Prior to the 60th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, over 300 Chinese signed the Charter 08 as a proposal from civil society for political and constitutional reform in China. Before the announcement of the human rights document, Dr. Liu Xiaobo was arrested on 8 December 2008, and currently under “residential surveillance” outside his home. His wife, Ms Liu Xia, stated that the reason for arrest was “inciting subversion of state power”. During Dr. Liu Xiaobo's four-month detention, Ms Liu revealed that she has been allowed to visit him twice only with the presence of police. The books which she brought to her husband were all confiscated.

To honor Dr. Liu Xiaobo who has been detained in relation to the Charter 08, PEN / Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award named him as the recipient of 2009.

Although Charter 08 is a highly sensitive document in China, after the arrest of Dr. Liu, more and more people have expressed their support to it. As of April 2009, over 8,500 Chinese endorsed the document, and 143 of them have been interrogated by the authorities.

It is encouraging to see the growing support to the Charter 08 in China and ACPP will continue to call on the end of persecution to the signatories. To express solidarity and call for international intervention, ACPP issued UA081224(9) in December 2008.


Source:
PEN American Center,
Chinese Human Rights Defender,
Forum Asia

During US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to China on 20-22 February 2009, several signatories of Charter 08 were put under house arrest or surveillance:

- Zhang Zuhua was put under house arrest with several officers of the National Security Unit of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, stationed outside his home.  He was told that he would not be able to leave and meet visitors for a few days;
- Jiang Qisheng, vice-chairperson of the independent Chinese PEN, was under surveillance by a few national security police since Mrs. Clinton arrived Beijing.  They also warned Jiang against meeting with Mrs. Clinton;
- Pu Zhiqiang, Beijing-based lawyer, was “invited to tea” by national security police in the evening of 20 February.  He was asked not to deliver talk on legal practice at the Chuan Zhi Xing Institute which was scheduled on 21 February.  Afterwards, he was allowed to attend escorted by police;
- Li Zhiying, a human rights activist, was asked by national security police not to meet with US officials.  His freedom of movement was restricted;
- Yu Jie, a freelance writer, was under surveillance by plainclothes police since 18 February.  He was only allowed to go out in a police vehicle;
- Zeng Jinyan, a human rights activist and wife of Hu Jia, planned to meet Gao Yaojie, an HIV/AIDS activist in Henan Province who was invited to meet with Mrs. Clinton.  Zeng was barred from leaving home by at least six national security police.

Other human rights activists and dissidents were also questioned and monitored by the Beijing police.  The motive was to bar them from meeting Mrs. Hillary Clinton and US diplomatic representatives. Meanwhile, Liu Xiaobo, one of the signatories of Charter 08, who has been detained, is still under “residential surveillance” outside his home since 8 December.

To honour the signatories of Charter 08, the People in Need, an NGO in Central Europe granted the Homo Homini Award 2008 to Liu Xiaobo and the other signatories of the Charter in March 2009.

To support Charter 08 which calls for political and constitutional reform in China, and to demand for the release of Liu Xiaobo, UA081224(9) was issued in December 2008.


Source:
AsiaNews

Since Dr. Liu Xiaobo, one of the signatories of Charter 08, was taken by police on 8 December 2008, the authorities have not notified the reason of arrest.  According to his lawyer, Mr. Mo Shaoping, Liu’s wife, Liu Xia, was only allowed to meet Liu on 1 January 2009.

Mr. Mok stated that Liu was under residential surveillance away from his home, which is a breach of law as a person subjected to residential surveillance ought to be kept at his/her home but not other places.

To protest the harassment to supporters of Charter 08 and to support the call for political reform, Hotline Asia issued UA081224(9) in December 2008.


Source:
South China Morning Post