This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/10/time-for-china-to-release-writers-journalists-and-activists
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Time for China to release writers, journalists and activists Time for China to release writers, journalists and activists | |
| (3 days later) | |
| Today, on World Human Rights Day, our Pen International community of writers, readers, activists and publishers condemn the Chinese authorities’ sustained and increasing attack on free expression and call for an immediate end to China’s worsening crackdown on fundamental human rights. | Today, on World Human Rights Day, our Pen International community of writers, readers, activists and publishers condemn the Chinese authorities’ sustained and increasing attack on free expression and call for an immediate end to China’s worsening crackdown on fundamental human rights. |
| We cannot stand by as more and more of our friends and colleagues are silenced. Where is the voice of Ilham Tohti, the Uighur scholar and Pen member currently serving a life sentence, when his life’s work has been about creating peace and dialogue in China? Where is the voice of veteran journalist Gao Yu, who spent close to two years in prison and is now under house arrest? Where is the voice of publisher Gui Minhai, who disappeared from his holiday home in Thailand and is now being held incommunicado? Where is the voice of Nobel peace laureate and former president of the Independent Chinese Pen Centre, Liu Xiaobo, serving an 11-year prison sentence and the voice of his wife, the poet Liu Xia, who has been under house arrest for over six years without even having been accused of a crime? | We cannot stand by as more and more of our friends and colleagues are silenced. Where is the voice of Ilham Tohti, the Uighur scholar and Pen member currently serving a life sentence, when his life’s work has been about creating peace and dialogue in China? Where is the voice of veteran journalist Gao Yu, who spent close to two years in prison and is now under house arrest? Where is the voice of publisher Gui Minhai, who disappeared from his holiday home in Thailand and is now being held incommunicado? Where is the voice of Nobel peace laureate and former president of the Independent Chinese Pen Centre, Liu Xiaobo, serving an 11-year prison sentence and the voice of his wife, the poet Liu Xia, who has been under house arrest for over six years without even having been accused of a crime? |
| These writers represent the many critical voices across China currently being silenced, including the imprisoned and persecuted members of the Independent Chinese Pen Centre: Yang Tongyan, Zhu Yufu, Lü Gengsong, Chen Shuqing, Hu Shigen, Qin Yongmin, Liu Yanli and Liu Feiyue; and honorary members Zhang Haitao, Sun Feng, Lu Yuyu, Li Tingyu, Huang Qi and Su Changlan. The enforced silence of these friends and colleagues is deafening, and the disappearance of their voices has left a world worse off for this egregious injustice and loss. | These writers represent the many critical voices across China currently being silenced, including the imprisoned and persecuted members of the Independent Chinese Pen Centre: Yang Tongyan, Zhu Yufu, Lü Gengsong, Chen Shuqing, Hu Shigen, Qin Yongmin, Liu Yanli and Liu Feiyue; and honorary members Zhang Haitao, Sun Feng, Lu Yuyu, Li Tingyu, Huang Qi and Su Changlan. The enforced silence of these friends and colleagues is deafening, and the disappearance of their voices has left a world worse off for this egregious injustice and loss. |
| Today we call for their words to reverberate across the globe as we commit to fighting for their freedom until China heeds our call. On days like today we have to reaffirm our refusal not to be complicit in their silence. We have to use our own words to give power to theirs. | Today we call for their words to reverberate across the globe as we commit to fighting for their freedom until China heeds our call. On days like today we have to reaffirm our refusal not to be complicit in their silence. We have to use our own words to give power to theirs. |
| China and the rest of the world can only be enriched by these opinions and voices. We therefore urge the Chinese authorities to release the writers, journalists and activists who are languishing in jail or kept under house arrest for the crime of speaking freely and expressing their opinions. | China and the rest of the world can only be enriched by these opinions and voices. We therefore urge the Chinese authorities to release the writers, journalists and activists who are languishing in jail or kept under house arrest for the crime of speaking freely and expressing their opinions. |
| We urge them to uphold freedom of expression and all human rights. | We urge them to uphold freedom of expression and all human rights. |
| Abraham Zere Pen EritreaWilliam Nygaard Pen NorwayAdriaan van DisAh Phyu Yaung ShweAleid TruijensAlejandro Sánchez-Aizcorbe Peruvian PenAlexander McCall Smith Pen Writers CircleAnders Heger Pen InternationalAndrew Solomon Pen AmericaAnna Nasiłowska Polish PenAnnika Thor Swedish PenAnotnio Della Rocca Pen Trieste Baoqiang SunBurhan Sönmez Pen Writers Circle Carles Torner Pen International Carme Arenas Pen Catala Catherine Vuylsteke Chaw Ei Mahn Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chit Kyi Aye Christine Otten Chu Cai Colm Toibin Pen Writers Circle De Novo Depu He Dr Mirror (Taung-gyi) Elif Shafak Pen Writers Circle Eugene Schoulgin Pen International Feng Hu Fiona Graham Scottish Pen Frank Mackay Anim-Appiah Pen Ghana Ghareeb Asqalani Gloria Guardia Pen International Go Go Mawlamyaing Guozhen Xiao Hakan Günday Pen Writers CircleHan Zaw Hanan Al Shaykh Pen Writers Circle Hanan Awwad Pen Palestine Htar Oak Thon Iman Humaydan Pen Lebanon Isabel Allende Pen Writers Circle Jennifer Clement Pen International Jianguo Zha Jianhong Li Jianhua Li Jianzhen Qi Jiro Asada Japan Pen JM Coetzee Joanne Leedom-Ackermon Pen InternationalJudyth Hill Pen San Miguel July Moe Juraj Šebesta Slovak Pen Khin Aung Aye Khin Mg Oo Khin Moe Shwe Khin Mya Zin Kyar Phyu New Kyaw Zin Ko Ko Kyawt Darli Lin Lebao Wu Let Yar Tun Liyong Sun Lucina Kathmann Pen International Ma Thida Pen International Magali Tercero Pen Mexico Magda Carneci Pen Romania Manon Uphoff Margaret Atwood Pen Writers Circle Margie Orford Pen South Africa May Zun Aye Mi Chan Wai Michelle Franke Pen Centre USA Mingmin Lin Mircea Cartarescu Mohamed Sheriff Pen International Moris Farhi Pen International Mya Thway Ni Myat Lwin Lwin Aung Myat Su Lwin Myay Hmone Lwin Myo Myint Nyein Pen Myanmar Nan Kyar Phyu Nedzad Ibrahimovic Pen Bosnia-HerzegovinaNeil Gaiman Nguyên Hoàng Bao Viêt Pen Suisse Romand Ngwe Kyel Sin Nyi Pu Lay Pandora Per Øhrgaard Danish Pen Per Wästberg Pen International Ping Hu Randy Boyagoda Pen Canada Regula Venske Pen Germany Renate Dorrestein Salil Tripathi Pen International Salman Rushdie Pen Writers Circle Samay Hamed Afghan Pen Saw Wai Shiying Zhao Shwe Eain Si May Shwe Naung Yoe Sirpa Kähkönen Finnish Pen Sjón Icelandic Pen Sofi Oksanen Pen Writers Circle Suu Mie Aung Suzanne Nossel Pen America Syeda Aireen Jaman Pen Bangladesh Thet Wai Hnin (Aung Lan) Tienchi Liao Independent Chinese Pen CentreTung Van Vu Vietnamese Abroad Pen Centre Vida Ognjenovic Pen Serbia Vonne van der Meer Pen Netherlands Waheed Warasta Pen Afghanistan Wenxiu Lin Willem Jan Otten Yann Martel Pen International Ye Shan Yeliang Xia Yongmei Cai Yrsa Sigurdardóttir Yu Zhang Zeynep Oral Pen Turkey Zhao Chen Zwel | Abraham Zere Pen EritreaWilliam Nygaard Pen NorwayAdriaan van DisAh Phyu Yaung ShweAleid TruijensAlejandro Sánchez-Aizcorbe Peruvian PenAlexander McCall Smith Pen Writers CircleAnders Heger Pen InternationalAndrew Solomon Pen AmericaAnna Nasiłowska Polish PenAnnika Thor Swedish PenAnotnio Della Rocca Pen Trieste Baoqiang SunBurhan Sönmez Pen Writers Circle Carles Torner Pen International Carme Arenas Pen Catala Catherine Vuylsteke Chaw Ei Mahn Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chit Kyi Aye Christine Otten Chu Cai Colm Toibin Pen Writers Circle De Novo Depu He Dr Mirror (Taung-gyi) Elif Shafak Pen Writers Circle Eugene Schoulgin Pen International Feng Hu Fiona Graham Scottish Pen Frank Mackay Anim-Appiah Pen Ghana Ghareeb Asqalani Gloria Guardia Pen International Go Go Mawlamyaing Guozhen Xiao Hakan Günday Pen Writers CircleHan Zaw Hanan Al Shaykh Pen Writers Circle Hanan Awwad Pen Palestine Htar Oak Thon Iman Humaydan Pen Lebanon Isabel Allende Pen Writers Circle Jennifer Clement Pen International Jianguo Zha Jianhong Li Jianhua Li Jianzhen Qi Jiro Asada Japan Pen JM Coetzee Joanne Leedom-Ackermon Pen InternationalJudyth Hill Pen San Miguel July Moe Juraj Šebesta Slovak Pen Khin Aung Aye Khin Mg Oo Khin Moe Shwe Khin Mya Zin Kyar Phyu New Kyaw Zin Ko Ko Kyawt Darli Lin Lebao Wu Let Yar Tun Liyong Sun Lucina Kathmann Pen International Ma Thida Pen International Magali Tercero Pen Mexico Magda Carneci Pen Romania Manon Uphoff Margaret Atwood Pen Writers Circle Margie Orford Pen South Africa May Zun Aye Mi Chan Wai Michelle Franke Pen Centre USA Mingmin Lin Mircea Cartarescu Mohamed Sheriff Pen International Moris Farhi Pen International Mya Thway Ni Myat Lwin Lwin Aung Myat Su Lwin Myay Hmone Lwin Myo Myint Nyein Pen Myanmar Nan Kyar Phyu Nedzad Ibrahimovic Pen Bosnia-HerzegovinaNeil Gaiman Nguyên Hoàng Bao Viêt Pen Suisse Romand Ngwe Kyel Sin Nyi Pu Lay Pandora Per Øhrgaard Danish Pen Per Wästberg Pen International Ping Hu Randy Boyagoda Pen Canada Regula Venske Pen Germany Renate Dorrestein Salil Tripathi Pen International Salman Rushdie Pen Writers Circle Samay Hamed Afghan Pen Saw Wai Shiying Zhao Shwe Eain Si May Shwe Naung Yoe Sirpa Kähkönen Finnish Pen Sjón Icelandic Pen Sofi Oksanen Pen Writers Circle Suu Mie Aung Suzanne Nossel Pen America Syeda Aireen Jaman Pen Bangladesh Thet Wai Hnin (Aung Lan) Tienchi Liao Independent Chinese Pen CentreTung Van Vu Vietnamese Abroad Pen Centre Vida Ognjenovic Pen Serbia Vonne van der Meer Pen Netherlands Waheed Warasta Pen Afghanistan Wenxiu Lin Willem Jan Otten Yann Martel Pen International Ye Shan Yeliang Xia Yongmei Cai Yrsa Sigurdardóttir Yu Zhang Zeynep Oral Pen Turkey Zhao Chen Zwel |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |