的译者和诗人，正以奥运精神将师涛的话用世界各种语言赋予新生。随着诗歌的传播，从一种语言到另一种语言，我们也使我们对中国言论自由和那些在监狱里低吟的作家们的关注得以传播。” 

专用网站www.penpoemrelay.org 有一张世界地图显示诗歌接力的进程，参照“奥运火炬接力”的日程。 

诗歌接力网站于今天3月25日启用。当奥运火炬点燃并开始其在希腊前往雅典的旅程时，《六月》诗将虚拟地离开师涛被捕前的居住城市太原，“旅行到希腊”。3月30日，诗歌到达希腊笔会（同时，奥运火炬抵达希腊Panathinaiko 体育场）。网站访问者将能看到该诗的希腊译文，并听到希腊语朗诵，也能阅、听汉语普通话原诗，以及国际笔会三种工作语言——英、法、西班牙语译诗。 

3月30日以后，网站访问者可以跟踪《六月》诗环游地球的进程，在诗歌到达每个笔会时阅、听新的译诗。《六月》诗已被翻译为60多种语言，包括澳大利亚的土著语言之一Adnyamathanha、塞内加尔最广泛使用的语言之一Wolof，北非阿尔及尼亚的a Berber 语Tamazight、车臣语、维吾尔语、藏语等，还有如日语、俄语及其它大语种。 

“将此诗翻译成全世界的语言，既是我们关注师涛以及在中国的许多其他狱中作家的心愿，也是我们崇敬中国人民及其文学创造性的心愿。”该诗的英译者、本接力活动的组织者之一、悉尼笔会的罗利说。 

接力活动的另一位组织者、瑞士德语笔会的克里丝汀· 舒尼德说：“以奥运精神及其所体现的国际合作，师涛的《六月》诗本身就是一束火炬，是言论自由之光，诗歌与语言多样性之庆典，处在压力下或监禁中的作家之灯标。” 

当《六月》诗到达每个笔会时，当地将安排和发布相关活动，因此全世界民众都能参加，使大家同声呼吁，立即无条件释放目前系狱的全部作家和新闻工作者，尤其是终结在中国实行拘押、骚扰和审查作家和新闻工作者。 

“师涛案是检验北京许诺中国新闻自由诚意的好办法。” 接力活动组织者之一、独立中文笔会狱中作家委员会协调人张裕强调：“只要师涛及笔会个案名单上的作家和新闻工作者仍关在狱门背后，他的《六月》诗就将是对北京奥运主题口号‘同一个世界、同一个梦想’背后现实的一个提醒。” 

诗歌接力网站将不断更新，使访问者获悉接力的进度、师涛及国际笔会跟踪的中国其他系狱作家的个案。3月25日，你就能进入该网站www.penpoemrelay.org。  

国际笔会诗歌接力是起许多活动的第一项，呼吁释放我们视为是违反中国于1998年签署的《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》而监禁的作家。 

有关国际笔会狱中作家委员会“中国行动”的进一步活动，请联系国际笔会狱中作家委员会项目主任萨拉·怀亚特；有关笔会诗歌接力的问题，请联系罗利、克里丝汀· 舒尼德或张裕。联系细节如下。

国际笔会诗歌接力，是由悉尼笔会、瑞士德语笔会和独立中文笔会代表国际笔会的联合行动。

采访联系人: 

关于诗歌接力: 

关于中国狱中作家：                                                            关于国际笔会： 

师涛——诗人、记者、独立中文笔会会员 

师涛是先进技术用于监视、搜索和追踪个人而倒下的异议作家之一，因在互联网上行使言论自由而被看作违反中国法律。 

师涛因“向境外提供国家机密”被判处十年徒刑。2004年4月，他在出席《当代商报》一次编务会传达文件时记了笔记。笔记所记的是中共中央宣传部关于媒体如何对待“六四镇压”十五周年的指示。他用一个雅虎电邮帐户将笔记发给一个海外网站。根据法庭文件，雅虎香港控股有限公司向中国当局提供了有关师涛身份的资料。笔会认为，此案定罪判刑违反了《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》（中国于1998年成为签署国）第19条和《世界人权宣言》第19条。 

《六月》诗写于2004年6月9日，“六四事件”十五周年后数日，师涛发出那要命的电邮不到两月。 
 
 
 
 

The International PEN Poem Relay is launched on March 25

The International PEN Poem Relay Carries the Torch 
for Freedom of Expression in China 

www.penpoemrelay.org 

The International PEN Poem Relay is focussed around the poem "June" by the imprisoned poet and journalist Shi Tao and seeks to raise awareness about freedom of expression in China in a uniquely PEN way - through poetry and translation. 

PEN Centres around the world have translated and recorded "June" in more than 60 languages and, using the internet as its main instrument, the poem will virtually "travel" around the world, from centre to centre, language to language, adding new translations as it goes and ending in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.  

Shi Tao is serving a 10-year sentence in prison on the charge of "illegaly providing state secrets abroad". He was convicted for an email he sent to an overseas website using a Yahoo! email account after Yahoo! provided the Chinese authorities with his identity.  

The poem "June" is a meditation on the tragedy of the military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in June 4, 1989, which remains a censored topic in China. (Please see the attachment for more about Shi Tao and to read the poem.) 

"Translators and poets at PEN centres around the world are using the spirit of the Olympics to bring to life Shi Tao's message in the languages of the world," said Eugene Schoulgin, International Secretary of International PEN . "As the poem spreads from language to language, we spread our concern for freedom of expression in China and the writers who are languishing in its jails." 

The special website www.penpoemrelay.org presents a map of the world showing the progress of the poem relay, which takes its cue from the Olympic Torch Relay itinerary. 

The website will be launched today, March 25. As the Olympic Torch is lighted and starts it journey across Greece towards Athens, the poem "June" then will "virtually" leave Taiyuan City, Shi Tao's hometown and "travel to Greece". On March 30, the poem arrives at Greek PEN Centre (at the same time the Olympic Torch arrives in Panathinaiko Stadium in Greece). Visitors to the website will be able to see the Greek translation text, and hear it recited in Greek. Visitors to the website will also be able to see (and hear) the poem in its original Mandarin as well as in English, French and Spanish, the working languages of International PEN.

After March 30, visitors to the website can track the poem's progress around the globe and read and hear new translations as the poem arrives at each new centre. The poem has been translated into more than 60 languages. These include Adnyamathanha, one of Australia's Indigenous languages; Wolof, one of the most widely spoken languages in Senegal; Tamazight, a Berber language spoken in Algeria, Morocco, Niger, Mali and Libya; Basque; Uyhgur; Tibetan; Chechen; in addition to major languages such as Japanese, Russian and others. 

"The translation of this poem into the world's languages is a testament to our concern for Shi Tao, to our concern for the many other writers in prison in China, and to our respect for the Chinese people and their literary creativity," said Sydney PEN's Chip Rolley, translator of the poem to English and one of the organizers of the relay. 

"In the spirit of the Olympics and the international cooperation it embodies, Shi Tao's poem 'June' is a torch in its own right," said Swiss German PEN's Kristin Schnider, also one of the organizers of the relay. "It's a light for freedom of expression, the celebration of poetry and linguistic diversity, and a beacon for writers who are under pressure or imprisoned." 

As the poem arrives at each centre, local events will be arranged and publicised so that people around the world can participate and have their voices joined in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all writers and journalists currently imprisoned and, especially, for an end to the practice of detaining, harassing, and censoring writers and journalists in China. 

"Shi Tao's case is a great way to examine the sincerity of Beijing's promise of press freedom in China," noted Yu Zhang, the Coordinator of the Writers in Prison Committee of Independent Chinese PEN Centre and one of the organizers of the relay. "As long as Shi Tao and other writers and journalists on PEN's case list are still behind bars, his poem 'June' will be a reminder of the reality behind the Beijing Olympic motto 'One World, One Dream'." 

The website will be constantly updated to keep visitors informed about the progress of the poem and about Shi Tao and other cases of imprisoned writers in China International PEN is monitoring. On March 25, you will be able to access the website: www.penpoemrelay.org  

The International PEN Poem Relay is the first of many activities, calling for the release of writers we deem to be in prison in contravention of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which China became a signatory in 1998.  

For information on further activities in the International PEN Writers in Prison Committee China campaign, please contact Sara Whyatt, Programme Director of International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee. For inquiries about the PEN Poem Relay, contact Chip Rolley, Kristin T. Schnider or Yu Zhang. All contact details are below.

International PEN Poem Relay is a Joint action by the Sydney, Independent Chinese and Swiss German PEN Centres on behalf of International PEN.

Available for interview: 

About the International PEN Poem Relay: 

About Writers in Prison in China:                                                               About International PEN: 

Shi Tao, poet, journalist, and Independent Chinese PEN member 
 
 

Shi Tao is one of the dissident writers whose downfall was the advanced technology used to monitor, survey and track down individuals who are seen to violate Chinese laws by exercising their freedom of expression on the internet.  

He was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for "illegaly providing state secrets abroad". In April 2004, Shi Tao took notes on a document read aloud at an editorial meeting of the Dangdai Shangbao (Contemporary Commerce News) at which he was present.  

The notes referred to a directive issued by China Party's Propaganda Department that instructed the media how to cover the 15th anniversary of the military crackdown on June 4, 1989 in Beijing shutting down the Tiananmen Square protests. 

He sent those notes to an overseas website using a Yahoo! email account. According to court documents, Yahoo! (Hong Kong) Holdings Ltd provided the Chinese authorities with Shi Tao's identity. PEN believes this conviction and sentencing are in contravention to Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (to which China became a signatory in 1998) and Article 19 of the Declaration of Human Rights. 

The poem 'June' was written on June 9, 2004, shortly after the 15^th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and just less than two months after Shi Tao sent that fateful email.