Dear Madams and Sirs,

We, the undersigned, have observed that 49 European Sinologists, China experts and other well-known figures have published an open letter to the head of Deutsche Welle, Mr. Erik Betterman, the Broadcasting Council of Deutsche Welle and the German Bundestag on the dismissal of the head of Deutsche Welle’s China Section (summarized in a report on the website of the People’s Daily, http://world.people.com.cn/GB/14549/8155375.html, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party). Since the subject of that letter is related to the debate over China’s past and current situation, we, Chinese civilians, including intellectuals residing in China, feel it is our duty to make our positions known.

1) We believe Deutsche Welle’s decision to dismiss the head of its China Section is an internal administrative matter. Outsiders lack comprehensive knowledge of the relevant circumstances. It is therefore not appropriate for them to comment on it. We respect DW’s decision, and appreciate its promise "to uphold the values of freedom, democracy and human rights to which DW has adhered". We expect DW to abide by this pledge from beginning to end.

2) We oppose the irresponsible views about the situation of human rights in China expressed by the former head of DW’s China Section. For instance, she claimed, "The Communist Party of China has made a greater contribution to the practice of Article Three of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights than any of other political force in the world." She also quoted without any scepticism an appraisal by the Beijing correspondent of Zeit, "Getting 400 million Chinese people shaking off poverty during last 30 years is one of the greatest improvements of human rights in recent years." We hold that these appraisals are completely based on Chinese government propaganda and have no foundation in fact that might be verified by an independent journalist or scholar. A journalist that takes such propaganda as his or her own opinion with no question clearly lacks professional integrity. However, we also maintain that such views, although absurd, are still within the scope of freedom of speech, and appreciate that neither DW nor any other institution in this situation has done anything to deprive anyone from his or her right to freedom of expression. Therefore, the call to "firmly strike back to protect them" in that letter signed by the 49 European sinologists and celebrities was obviously inflated and misleading.

3) That letter also stated, "This discussion is a part of the debate on the issue of how to judge China’s development and rise today." This is correct. We wish that such a debate could be discussed in China without suppression. More, we wish that the co-signers of that letter would use their reputation and influence to promote such a free discussion in China.

However, we are deeply disappointed that their letter only complained about the removal of someone from the leadership of DW’s China section. Those who have enjoyed "cooperative partnership" with Chinese authorities have yet to appeal for those in China who are discriminated against for expressing their views. We would like to ask a question: If those who speak favourably about the Chinese government need protection, don’t those who have criticized it? Is the latter’s right to freedom of speech insignificant?

Just a few of many examples are presented here.

It has been almost 20 years since the June Fourth Massacre, and June Fourth remains a forbidden topic in China. Do the 49 scholars and celebrities not consider it necessary to co-sign a letter calling for the protection of those who want to break through this restriction? We see that one of the co-signers is Reimund Seidelmann (Universität Gießen) a professor of international politics who is an Honorary Professor at China’s People University (CPU) in Beijing. We would like to ask him whether or not he realizes that DING Zilin, one of the co-signers (below) of this letter, is also a professor at the same university. Her son was killed during the June 4 Massacre. He was 17 at the time. She has struggled for justice for nearly 20 years on behalf of the Tiananmen Mothers who have lost their beloved children or other family members, but she has been completely deprived of her right to freedom of expression within China. In China, her voice has been thoroughly silenced. Her writings have been banned from publishing and circulation. Even her personal freedom has not been protected. We would like to ask Prof. Seidelmann whether he thinks of the name "DING Zilin" when he is honoured by the administration of CPU. Will you do anything to "protect" her when her civil rights are unjustly violated? Are you ready to "strike back" against the violation of her rights by the Chinese government?

Another co-signer of this letter is Mr. BAO Tong who should be familiar to the China experts among you. Please ask him whether he has any freedom of expression in China. Is his name able to appear in any of domestic media in China? He served seven years in prison. It has been over 10 years since he has been released and his status of citizenship has been restored, and yet he is still deprived – illegally – of his personal freedom, to say nothing of his freedom of speech. Have you ever thought to protect him, or to strike back against the Chinese government’s violation of his civil rights?

There is also Mr. SHI Tao, a journalist and poet serving a 10-year prison sentence. Those who enjoy a "cooperative partnership" with the Chinese authorities should at least know about him. This is a typical case where Yahoo! provided the Chinese government with information that led to the imprisonment of a dissident. It is the terrible result of the "cooperative partnership" common in today’s China that seeks profit regardless of ethics. Have you considered co-signing a petition for his freedom of expression, or striking back against such common evil phenomena in "cooperative partnerships"?

Those experts in international relations and China issues also at least should have learnt about the case of Dr. XU Zerong, an academic colleague who was sentenced by the Chinese authorities to 13 years in prison in violation of freedom of academic exchange. Don’t you feel even more concern to jointly call for the release of Dr. Xu who has been unjustly imprisoned for more than 8 years?

Furthermore, you should also know that the Chinese authorities have imprisoned tens of thousands of people for expressing their views. Among them, there are many journalists, writers, scholars, and rights activists, including YANG Tongyan (22 years for two sentences), Hada (15 years), HUANG Jinqiu (12 years), YANG Zili and his 3 colleagues (8 and 10 years), ZHENG Yichun (7 years), ZHANG Jianhong (6 years), ZHANG Lin (5 years), YANG Maodong (5 years) , LU Gengsong (4 years), CHEN Shuqing (4 years), QI Chonghuai (4 years), DU Daobin (3 years), YAN Zhengxue (3 years), CHEN Daojun and HUANG Qi (to be tried)……, and especially HU Jia (3.5 years), who has recently been awarded the 2008 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament. Will you also make a joint petition for their release, to let them enjoy a little of the "human rights improvement" some of you believe is occurring in China? The cases of criminalizing speech in China are too numerous to mention. How may of the experts and authorities on China among you have cared about such cases and made "careful investigation" into them?

It is good that your letter advocated "the careful investigation, analysis and reporting on various aspects of diversity and contradiction in China’s development", and declared the need "to defend the professionalism, responsibility and objectivity of journalism and academic work". Excellent! We raise our hands to agree. Therefore, we urge the experts and scholars who have enjoyed "cooperative partnership" with China’s governmental institutions to walk among Chinese civilians, listen to voices from various parties and then decide what to do for the protection of free speech. Hereby, we also call on these experts and scholars that, as you develop your cooperative friendship with Chinese authorities and exchange your views with Chinese colleagues, please do not forget to include in your exchange programs the profound learning you mentioned in your letter: "to protect freedom of speech".

Last, we call on all intellectuals in the world to uphold professional conscience and maintain intellectual independence; to not bow to political power nor be lured by fame and monetary gain; to act for universal human values and contribute to the benefit of all mankind.

We hope that Deutsche Welle will publish this open letter.


Many thanks.


Cosigners:

(53 Chinese citizens)

1. LI Pu -- Former Deputy Director-General of Xinhua News Agency and Secretary of China National Society of Jounalists, Honorary Professor of Beijing University, Wuhan University and Lanzhou University (Beijng)

2. HU Jiwei -- Former Editor-in-Chief and Director-General of People’s Daily, former member of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress and Deputy Chairman of the Education, Science, Culture and Healthcare Committee, dismissed from all of his posts after the June Fourth event in 1989 (Beijing)

3. LI Rui -- Writer and expert on the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC), former political secretary of the CPC’s late Chairman MAO Zedong, persecuted for his criticism of Mao’s ultra-leftist policies, and after the Cultural Revolution former member of the CPC’s Central Consultative Committee and former Executive Deputy Head of the Organization Department of the CPC’s Central Committee (Beijing)

4. YU Haocheng -- Scholar of law, Honorary Director of Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC), Former Publisher of the Mass Publishing House of the Public Security Ministry, imprisoned for 8 months for the June Fourth Event in 1989 (Beijing)

5. GAO Yu -- Journalist, former Deputy Chief Editor of Economics Weekly (Jing Ji Xue Zhou Bao), laureate of the First UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, WAN Golden Pen of Freedom and more, imprisoned twice for 7 years in total for the June Fourth Event in 1989 (Beijing)

6. ZHANG Zuhua -- Scholar of Constitutional Politics, former Associate Researcher at the Research Center of China Youth Studies and former Standing Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, politically persecuted for the June Fourth Event in 1989 and often under house arrest since then (Beijing)

7. DING Zilin -- Professor at CPU, Tiananmen Mothers, ICPC Honorary Director and its laureate of Freedom to Write Award, laureate of NYAS Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights of Scientists Award, French Freedom Foundation’s Memorial Prize (Le Prix de la Memoire) and others, persecuted and prohibited from visiting overseas for her activism for the victims of Tiananmen Massacre (Beijing)

8. ZHANG Xianling -- Engineer, Tiananmen Mothers (Beijing)

9. XU Jue -- Researcher, Tiananmen Mothers (Beijing)

10. JIANG Peikun -- Professor at CPU, father of a victim of the Tiananmen Massacre (Beijing)

11. BAO Tong -- Writer, former member of the CPC’s Central Committee, former political secretary of the Standing Committee, of its Political Bureau, and former Director of its Political System Reform Research Office, imprisoned for 7 years for June Fourth Event in 1989 (Beijing)

12. ZHANG Yaojie -- Scholar of Humanities, persecuted for supporting human rights activism (Beijing)

13. LIU Jingsheng -- Freelance, American PEN Freedom to Write Award, imprisoned twice since the Beijing Democracy Wall event in 1978 for 13 years in total (Beijing)

14. Dr. TENG Biao -- Lecturer at China University of Political Science and Law, legal consultant of ICPC's Writers in Prison Committee, laureate of Human Rights Prize of the French Republic (Prix des Droits de l’Homme de la Republique francaise) and US NED Democracy Award for Human Rights and Rule of Law, prohibited from visiting overseas for his human rights activism (Beijing)

15. YU Jie -- Writer, ICPC Board Member (Beijing)

16. WANG Xiaoshan -- Journalist (Beijing)

17. LIU Tao, Freelance (Beijing)

18. Tsering Woeser -- Poet and writer, laureate of Norwegian Writers Union Freedom of Expression Prize (Den norske forfatterforenings ytringsfrihetspris), former editor of Tibetan Literature, dismissed from her job and residence, restricted in travel and prohibited from visiting overseas since her book Notes on Tibet was banned in 2004 (Beijing)

19. JIANG Danwen -- Writer, ICPC Deputy Secretary-general (Shanghai)

20. WANG Jianbo -- Lawyer (Shanghai)

21. CHEN Jieyu -- Writer (Shanghai)

22. ZHAO Dagong -- Writer, ICPC Board Member and Coordinator of its Internet Committee, prohibited from visiting overseas for his human rights activism (Shenzhen)

23. Shengguan -- Buddhist monk, imprisoned for one year for the June Fourth Event in 1989 (Shenzhen)

24. Wu Wei -- Webmaster and editor (Guangdong)

25. Miaoju -- Buddhist monk (Guangdong)

26. CHE Xiangqian -- Freelance (Guangdong)

27. ZAN Aizong -- Journalist, laureate of ICPC Lin Shao Memorial Award, former chief of Zhejiang station of China Ocean Newspaper (Zhongguo Haiyang Bao), dismissed from his job for his reports on human rights activism and prohibited from visiting overseas (Hangzhou)

28. ZHUANG Daohe -- Scholar and lawyer at Zhejiang University (Hangzhou)

29. ZHU Zhengming -- Engineer and scholar of humanities, imprisoned for 10 years for organizing China Democracy Party (Hangzhou)

30. LI Jianqiang -- Writer and lawyer, disbarred for his legal practice defending political dissidents (Qingdao)

31. ZHANG Mingshan -- Freelance (Shandong)

32. XU Gaojin -- Freelance, detained for 4 months for his human rights activism (Jiangxi)

33. SU Lufeng -- editor of Literary Circles Newspaper (Wen Cui Bao) of Hunan Daily, Executive Board Member and Deputy General Secretary of Changsha He-culture Society (Changsha)

34. LIU Miao -- Writer (Hunan)

35. LU Wen -- Writer (Jiangsu)

36. BIN Lang -- University Teacher (Nanjing)

37. LIU Yiming -- Freelance (Hubei)

38. QIN Geng -- Writer, imprisoned for one year for the June Fourth Event in 1989

39. SHEN Youlian -- Freelance (Guiyang)

40. MO Jiangang -- Poet and writer (Guiyang)

41. LI Yuanlong, Freelance, former reporter for Bijie Daily, imprisoned for 2 years for his online articles (Guizhou)

42. WANG Zhongling -- Poet, Executive Deputy Chief Editor of Voice of Yanta (Xi’an)

43. LIU Shui -- Writer and poet, former journalist of Southern Metropolis Daily (Nanfang Dushi Bao) and Shenzhen Daily, dismissed from job and imprisoned 5 times for 7 years for his dissident opinions since the June Fourth Event in 1989, restricted in seeking job and prohibited from visiting overseas (Shenzhen and Qinqyang)

44. YI Ke -- Writer (Chengdu)

45. JIANG Ying -- Poet and scholar, persecuted for Anti-rightists Movement (Tianjin)

46. YAN Zi -- Writer (Hebei)

47. LU Xuesong -- Writer and college teacher, laureate of ICPC Lin Shao Memorial Award, dismissed from her teaching duties and placed under house arrest with Reeducation Through Labor for one year for her free lectures (Jilin)

48. WU Yisan -- Freelance, 5-7 Society (Hong Kong)

49. CAI Yongmei -- Writer, Executive Editor of Open Magazine (Hong Kong)

50. Dr. LIU Xiaobo -- Writer, former lecturer at Beijing Normal University, ICPC Board Member and its former President, RSF/Foundation de France for Defender of Press Freedom (prix de defenseur de la liberte de la presse de Reporters sans frontires et la Fondation de France) and Prize of Hong Kong Human Rights News Awards, since the June Fourth Event in 1989 imprisoned 3 times for 5 ½ years in total and prohibited from visiting overseas (Beijing)

51. ZHOU Qing -- Writer in Residence of Cologne City, his work "What kind of God: a survey of the current safety of China’s food" won the Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage, imprisoned for 7 years for the June Fourth Event in 1989 (Beijing/Cologne)

52. LI Jianhong -- Writer in Residence of Stockholm City, laureate of ICPC Lin Shao Memorial Award, persecuted for her Internet expression (Shanghai/Stockholm)

53. Dr. Yu ZHANG -- Scholar and editor, ICPC former Secretary-General and Coordinator of its Writers in Prison Committee, Chinese citizen denied re-entry to China since 2007 for his activism on ICPC’s behalf (Stockholm)


(Seconded by 15 overseas Chinese)

1. HU Ping -- Writer, Chief Editor of Beijing Spring (New York, USA)

2. Dr. CHEN Kuide -- Executive Chairman of Princeton China Initiative, Chief Editor of China in Perspective, exiled due to the June Fourth event in 1989 (Washington D.C.,USA)

3. CHEN Maiping -- Writer and translator, exiled due to the June Fourth event in 1989 (Stockhom, Sweden)

4. XU Wenli -- Writer, honorary doctorate and senior fellow at Brown University, laureate of PEN USA Freedom to Write Award and Human Rights First’s 25th Annual Human Rights Award, imprisoned twice for 16 years for Beijing Democracy Wall Movement and China Democracy Party (Rhode Island, USA)

5. WANG Ju -- Writer (USA)

6. SHENG Xu, Journalist and writer, laureate of Canadian Association for Journalists Award for Investigative Journalism and more, exiled after the June Fourth event in 1989 (Canada)

7. YANG Lian, Poet, ICPC International Secretary (London, UK)

8. MA Jian, Writer, laureate of UK Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for his novel Red Dust(London, UK)

9. AI Ge -- Poet and painter, imprisoned for 2 and half years for the June Fourth Event in 1989 (Paris, France)

10. PENG Xiaoming -- Freelance, Chairman of Chinese Student Federation in Germany (Germany)

11. ZHONG Weiguang -- Scholar (Germany)

12. HUANG Xuewen -- Writer (Germany)

13. YU Luojin -- Writer (Germany)

14. YUE Qiushou -- Writer (Sydney, Australia)

15. ZHANG Xiaogang -- Freelance, ICPC Secretary-general, denied entry to China to attend the funeral of his old sister in 2008 (Sydney, Australia)


(Contact: Dr. Yu Zhang, +46-8-50022792, email: wipc@comhem.se)