NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo
National People's Congress Standing Committee
General office of the National People's Congress
23 Xijiaominxiang
Xicheng Disctrict
Beijing 100805
P.R.C
Dear Chairman Wu Bangguo,
Dear Deputies to the National People's Congress,
We, the undersigned scholars, writers, lawyers, and human rights advocates, write to ask you to intervene to protect literary critic and former professor Liu Xiaobo who was sentenced to 11 years in prison on December 25, 2009 for "incitement to subvert state power and overthrow the socialist system" (Article 105 of the Criminal Law of the People¹s Republic of China).
Liu's "crime" was writing and circulating six articles on the internet which criticized communist party rule and "colluding with others to draft and concoct ‘Charter 08,'" a petition calling for greater respect for the rule of law and human rights in China. Charter 08 was released on December 10, 2008, a date celebrated worldwide as Human Rights Day. Dr. Liu was arrested two days earlier.
We believe that Dr. Liu was arrested solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed under China's constitution and by international law. We believe further that the crime of incitement to subvert state power as currently defined in Chinese law violates international human rights standards.
Dr. Liu's activities have always been peaceful and in accordance with the law. In recent years, his reputation has grown as his essays on current affairs in China and his principled defense of human rights and democracy circulated widely. Dr. Liu has consistently opposed recourse to violence. In his articles, he has lauded amendments to the Chinese constitution that stipulate respect for human rights and property rights. He has written strongly in favor of the development of a free civil society in China.
The National People's Congress is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China. It supervises enforcement of the constitution (Article 62). Therefore, it is your duty as delegates to ensure that the basic rights of the Chinese citizens that you represent are guaranteed. By pressing for the release of Dr. Liu you will honor yourselves and demonstrate that China is serious about its intention to achieve a rule of law.
For the international community to take seriously China's oft-stated commitment to respect human rights and the rule of law, and for China's own citizens to trust the judicial system to redress legitimate grievances, it is urgent that China's National People's Congress ensure that no one is sent to prison simply for the peaceful expression of his or her views.
It is equally urgent that judicial authorities throughout China cease to use China's anti-subversion law to prosecute peaceful critics such as Dr. Liu. He should be released immediately without conditions.
Sincerely,
Elisabeth Allès
Director, Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary China
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
France
Vivianne Alleton
Professor of Chinese Linguistics
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
France
Geremie R. Barmé
Professor of Chinese History
Federation Fellow, College of Asia & the Pacific
Australian National University
Australia
Richard Baum
Professor of Political Sciences
University of California in Los Angeles
USA
Jean-Philippe Béja
Senior Research Fellow
National Centre for Scientific Research Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
French Centre of Research on Contemporary China
Hong Kong
Bernard Bernier
Professor, Department of Anthropology
Université de Montréal
Canada
Lucien Bianco
Director of Studies, Chinese History
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
France
Igor Blazevic
Founder
One World Human Rights Film Festival
Czech Republic
Board of International Pen
John Ralston Saul, President
Eugene Schoulgin, International Secretary
Eric Lax, Treasurer
Mike Butscher, Board Member
Markéta Hejkalová, Board Member
Takeaki Hori, Board Member
Yang Lian, Board Member
Mohamed Magani, Board Member
Kristin T. Schnider, Board Member
Haroon Siddiqui, Board Member
Marian Botsford Fraser, Chair, Writers in Prison Committee
Michel Bonnin
Director of Studies, Chinese History
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
France
Susanne Brandtstädter
Professor of Social Anthropology
University of Oslo
Norway
Vincent Brossel
Head, Asia-Pacific Desk
Reporters Sans Frontières
France
Astrid von Busekist
Professor of Political Sciences
Sciences-Po
France
Jean-Pierre Cabestan
Professor and Head, Department of Government and International Studies
Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong
William A. Callahan
Chair in International Politics
Co-Director, British Inter-University China Centre
University of Manchester
UK
Antonela Capelle-Pogacean
Research Fellow
National Centre for Scientific Research, Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Joseph Y.S. Cheng
Director, Contemporary China Research Project
City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Leila Choukroune
Assistant Professor of Law
Maastricht University
Netherlands
Myriam Choukroune
Lawyer
France
Marcello Cini
Professor of Physics Emeritus
La Sapienza University
Italy
John Clancey
International Secretary
China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group
Hong Kong
Jerome A. Cohen
Professor, Co-Director, US-Asia Law Institute
NYU Law School
USA
Samy Cohen
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Alison W. Conner
Professor of Law, Director of International Programs
University of Hawaii
USA
Fons Coomans
UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Peace
Head, Department of International and European Law
Coordinator, Center Maastricht Centre for Human Rights
Faculty of Law
Maastricht University
Netherlands
Kelley E. Currie
Senior Fellow
The Project 2049 Institute
USA
Béatrice David
Professor of Anthropology
Paris-8 University
France
Michael C. Davis
Professor of Law
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Jean-Luc Domenach
Senior Researcher
Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Jean-François Doulet
University Paris-East
France
June Teufel Dreyer
Professor, Department of Political Science
University of Miami
USA
Clayton Dube
University of Southern California
USA
Ryan Dunch
Associate Professor of History and Classics
University of Alberta
Canada
Noël Dutrait
Professor of Chinese Language and Literature
Provence University
France
Halvor Eifring
Professor of Chinese
University of Oslo
Norway
Guilhem Fabre
Professor
Le Havre University
France
Fredrik Fällman
Researcher, Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
Stockholm University
Sweden
Feng Chongyi
Deputy Director, China Research Centre
University of Technology, Sydney
Australia
Stéphane Feuillas
Assistant Professor of Chinese Classical Studies
Paris-Diderot University
France
Arié Finkelstein
Engineer
Higher Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (ESIEE)
France
Stephen FitzGerald
Director, Research Strategy
University of Technology
Australia
Éric Florence
Researcher, Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies
University of Liège
Belgium
Helmut Forster
Sinologist, Translator, and Publicist
Germany
Edward Friedman
Professor of Political Science
University of Wisconsin
USA
Chloé Froissart
Associate Professor of Chinese Studies
Rennes II
France
Felice Gaer
Director
Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights
USA
Dru C. Gladney
President, Pacific Basin Institute
Pomona College
USA
Merle Goldman
Professor Emerita, Boston University
Associate, Fairbank Center Harvard University
USA
Florence Graezer-Bideau
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
University of Lausanne
Switzerland
Lars Grahn
Retired Managing Director, Swedish publishing house Natur och Kultur
Former President, Swedish Publishers Association
Board Member, International Publishers Association (IPA)
Former President, IPA Freedom to Publish Committee
Sweden
Nadine Gordimer
Nobel Laureate in Literature
South Africa
Tyrell Haberkorn
Research Fellow
Australian National University
Australia
Mette Halskov Hansen
Professor of China Studies
University of Oslo
Norway
Marie Holzman
Writer and Sinologist
France
Sharon Hom
Executive Director
Human Rights in China
USA
Hu Dong
Poet
London
Jean-François Huchet
Associate Professor of Economics
Rennes II University
France
Bruce Jacobs
Professor of Asian Languages
Monash University
Australia
Christophe Jaffrelot
Senior Research Fellow
National Centre for Scientific Research-Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Paul Jobin
Director, Centre for International Studies and Research, Taipei office
Associate Professor, Paris Diderot University
France
Marja Kaikkonen
Associate Professor
Stockholm University
Sweden
Pierre Kaser
Associate Professor
Provence University
France
Lucina Kathmann
International Vice-President, International PEN
Novelist and Essayist
Mexico
David Kelly
Professor of China Studies
University of Technology
Australia
Ann Kent
Visiting Fellow, Centre for International and Public Law
Australian National University
Australia
John Kleinen
Associate Professor of Anthropology
University of Amsterdam
Netherlands
Richard Kraus
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
University of Oregon
USA
Jeri Laber
Writer
Founding Member Human Rights Watch
USA
Andre Laliberté
Associate Professor, School of Political Studies
University of Ottawa
Canada
Willy Lam
Professor of Chinese Studies
Akita International University
Japan
Jean Leca
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Sciences-Po
France
Joanne Leedom-Ackerman
Vice-President
International PEN
USA
Anne-Marie Le Gloannec
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Steven I. Levine
Associate Director, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center
University of Montana
USA
Nancy Li
Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'homme
France
Li Xiaorong
Senior Researcher, Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy
University of Maryland
USA
Cecilia Lindqvist
Writer
Sweden
Perry Link
Chancellorial Chair for Innovation in Teaching Across Disciplines
University of California, Riverside
USA
Baisha Liu
Lecturer in Chinese
University of Oslo
Norway
Torbjörn Lodén
Professor of Chinese Language and Culture
Stockholm University
Sweden
Stanley Lubman
Lecturer in Residence
University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
USA
Ma Jian
Writer
UK
Roderick MacFarquhar
Harvard University
USA
Arien Mack
Marrow Professor of Psychology, Editor Social Research
New School for Social Research
USA
Richard Madsen
Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology
University of California, San Diego
USA
Victor H. Mair
Professor of Chinese Language and Literature
University of Pennsylvania
USA
N.G.D. Malmqvist
Member
Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
Sweden
James Mann
Author
USA
Nonna Mayer
Senior Research Fellow
National Centre for Scientific Research-Sciences-Po
France
Barrett L. McCormick
Professor, Political Science Department
Marquette University
USA
Françoise Mengin
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Guy Michelat
Senior Research Fellow Emeritus
National Centre for Scientific Research
France
Alice Lyman Miller
Research Fellow, Hoover Institution
Stanford University
USA
Andrew Miller
Senior Editor, Alfred A. Knopf
Member, International Freedom to Publish Committee
USA
Setsuo Miyazawa
Professor
Aoyama Gakuin University Law School
Japan
Martine Morier
Executive Editor, Cahiers d'Études Africaines
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
France
Robin Munro
Deputy Director
China Labour Bulletin
Hong Kong
Andrew Nathan
Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science
Columbia University
USA
Christine Pagnoulle
Senior Lecturer in English Literature and Translation
University of Liège
Belgium
Jenyu Peng
Assistant Researcher
Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica
Taiwan
Martyne Perrot
Research Fellow, National Centre for Scientific Research
Centre Edgar Morin
France
Sandrine Perrot
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Eva Pils
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Patrick Kar-wai Poon
Executive Secretary
China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group
Hong Kong
Karoline Postel-Vinay
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Marie-France Raflin
Research Fellow
National Centre for Scientific Research
France
Ren Wanding
Researcher
France
Sophie Richardson
Asia Advocacy Director
Human Rights Watch
USA
Ole Bjørn Rongen
Professor of Journalism
University of Stavanger
Norway
Kenneth Roth
Executive Director
Human Rights Watch
USA
Elisa Rotino
Lecturer in History and Civilization of Far East
Università L'Orientale
Italy
Alain Roux
University Professor Emeritus
France
Salman Rushdie
Author
USA
Cara N. Schlesinger
Managing Editor and Project Manager
Social Research Journal
USA
Mark Selden
Senior Research Associate, Cornell University
Coodinator, The Pacific Journal
USA
Jacques Seurre
Journalist and Sinologist
France
James D. Seymour
Adjunct Senior Research Scholar
Columbia University
USA
Satoru Shinomiya
Professor
Kokugakuin University Law School
Japan
Joel Simon
Executive Director
Committee to Protect Journalists
USA
Dorothy Solinger
Professor of Political Science
University of California, Irvine
USA
Song Yongyi
Librarian
California State University
USA
Elliot Sperling
Indiana University
USA
Joseph Studwell
Writer
USA
Rune Svarverud
Professor
University of Oslo
Norway
Marek Svoboda
Director, Center for Democracy and Human Rights
People in Need
Czech Republic
Stig Thøgersen
Professor of China Studies
Aarhus University
Denmark
Anna di Toro
Lecturer in Chinese Language, Literature and History
Università per Stranieri di Siena
Italy
Steve Tsang
Professorial Fellow
St Antony's College, Oxford
UK
Jonathan Unger
Professor, Contemporary China Centre
Australian National University
Australia
Sebastian Veg
Researcher
French Centre of Research on Contemporary China
Hong Kong
Rudolf G. Wagner
Senior Professor, Chinese Studies, University of Heidelberg
Director, Cluster of Excellence "Asia and Europe in a Global Context"
Germany
Wang Longmeng
Actor
France
Anne Wedell-Wedellsborg
Professor of China Studies
Aarhus University
Denmark
Catherine de Wenden
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for International Studies and Research-Sciences-Po
France
Wendy Wolf
Editorial Director, Nonfiction
Viking Penguin
USA
Guoguang Wu
Chair in China and Asia-Pacific Relations
University of Victoria
Canada
Zhang Ning
Senior Lecturer
University of Geneva
Switzerland
Zhang Yu
Executive Secretary
Independent Chinese PEN Center
Sweden
Sam Zarifi
Director, Asia Pacific Region
Amnesty International
UK
Kate Zhou
Associate Professor of Political Science
University of Hawaii
USA
