Please add my signature to the list: Jesse Isom
>From: "mobo Gao" <mobo.gao@utas.edu.au>
>To: "'Stephen E Philion'" <philion@hawaii.edu>,"'Jonathan Lassen'" <jonathan.lassen@gmail.com>
>CC: <zhongguo@openflows.org>
>Subject: RE: open letter regarding zhengzhou case
>Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 00:40:30 +1100
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>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:
> >
> > ....
> >
>