Supporters sign petition letter for Liu Xiaobo's release+

HONG KONG, Oct. 15 Kyodo -
More than 100 academics, lawyers and writers have signed a petition urging
Beijing to release jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, calling him a
''deserving candidate'' and asking China to endorse universal human rights
values, one of the signatories said Friday.
''I was asked to endorse the letter. I agreed with it and signed,'' human
rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang told Kyodo News by telephone.
The letter, first appearing on the Internet on Wednesday, has gathered support
for Liu from prominent figures from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and
overseas.
''Peace and human rights are inseparable in modern society,'' the letter said.
''To grant the Nobel Peace Prize to (Liu Xiaobo), a representative figure of
China's human rights movement was a timely and right decision.''
It said Liu's beliefs and actions serve as a solution model for political and
social conflicts in China and the signatories shared the wish from leaders of
governments and groups that call for Liu's release and freedom to receive the
prize in Oslo.
''We also urge the authorities to release prisoners captured for reasons of
thoughts, religion and speech,'' and to stop persecuting citizens who celebrate
Liu's being rewarded, including Liu's wife Liu Xia who has been placed under
house arrest and cut off from outer world, the letter said.
''China should endorse the universal value of human rights. China should act on
its promise of political reform as Premier Wen Jiabao has expressed in a series
of speeches delivered recently about his strong wish to push for reform,'' it
said.
Pu said he was taken away by police in Beijing for three days during this
''sensitive period'' and was only freed Thursday.
He also said he has failed to contact Liu Xia so far because her cellphones
were disconnected.
A prominent pro-democracy writer, rights activist and former professor, Liu
helped draft the Charter 08 pro-democracy petition that calls for democratic
transition to China's governance.
He was taken away by authorities in December 2008 and formally arrested for
''inciting subversion of state power'' in June last year.
The court in February rejected Liu's appeal of his 11-year prison sentence
handed down Dec. 25.
Beijing has called the Norwegian group's decision to award a ''criminal'' the
peace prize an ''obscenity'' and a ''disrespect'' to China's judicial system.
==Kyodo
2010-10-15 21:14:41