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The petition, with 52 signatories, was addressed to the National People’s Congress and circulated through the Internet on Friday. It called on the government to respect the right of free speech guaranteed in the Constitution, and defended Liu’s criticisms of the state as “rational and constructive.”
Liu was first arrested and jailed for his participation in the 1989 democracy movement in Tiananmen Square. Since then he has devoted himself to promoting democracy and human rights through his writing and social appeals. Most recently, he was a key drafter of “Charter 08,” a manifesto calling on Chinese authorities to grant the civil rights the country’s Constitution promises but has failed to implement.
The Charter, which was signed by more than 300 academics and writers, was made public on Dec. 9. One day earlier Liu was taken away by national security officers and kept in an unknown location until he was charged with the crime of “inciting subversion of state power” on Tuesday.
His predicament has aroused tremendous sympathy and support from around the world, while the Chinese authorities, as usual, have claimed that the case is being handled in accordance with Chinese law and asked others not to interfere in China’s affairs.
Richard Buangan, spokesman of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said Wednesday that Washington was very uneasy over this arrest. He asked that the Chinese government release Liu and respect Chinese citizens who exercise freedom of expression through peaceful means.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Washington urged the international community to condemn the Chinese government for this arrest. “Liu’s arrest for peacefully criticizing his government and advocating for human rights violates provisions in China’s Constitution as well as international human rights standards,” said Pelosi, who visited China in late May.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang said that foreign countries should respect China’s autonomy in judicial and internal affairs. He gave the routine response to outside criticism, saying that China strongly opposed other countries’ interference in its internal affairs. He also emphasized that China is a state ruled by law.
However, many overseas Chinese voices have been raised as well in condemnation of the government’s treatment of Liu.
Su Jun-pin, minister of Taiwan’s Government Information Office, told the media that Taiwan was greatly concerned about China’s handling of human rights issues.
“Freedom, democracy and human rights are universal values and should be faced by each government, including the Chinese communist government,” said Liu Te-hsun, spokesman of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council. He said he believed the mainland government would consider the necessity of moving to positively assist its society in achieving those universal values.
The opposition Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan responded promptly to the news of Liu’s arrest. Its public relations director Cheng Wen-tsan said the “Charter 08” movement had taken the most moderate approach to challenge the one-party dictatorship of the Chinese Communist Party, yet still it was suppressed by the Chinese authorities.
Cheng said that charges like “subverting the government” and “instigating rebellion” were typical excuses used by dictatorial states to suppress those who hold different opinions.
Wang Sing-nan, caucus whip for the DPP in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, praised Liu Xiaobo as an insistent fighter for human rights. He said that China’s action in charging Liu with “subversion of state power” was frightening to the Taiwanese people.
Richard Tsai of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China went with several others to protest to the Liaison Office of the Beijing government in Hong Kong Thursday. Tsai pointed out that the arrest of Liu is in direct violation of the National Human Rights Action Plan Chinese government issued in mid-April.
Szeto Wah, chairman of the alliance, expressed concern that mainland authorities would strengthen their efforts to suppress dissidents. He said this trend was receiving little attention because people were focused on China’s booming economy.
Liu’s wife told Hong Kong media that the Chinese authorities had refused to allow Beijing lawyer Mo Shaoping, an expert in human rights cases, to defend Liu, as Mo is among those who signed “Charter 08.” Two other lawyers from the same firm have taken on the task.
Many democracy activists among overseas Chinese have also voiced concern over this arrest. Yan Jiaqi, former director of the Political Science School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who fled to the United States after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, said that arresting Liu was likely to expand the influence of “Charter 08.” He said the Chinese leaders should realize that arresting Liu would intensify social conflict rather than resolving it.
In their petition, the Chinese intellectuals said that only by releasing Liu could the government show its commitment to the rule of law. This could become a new starting point for political negotiation and social reconciliation, they said.
