Academics Around the World Write to Xi Jinping: Give Freedom of Speech Back to the Chinese People February 22, 2020 This open letter was initiated by professors Andrew Nathan, Perry Link, and Zhang Lun. Please join them, as many of their colleagues have done, to sign this letter. Please send your name and affiliation to: [email protected]. The list of signatories will be updated daily.
Mr. Xi Jinping, President of China:
We are startled and dismayed to learn of the recent forcible arrest in Guangzhou of Xu Zhiyong, a citizen-activist and holder of the degree of Doctor of Laws from Peking University.
It was only a few days ago, on February 6, 2020, that Li Wenliang, a physician and an early whistle-blower on the spread of the corona virus in Wuhan, died in his efforts to help his fellow citizens. When Dr. Li discovered the spread of the virus, he advised a small circle of his friends and relatives to guard against it. That act brought police to his door. He was summoned to a police station, threatened, and ordered him to keep silent about the virus. This kind of abridgment of freedom of speech turned China into an open field upon which the virus could have its way and bring disaster. When the news about Dr. Li got out, a nationwide torrent of popular indignation followed. Calls for freedom of speech grew strong.
The news of Xu Zhiyong’s arbitrary arrest only sharpens the crisis of freedom of speech in China.
We are aware of Xu Zhiyong’s many and frank criticisms of the Chinese government and of you personally. But we recall, too, that when you came to power in 2012 you announced your intention to “rule by constitution.” Article 35 of China’s constitution reads: “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China shall have the freedoms of speech, the press, assembly, demonstration, and protest.” Article 41 reads: “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China shall have the right to present criticisms of and suggestions for any state organ and any state official.” Xu Zhiyong’s views certainly do diverge from official government views; but they all fall within the scope of free expression and critical suggestion guaranteed by China’s constitution. As a leader of the government, you have a duty to respect analyses and political opinions that differ from your own, even if the difference is extreme. To deploy government organs in the repression of criticism and denial of free speech violates China’s constitution and diminishes the dignity both of the Chinese state and of you personally.
Accordingly, we feel compelled to express our profound concern over the arrest of Xu Zhiyong (and the arrests of his friends Ding Jiaxi, Zhang Zhongshun, Dai Zhenya, and Li Yingjun on 26 December 2019); we ask the Chinese government to show that it has absorbed the lesson of the Li Wenliang episode by immediately releasing the innocent citizens Xu Zhiyong and his colleagues, by ceasing abuses of citizens’ rights forthwith, and by returning freedom of speech to the Chinese people.
54. Steve Tsang, SOAS University of London 伦敦⼤学亚⾮学院教授
55. Alex Wang, UCLA 王⽴德, 加州⼤学洛杉矶分校教授
56. Jeremy Webber, University of Victoria ⻙杰儒, 加拿⼤维多利亚 ⼤学教授
57. Martin K. Whyte, John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Sociology, Emeritus, Department of Sociology, Harvard University 怀默霆, 哈佛⼤学荣休教授
58. Andrea Worden, John Hopkins University 吳⽟婷, 霍普⾦斯⼤学 兼任教授
59. Ming Xia, CUNY-Gradute Center 夏明, 纽约城市⼤学研究⽣院教授
60. Stephen M. Young, Global Taiwan Institute 全球台湾研究所研究 员
越来越多的国际学者在一封给习近平的公开信上签名，敦促释放许志永等其他被抓捕的维权人士，并把言论自由还给中国人民。这封公开信是在2月22日由美国学者黎安友、林培瑞和法国张伦教授发起的，目前已有百人签名但仍在开放联署当中。
我们就此采访法国巴黎-塞尔吉大学的张伦教授：
法广：请您介绍一下这封联署信的签名情况，
张伦教授：谢谢法广，中国现在每天发生的疫情状况让我们非常揪心痛苦，这不仅是中国普通民众面临的一场灾难，由于病毒在全世界的蔓延，也可能成为一场世界性的公共卫生危机，也会伤及其它国家人民的生命财产，我们对此都表示高度关注。
在这个事件中发生了许志永先生和丁家喜等好几位人权律师被逮捕，许志永先生是著名的人权人士，同时也是一位法学家，此事引起许多学界朋友的关注。这不是说我们对中国每天发生的其它对人权践踏事件有所忽略，我们对此都知道，但为了更好地使人们的注意力集中在一个能感知和有目标性质的事件上，我们共同起草了一个这样的公开信，希望各国学者能够关心他们的同行，即许志永先生和人权律师和活动家，所以在这次签名中有很多法学教授，有些人可能也与许志永先生有过交往。
就这个事情，我们想强调两点，第一是希望中国政府按照中国宪法规定和法律条款，尊重许志永先生和丁家喜等人权活动家的言论自由。许志永先生前些天发表公开信，希望习近平能够负责，对（疫情）事态发展负责，能够辞职。我想这可能会引起官方的很多愤怒吧，这或许是抓捕他的重要原因。我们关注许志永先生，就是希望中共能够尊重法律，尊重许志永先生他们的言论自由权利。
另一方面，我们知道：这场疫情之所以能够扩散，这和中共对言论的控制，对言论自由的打压有极大的关系。在公开信中也提到李文亮先生这一事例，因为这样一些所谓“吹哨人”，小范围向公众甚至家人朋友传递信息，都会受到警方的警告和训诫，导致疫情如此扩散的灾难性后果。中国的言论自由不仅仅关系到许志永等学者，也关系到每一个中国人的生命和财产，自由和尊严。
在具体案例上，我们希望中共能释放许志永先生等人，另一方面就是希望中共能够按照宪法的规定，还言论自由给中国人民。希望中国长治久安，避免类似灾难，这是我们参与这次联署的动因。
法广：参与这次联署活动的国际学者挺多的，来自亚洲，美洲，欧洲都有，这次中国人权问题是否超出了中国的范围，有一定的国际意义？
张伦教授：您说的非常对。这次全球的学者参与非常踊跃，甚至有印度的，越南的，拉美的，美国的，欧洲的，大洋洲的都有，其中很多是著名学者，有些是过去不大参与这类活动的。也有两位著名的政治家，其中之一是前美国驻中国大使洛德。
这次中国疫情在全世界扩散，向全世界昭示了一个事实：就是我们过去关心中国的人权，仅是与中国人的权利与尊严有关。出于一种人道的对普世价值的信念，有些学者过去有一些关注。但这次就清晰地展示出：中国的人权状况不仅是关系到中国人，关系到他们每个人的生命财产自由，甚至是呼吸的权利，同时由于这些年中国的全球化，世界的高度整合，越来越介入世界事务，中国的事情处理不好，不仅对中国是灾难，甚至会是全球的和人类的一个灾难。
中国这些年经常讲“人类共同体”，如果我们从正面理解，这当然是一个好事。但如果当中国发生灾难性问题和很糟糕的事情，它对世界的影响，搞不好也可能是灾难性的。伊朗，日本，韩国，意大利，都在爆发非常严重的疫情。当然这是病毒啦，但毕竟是从中国而起，是因中国体制的，最高领导人决策的失误造成了蔓延，引发了世界性的危机。那么，关心中国的人权状况，就实际上不仅仅是关心中国，也是关心这个世界，甚至关心到每一个国家，和这些学者所在国家人们的健康自由和尊严。我想这也是这次这些学者们出来参与签名的一个很重要的动因。
以下是联署信的英文版和中文版：
Academics Around the World Write to Xi Jinping: Give Freedom of Speech Back to the Chinese People February 22, 2020 This open letter was initiated by professors Andrew Nathan, Perry Link, and Zhang Lun. Please join them, as many of their colleagues have done, to sign this letter. Please send your name and affiliation to: [email protected]. The list of signatories will be updated daily.
Mr. Xi Jinping, President of China:
We are startled and dismayed to learn of the recent forcible arrest in Guangzhou of Xu Zhiyong, a citizen-activist and holder of the degree of Doctor of Laws from Peking University.
It was only a few days ago, on February 6, 2020, that Li Wenliang, a physician and an early whistle-blower on the spread of the corona virus in Wuhan, died in his efforts to help his fellow citizens. When Dr. Li discovered the spread of the virus, he advised a small circle of his friends and relatives to guard against it. That act brought police to his door. He was summoned to a police station, threatened, and ordered him to keep silent about the virus. This kind of abridgment of freedom of speech turned China into an open field upon which the virus could have its way and bring disaster. When the news about Dr. Li got out, a nationwide torrent of popular indignation followed. Calls for freedom of speech grew strong.
The news of Xu Zhiyong’s arbitrary arrest only sharpens the crisis of freedom of speech in China.
We are aware of Xu Zhiyong’s many and frank criticisms of the Chinese government and of you personally. But we recall, too, that when you came to power in 2012 you announced your intention to “rule by constitution.” Article 35 of China’s constitution reads: “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China shall have the freedoms of speech, the press, assembly, demonstration, and protest.” Article 41 reads: “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China shall have the right to present criticisms of and suggestions for any state organ and any state official.” Xu Zhiyong’s views certainly do diverge from official government views; but they all fall within the scope of free expression and critical suggestion guaranteed by China’s constitution. As a leader of the government, you have a duty to respect analyses and political opinions that differ from your own, even if the difference is extreme. To deploy government organs in the repression of criticism and denial of free speech violates China’s constitution and diminishes the dignity both of the Chinese state and of you personally.
Accordingly, we feel compelled to express our profound concern over the arrest of Xu Zhiyong (and the arrests of his friends Ding Jiaxi, Zhang Zhongshun, Dai Zhenya, and Li Yingjun on 26 December 2019); we ask the Chinese government to show that it has absorbed the lesson of the Li Wenliang episode by immediately releasing the innocent citizens Xu Zhiyong and his colleagues, by ceasing abuses of citizens’ rights forthwith, and by returning freedom of speech to the Chinese people.
国际学者给习近平的公开信公开信全文如下：
中国国家主席习近平先生：
获悉中国公民活动家、北京大学法学博士许志永先生近期在广州被警察强行抓捕，我们深感震惊。
就在早先几天，即2020年2月6日，中国新冠肺炎疫情“吹哨人”之一的武汉医生李文亮不幸染病殉职。他在去世前，曾因最早发现疫情而小范围提醒亲友预防，即遭中国警察半夜传唤和训诫，被勒令封口。言论自由的丧失导致中国预警机制废弃，令新冠病毒如入无人之境，肆意荼毒生灵，造成极其惨烈的次生灾害。此次事件激起中国人民广泛愤怒，呼吁言论自由已是中国强烈民意。
值此关头，许志永之被抓捕，于众所周知的中国言论自由状况无异雪上加霜。
我们知道，许志永对中国政府包括对您本人，有很多坦率的批评。但我们同时知道，您2012年上任之初即强调要“依宪治国”，而中国宪法第三十五条规定：中华人民共和国公民有言论、出版、集会、结社、游行、示威的自由。第四十一条规定：中华人民共和国公民对于任何国家机关和国家工作人员，有提出批评和建议的权利。许志永观点、政见固然不合中国官方标准，但都属于宪法规定的言论自由和批评建议的范畴，作为政府、作为国家领导人，理应有尊重不同观点和政见、接受批评哪怕是激烈批评的义务。动用国家强制机器压制批评、压制言论自由，有违中国宪法，有损中国政府尊严和您本人的尊严。
谨此，我们不能不对许志永不幸被抓捕，包括此前“12·26”事件中其同仁丁家喜、戴振亚、张忠顺、李英俊被抓捕表示强烈关注，并敦请中国政府及您吸取李文亮事件教训，立即予以纠正，释放许志永、丁家喜、戴振亚、张忠顺、李英俊等无辜公民，并永远杜绝此等恶劣事件，把言论自由还给中国人民。
国际学者给习近平的公开信：把⾔论⾃由还给中国⼈⺠（开放联署中）
发表于 2020年2⽉23⽇ 编辑 凌江峰 編者：公开信是由黎安友、林培瑞和张伦教授发起的。像许多他们的 同仁已经做的那样，加⼊联署的⾏列。请将您的姓名和⾪属单位发送 到：[email protected]，签署者名单将持续更新。
2020年2⽉22⽇ 联署⼈：
1. Tomoko Ako, University of Tokyo 阿古智⼦, 东京⼤学教授
2. Geremie R Barmé, Australian National University ⽩杰明, 澳⼤利 亚国⽴⼤学荣休教授
3. Robert Barnett, SOAS University of London 伦敦⼤学亚⾮学院研 究员
4. Jean-Philippe Béja, Institut de politique de Paris ⽩夏, 巴黎政治 ⼤学教授
5. Joseph Bosco, The Hill Newspaper 《国会⼭报》专栏作家
6. Anthony W Bradley, Edinburgh University/Oxford University 爱 丁堡⼤学荣休教授/⽜津⼤学访问学者
7. Anne-Marie Brady, University of Canterbury 坎特伯雷⼤学教授
8. Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Hong Kong Baptist University ⾹港浸会⼤ 学教授
9. Kevin Carrico, Monash University 凱⼤熊, 莫那什⼤学资深研究员
10. Josephine Chiu-Duke, Professor, Asian Studies Department, University of British Columbia 不列颠哥伦⽐亚⼤学教授
11. Donald Clarke, George Washington University 郭丹⻘, 乔治华盛 顿⼤学教授
12. Jerome A. Cohen, New York University 孔杰荣, 纽约⼤学资深教 授
13. Alison W. Conner, University of Hawaii at Manoa 夏威夷⼤学⻢ 诺阿分校教授
14. Michael C. Davis, Columbia University戴⼤為, 哥伦⽐亚⼤学教授
15. Larry Diamond, Stanford University 戴雅⻔, 斯坦福⼤学教授
16. June Teufel Dreyer, University of Miami ⾦德芳, 迈阿密⼤学教授
17. Michael S. Duke, Emeritus Professor, Asian Studies Department, University of British Columbia 杜迈可, 不列颠哥伦⽐亚⼤学荣休教 授
18. Marion Eggert, Ruhr University Bochum 梅綺雯, 波鸿⼤学教授
19. Joseph W. Esherick, University of California, San Diego 周锡瑞, 加州⼤学圣迭⼽分校荣休教授
20. Feng Chongyi, University of Technology Sydney 冯崇义, 悉尼科 技⼤学教授
21. Antonia Finnane, University of Melbourne 墨尔本⼤学教授
22. Magnus Fiskesjo, Cornell University ⾺思中, 康奈尔⼤学副教授
23. Martin S. Flaherty, Princeton University 普林斯顿⼤学教授
24. Eli Friedman, Cornell University 康奈尔⼤学副教授
25. Edward Friedman, University of Wisconsin 威斯康星⼤学荣休教 授
26. Terence Halliday, Australian National University 澳⼤利亚国⽴ ⼤学教授
27. Andrew James Harding, National University of Singapore 安德 馨, 新加坡国⽴⼤学教授
28. Nicholas Calvin Howson, University of Michigan Law School 郝 ⼭, 密⻄根⼤学讲席讲授
29. Victoria Hui, University of Notre Dame 許⽥波, 圣⺟⼤学副教授
30. Katrin Kinzelbach, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg ⽯⼩琳, 纽伦堡⼤学 教授
31. Thomas E. Kellogg, Georgetown University Law Center 郭汤姆, 乔治城⼤学亚洲法中⼼执⾏主任
32. Heinz Klug, University of Wisconsin 威斯康星⼤学教授
33. Steven I. Levine, University of Montana 蒙塔纳⼤学教授
34. Margaret K. Lewis, Seton Hall University 陸梅吉, 塞顿霍尔⼤学 教授
35. Perry Link, University of California at Riverside 林培瑞, 加州⼤ 学河滨分校教授
36. Barrett L. McCormick, Professor of Political Science Department, Marquette University ⻢凯特⼤学政治学教授
37. Andrew Nathan, University of Columbia 黎安友, 哥伦⽐亚⼤学教 授
38. Mareike Ohlberg, Mercator Institute for China Studies 墨卡托中 国研究所研究员
39. Minxin Pei, Claremont McKenna College 裴敏欣, 克莱蒙特·⻨肯 纳学院教授
40. Eva Pils, King’s College London 艾华, 伦敦国王学院教授
41. Pitman B. Potter, University of British Columbia 不列颠哥伦⽐亚 ⼤学教授
42. Heiner Roetz, Bochum University 罗德海, 波鸿⼤学教授
43. Wojciech Sadurski, University of Sydney/University of Warsaw 萨德沃, 悉尼⼤学/华沙⼤学教授
44. David Schak, Griffith University 澳⼤利亚格⾥菲斯⼤学荣休教授
45. Cheryl Saunders, University of Melbourne 桑雪丽, 墨尔本⼤学教 授
46. James Simpson, Harvard University 哈佛⼤学教授
47. Mahendra P. Singh, National Law University, Delhi ⾟默涵, 印度 德⾥国家法科⼤学教授
48. Dorothy J. Solinger, University of California, Irvine 加州⼤学尔 湾分校教授
49. Ken Suzuki, Meiji University 铃⽊贤, 明治⼤学教授
50. Teng Biao, City University of New York 滕彪, 纽约城市⼤学兼任 教授
51. Edith Terry, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ⾹ 港科技⼤学兼任教授
52. Glenn Tiffert, Hoover Institution 谭安, 胡佛研究所研究员
53. Rory Truex, Princeton University 普林斯顿⼤学助理教授
54. Steve Tsang, SOAS University of London 伦敦⼤学亚⾮学院教授
55. Alex Wang, UCLA 王⽴德, 加州⼤学洛杉矶分校教授
56. Jeremy Webber, University of Victoria ⻙杰儒, 加拿⼤维多利亚 ⼤学教授
57. Martin K. Whyte, John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Sociology, Emeritus, Department of Sociology, Harvard University 怀默霆, 哈佛⼤学荣休教授
58. Andrea Worden, John Hopkins University 吳⽟婷, 霍普⾦斯⼤学 兼任教授
59. Ming Xia, CUNY-Gradute Center 夏明, 纽约城市⼤学研究⽣院教授
60. Stephen M. Young, Global Taiwan Institute 全球台湾研究所研究 员
61. Lun Zhang, Universitéde Cergy-Pontoise 张伦, 法国赛尔奇·蓬多瓦兹⼤学教授
2020年2⽉23⽇更新：
62. Patricia Adams, Probe International
63. Ellen Bahr, Librarian, Herrick Memorial Library, Alfred University 阿尔弗雷德⼤学
64. David Brophy, University of Sydney 悉尼⼤学
65. Jie Cai, American University 蔡杰，美利坚⼤学讲师
66. Yu-Jie Chen, Global Academic Fellow, Hong Kong University Faculty of Law 陳⽟潔，⾹港⼤學研究员
67. Duncan Campbell, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 新⻄蘭維多利亞⼤學
68. Harriet Evans, Westminster University 艾桦，威敏寺⼤学教授
69. Andreas Fulda, University of Nottingham 傅洛達，諾丁漢⼤學
0. Sharyn Graham Davies, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand 新⻄蘭奧克蘭理⼯⼤學
71. Stephen J. Epstein, Associate Professor in Asian Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 新⻄蘭維多利亞⼤學
72. Ling Guan, Lecturer, Institute of the Pacific United, New Zealand 新⻄蘭國際太平洋學院
73. Marie Holzman, Solidarité Chine 侯芷明，中國團結協會主席， 巴黎第七⼤学退休汉学家
74. Pauline Keating 新⻄蘭維多利亞⼤學研究員
75. Paul Levine, Professor Emeritus, Copenhagen University 哥本哈 根⼤學榮休教授
76. Winston Lord, former US Ambassador to China 温斯顿·洛德，美 國前駐華⼤使
77. Paola Paderni, Associate Professor of History and Institutions of China, University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy 意⼤利那不勒斯東⽅ ⼤學副教授
78. Robert Reginio, Alfred University 阿尔弗雷德⼤学教授
79. Sue Trevaskes, Griffith University, Australia 格⾥菲斯⼤学教授
80. Paola Voci, University of Otago ⻬娜，奥塔哥⼤学副教授
81. Chaohua Wang, Ph.D of Modern Chinese Literature and Culture, UCLA, Independent Scholar 王超華，獨⽴學者
82. Robert D. Williams, Yale University 耶魯⼤學讲师
83. Jason Young, Victoria University of Wellington 杨杰⽣， 新⻄兰 惠灵顿维多利亚⼤学副教授
2020年2⽉24⽇更新：
84. Scott Waldron, Senior Lecturer, The University of Queensland, Australia 澳⼤利亞昆⼠蘭⼤學
85. Koen Wellens, University of Oslo 奧斯陸⼤學副教授
86. Martin Hála, Charles University, Prague 布拉格查理⼤學
87. Mendo Castro Henriques, Universidade Católica Portuguesa 葡 萄⽛天主教⼤學
88. Robert Benewick, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of Sussex 英國薩塞克斯⼤學
89. Terry Weidner, University of Montana 蒙塔納⼤學教授
90. Bienvenido Macario, MEG Macario Foundation, Managing Director
91. Jessica C. Teets, Associate Professor, Political Science Department, Middlebury College 趙娜，明德學院政治學副教授
92. Malcolm McKinnon, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 新⻄蘭維多利亞⼤學
93. Mark Zupan, president and economics professor, Alfred University 阿爾弗雷德⼤學校⻑，經濟學教授
94. Pat LaCourse, Alfred University 阿爾弗雷德⼤學
95. Mark Sidel, Doyle-Bascom Professor of Law and Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison 威斯康⾟⼤學法律與公共事務教授
96. Michael W. Dowdle, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore Faculty of Law 新加坡國⽴⼤學法學副教授
97. Andre Laliberte, Professor, School of political studies, University of Ottawa, Canada 加拿⼤渥太華⼤學政治學教授
98. Nguyen Quang A, Civil Society Forum, Hanoi, Vietnam 越南公⺠ 社會論壇
99. Dao Tien Thi, Master of Art, Viet Nam Education Publishing House, Viet Nam 越南教育出版社