2016 Kina: Wang Lixiong
His Excellency Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
State Council
Beijing 100032
P.R. China
Oslo, 06.01.16
Your Excellency,
Norwegian PEN is concerned about the news that the Prominent Chinese author Wang Lixiong has been barred from travelling to Japan on 16 December 2015 to promote the translation of his 1991 novel «Yellow Peril».
It is known to us that Wang Lixiong has expressed critical views of the Chinese authorities treatment of minorities. In 1999, he spent 42 days in prison, and he has been placed under house arrests several times. However, this is a violation of the right to freedom of expression, as provided under Articles 12 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which China is a signatory. We allow us to remind You that as a signatory to the ICCPR China is obliged to «refrain from acts that would defeat or undermine the treaty’s objective and purpose», and also allow us to hope that Chinese authorities soon will ratify this International Covenant.
Norwegian PEN urge that the travel ban be lifted, so that Wang Lixiong can be allowed to travel abroad to promote his work.
Yours sincerely,
Ms Brit Bildøen
Chair of Writers in Prison Committee
Norwegian PEN
COPY: The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
