RE: open letter regarding zhengzhou case

From "mobo Gao" <mobo.gao@utas.edu.au>
Date Sat, 22 Jan 2005 00:40:30 +1100
Cc <zhongguo@openflows.org>
In-reply-to <b9ca03b9f879.b9f879b9ca03@hawaii.edu>
Thread-index AcT9GbZvg8UGzKK/Slm9zmK6G0aS0ACpKaNA


Add my signature; Mobo Gao

-----Original Message-----
From: worker-zhongguo@openflows.org [mailto:worker-zhongguo@openflows.org]
On Behalf Of Stephen E Philion
Sent: Tuesday, 18 January 2005 3:54 PM
To: Jonathan Lassen
Cc: zhongguo@openflows.org
Subject: Re: open letter regarding zhengzhou case


add my signature. 

steve
----- Original Message -----
From: Jonathan Lassen <jonathan.lassen@gmail.com>
Date: Monday, January 17, 2005 9:25 pm
Subject: open letter regarding zhengzhou case

> If people wish to add their names to this letter, please send an 
> email to:
> zhengzhou.petition@gmail.com, and be sure to include your name as you
> want it to appear, and (optionally) your institutional affiliation.
> 
> January 15, 2005
> 
> An Open Letter To:
> 
> President Hu Jintao
> Premier Wen Jiabao
> Zhongnanhai, Beijing
> People's Republic of China
> 
> President Hu and Premier Wen:
> 
> We are writing to protest the wrongful arrest, trial and 
> sentencing to
> three years in prison each of Mr. Zhang Zhengyao and Mr. Zhang Ruquan,
> which took place in the city of Zhengzhou in Henan Province in
> December, 2004.  These two members of the working class were tried for
> their involvement in passing out a leaflet on the 28th anniversary of
> the death of Chairman Mao Zedong, and found guilty of the crime of
> libel in a closed court proceeding.  We hereby call for your personal
> attention to this matter, and urge decisive action to be taken that
> would lead effectively to their release without delay, and an end to
> any legal or other forms of harassment against their two associates,
> Ms. Ge Liying and Mr. Wang Zhanqing.
> 
> We, the undersigned, are socialists and progressives, activists and
> intellectuals, members of the working classes and academics, from
> China, the United States and other countries.  Despite our different
> backgrounds, we are united by our strong feelings of solidarity with
> Zhang Zhengyao and Zhang Ruquan.  It is for taking a public stand in
> defense of the working classes and of socialism that they were
> arrested and sentenced to three years in prison.  We are deeply
> disturbed that the Zhengzhou authorities have meted out such a harsh
> punishment to one worker who is retired and another who is unemployed,
> for voicing the sentiments widely felt among Chinese workers and
> peasants and expressing concerns shared by socialists and progressive
> people everywhere over the widening gap between  the rich and the poor
> in China, deepening capitalistic exploitation of its working people,
> loss of health care, education and pensions, widespread official
> corruption, and deviation from any reasonable conception of socialism.
> 	
> President Hu and Premier Wen, immediately upon assumption of your
> respective offices, you both displayed a refreshing understanding of
> the plight of the Chinese working class, and of their pain and anger,
> as reflected in the leaflet that has been found libelous by the
> Zhengzhou authorities.  Both of you called for greater respect for
> democratic rights and sensitivity to dissenting viewpoints aired on
> the internet, many of which were expressed in even more strident terms
> than what is found in the leaflet passed out in Zhengzhou. President
> Hu, you especially have in no ambiguous terms deplored the loss of
> faith by many people in leadership positions in the cause of
> socialism, and called for a renewed commitment to the vision and
> values that, led by Chairman Mao, successfully guided the great
> Chinese revolution. In particular, you called on those in leading
> positions within the government and party to follow his call to "Serve
> the People," and to live simply and free from corruption.  This has
> been widely welcome in China and elsewhere.
> 
> Many have remained hopeful that you would mount a determined campaign
> to address effectively the worst abuses of capitalist exploitation and
> official corruption, to foster greater respect for political and civil
> rights of the Chinese people, and to resume the fight for 
> socialism. 
> This is precisely what is called for by the leaflet that was passed
> out on September 9 in Zhengzhou by Zhang Zhengyao and Zhang 
> Ruquan. 
> Far from being treated as criminal, their action should be supported
> and welcomed for its forthright statement of the needs and hopes of
> workers and peasants throughout China.
>         
> It is in this light, in addition to sharing our sense of outrage, that
> we are respectfully calling for your intervention so as to bring a
> just resolution to this travesty.
> 
> Signed:
> 
> ....
>