Wei Jingsheng Foundation

Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition News and Article Release Issue: A36-M5

中国民主运动海外联席会议新闻与文章发布号：A36-M5

Release Date: November 7, 2003

发布日：2003年11月7日

Topic: Request of Signing Petition to Release Du DaoBin

标题：征集签名：关于网络作家杜导斌因言获罪一案致温家宝总理的公开信

Please Sign the Petition Letter Requesting Release of Mr. Du Daobin

Du Daobin, a civil servant from HuBei, a central province of China, was taken into custody by plainclothes state security agents on Oct. 28, accused of "subverting state power."

Before his arrest, Du was a prolific writer who had published his essays online. He was deeply affected by the arrest of fellow Internet writer Liu Di, a 23-year-old college student, who was arrested in Beijing on November 7, 2002, and has been held incommunicado since then. She was an active contributor to several online forums, and frequently wrote articles that were critical of the Chinese government. She also expressed her support for imprisoned Web master Huang Qi, and called for freedom of expression.

After Liu Di's arrest, Du had actively called for her release and recently co-organized an online campaign to show solidarity by taking a series of actions, including spending one day in a darkened room to symbolically "accompanying Di in prison." He also wrote a number of essays supporting Liu Di and calling on authorities to release her.

"We pay homage to Du Dao bin's courage and the impact of his symbolic protest in support of Liu Di. The simulated detention campaign was a model of peaceful protest and the arrest of its instigator is quite simply disgraceful," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard said.

Du's wife has not been allowed to visit or communicate with Du in detention. The request of Du's lawyer to meet him has also been denied.

Several dozen Chinese academics, reporters and scholars have written a petition letter addressed to Premier Wen Jiabao, which calls on Beijing to release Du and protect freedom of speech. In Overseas, human rights defenders were active to solicit signatures to release Du. One of the most outspoken writers and activists, Ms. Mo Li, spend a lot of time for the effort. Mr. Wei Jingsheng, the chairman of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition has also signed the petition and is calling for more signatures.

"We express our deep regret over the matter," the letter said. "We request that the highest executive authorities take lawful measures to instruct the relevant authorities to liberate Du Daobin."

"We hope more people show their concerns for Du and other conscience prisoners, and sign this letter." One of the authors, Mr. Liu Xiaobo, said.

The letter is now open for public to sign. We ask our members and friends to send your signature to HuangCiPing@weijingsheng.org or FreeDuDaobin@yahoo.com to show you care and your support.

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An Open Letter to Premier Wen Jiabao

People's Republic of China State Council

Premier Wen Jiabao and Officials of Executive Authorities:

We express our deepest regret over the arrest of Internet essayist Mr. Du Daobin from Hubei Province on October 28, 2003 by the local police of Xiaogan District, Yingcheng City.

We request that the highest executive authorities take lawful measures and instruct the relevant authorities to liberate Mr. Du.

On October 30, 2003 the Yingcheng City police showed the "detention notice" to Du Daobin's wife, which stated that Mr. Du was accused of "suspected subversion of state power." From our understanding of Du Daobin and his literary works, we firmly believe this accusation lacks any merit and the law is being manipulated.

The detention of Mr. Du seriously violated a citizen's freedom of speech; it has also laid aside a citizen's rights as stated in the "People's Republic of China Constitution." It has gone on to violate international human rights treaties signed by China, including the "Rights of Citizens and Political Rights Convention." We therefore request that the Chinese State Council examine or correct, according to the law, this alleged "suspected violation of the law."

In recent years, some local authorities in China have disregarded the laws that safeguard citizens' rights. They have ignored the request for freedom of speech, at home and abroad, and the international opposition against the arrest of independent writers. We feel disconcerted by the abuse of police power and the imprisonment of people just because of their speeches or writing. In this act of terrorism those whose voices freely express dissent, including Huang Qi, Yang Zili, Liu Di, Li Yibin, Cai Lujun, and Luo Yongzhong, etc., were subjected to imprisonment; some of them with heavy terms. We protest against their arrest and request their immediate releases. We believe that promptly correcting this gross violation of human rights not only conforms to Chinese law and the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights, but also complies with international progression of human rights and allows China to enter the mainstream of political acceptance.

Over the last 100 years, Chinese people have been making huge efforts to overcome an outdated political system that has wrecked much havoc in the lives of Chinese citizens.

The national government's power is increasingly expanding and continually limiting basic human rights. The values and dignity of individuals are buried under the threat of state terrorism. Moreover, the lessons and experiences of today are serious and painful.

A national government that enforces terror can not obtain validity and maintain righteousness in society; the people who cannot be liberated to enjoy a life without fear will live in moral desolation. The poor human rights situation is the direct cause for the degeneration of human character, bringing humiliation to China and the Chinese people in the world arena. As a result of this, we appeal to every Chinese person, including you, the reader, to spare us from political terrorism, free us from political humiliation, and let us enter into a civilized society.

In developing civilizations there is a compromise between authority and freedom, which becomes the turning point of entering modern society. We believe that the hatred and unyielding selfishness (present in nowadays China) is a result of vested interests. The loss of citizens' conscience is induced by state terrorism and is the main reason for China's every social disaster. China's reforms should abolish state terrorism and people should be free to speak without the fear of being charged with crime. Based on this, it is very crucial and urgent that the government respect and assure citizen's freedom of speech.

We believe that personal freedom and the nation's dignity will be awakened when every Chinese citizen takes responsibility. Therefore, let us unite together to defeat the power of politics and selfishness, and overcome timidity. Let us end the tradition of incriminating people for their speech.

We urge every citizen to make a valid effort to examine every human rights case.

Again, we call on the government to free Du Daobin and all the people who have been charged with violating China's antiquated speech laws. Their basic human rights should be respected and protected by the nation and its judicial agencies. They should be rescued from the current legal disaster and be treated justly.

We are paying close attention to the case of Du Daobin and other related cases. Our freedom should be safeguarded based on legal rights embodied in the Constitution and what we believe is our birthright. Therefore, we sign our names solemnly below.

-- your signature

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请我们的读者和朋友在以下的公开信上签名

（签名信箱：FreeDudaobin@yahoo.com or HuangCiPing@WeiJingSheng.org）

关于网络作家杜导斌因言获罪一案致温家宝总理的公开信

中华人民共和国国务院

温家宝总理先生暨有关当局负责人：

湖北省作家杜导斌案先生于2003年10月28日被孝感地区应城市公安局拘捕，我们对此深表遗憾并表示强烈关注，我们在此要求最高行政当局尽快依法采取措施责成有关部门释放杜导斌。

2003年10月30日，应城市公安局向杜导斌的妻子出示的"拘留通知书"称：杜导斌"涉嫌煽动颠覆国家政权"。根据我们对杜导斌本人及其作品的了解，我们确信：这一指控完全是与法无据、与理相悖的莫须有强加，拘留杜导斌是又一起严重侵犯公民言论自由权的违法行为，不仅违背了《中华人民共和国宪法》有关公民权利的规定，也违反了中国政府签定的《公民权利与政治权利公约》等国际人权文件之规定。因此，我们要求中国国务院对这一"涉嫌违法"的司法行政行为予以审查或依法予以纠正。

近年来，中国某些地方当局的有关部门无视保障公民权利的相关法律，也无视国内要求言论自由和国际社会反对拘捕独立作家的呼声，滥用警察权力，致使任意和专断的文字狱连续发生，对此我们深感不安。在这一连串的拘捕自由发表意见的作家的恐怖事件中，黄琦、杨子立、刘荻、李毅斌、蔡陆军、罗永忠等人先后被捕入狱，有人甚至被判重刑。我们在此表达我们的抗议，并要求尽快释放他们。我们认为，及时纠正地方公安机关侵犯人权的违法行为，不仅符合中国法律和联合国公约关于基本人权的规定，也是顺应世界进步潮流，有利于中国在政治文明上与国际主流接轨。

一百多年来，中国人在克服政治落伍给民族带来的耻辱上所做的努力是艰苦而巨大的。但由于国家权力和统治权的不断膨胀，公民权利一直缺乏最低限度的保障，个人的价值和尊严不断沦陷在国家恐怖主义威胁之下。在这方面，中国人的以往教训和当下经验都是深刻而惨痛的。实施恐怖统治的国家与政府，无以获得合法性和维护社会正义；无法享有免于恐惧的生活的人民，必将陷入道德荒漠；这种糟糕的人权状况是直接导致人性沦丧的直接原因，令中华民族在世界范围内蒙受耻辱。因此，我们也向包括你们在内的每个中国人呼吁：竭尽全力，使我们免于政治恐惧、摆脱政治耻辱和进入文明社会。

在世界文明史的发展中，权威和自由之间的妥协是进入现代社会的转折点。我们也注意到，既得利益的自私所导致的仇恨和偏执，以及国家恐怖导致的全民道德感的缺失，是中国历次社会灾难爆发的主要根源。敏感的人们已经注意到，今天我们似乎处于一场传统型社会危机的前夜。对于中国的现代转型来说，政府应该具有废除草木皆兵的恐怖统治的自信，民众应该具有免于动辄"因言获罪的恐惧"的权利。基于此，政府对国民的"言论自由"的尊重和保障，就显得尤为关键和迫切。

我们相信，个人自由和民族尊严基于每个中国人的责任意识的觉醒，因此，联合起来战胜强权、私欲和胆怯，尽早终结以言治罪的文字狱传统，已经刻不容缓。

这是每一个人的责任。这种努力应该从关注每一起人权案件开始。

再次敦请尽快释放杜导斌和所有因言获罪的人们──他们的基本人权理应得到国家及其司法机关的尊重和保障，也理应享受免于当下的法律灾难的公正对待。

我们将继续保持对杜导斌一案、以及相关案件的持续关注，并基于宪法赋予我们的法定权利和我们信靠的天赋权利观念来捍卫自由。

为此，我们郑重签名（此公开信为开放式签名，希望更多人关心杜导斌等良心犯）

（签名人）

刘晓波（自由撰稿人）任不寐（民间学者）王怡（学者）包遵信（历史学家）王力雄（作家西藏问题专家）廖亦武（诗人）张祖桦（民间学者）余杰（作家）余世存（作家）梁晓燕（编辑）樊百华（学者）孙文广（学者）赵诚（学者）浦志强（律师）余樟法（政论家）赵达功（政论家）何永勤（自由撰稿人）李剑虹（网络作家），李彪，苏振华，贾拥民，魏京生，黄慈萍

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