Chinese security agents detained Liao Yiwu, a prominent author and critic of the government, as he was preparing to fly to Germany for a literary festival. This is the 13th time that he has been prevented from leaving the country. Mr. Liao was removed from the plane at the airport, and was then questioned for four hours by security guards. He has now been placed under house arrest. Telephone calls to his home produced a recording saying that the line was temporarily unavailable. Calls to his cellphone went unanswered.
He was planning on attending a Cologne literary festival where he was scheduled to read from his book "Miss Hello and the Farm Emperor: Chinese Society from the Bottom." Mr. Liao is a poet, screenwriter, and new-journalism author. Many of his works tell the stories of people who have been left behind in China's rush to economic and political prominence -- the "lower rungs" of Chinese society. His characters include people like prostitutes and lavatory attendants. Mr. Liao was imprisoned for four years in the early 1990s after writing an epic poem called "Massacre", which denounced the Chinese government's suppression of the 1989 Tienanmen Square protests. His works have gained international acclaim, but his works are banned in China. However, he does have a large underground following in China, and pirated versions of his works can be found in some Chinese bookstores. In December 2007, he traveled to Beijing to receive an award from a writers' rights organization, but he was detained by the police and sent back to his home. Last September, he was barred from traveling to Berlin for the Frankfurt Book Book, at which China was designated the guest of honor.
Mr. Liao's scheduled reading will still take place at the Cologne literature festival, but someone else will read from the book. Proceeds from the ticketed event will be donated to Amnesty International (oh snap!). In addition, the PEN American Center, which is one of the 145 affiliates of the International PEN Center (a writers' rights organization), called on China's president, Hu Jintao, to lift restrictions on Mr. Liao and other writers. Human Rights in China, a group based in Hong Kong, published an open letter from Mr. Liao to German readers. In it, Mr. Liao said, "Writers like me from the bottom of society still have to write, record and broadcast, even to the dismay of the Communist Party of China. I have the responsibility to make you understand that the life of the Chinese spirit is longer than the totalitarian government."
Germany's Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing "regret" at China's detention of Mr. Liao (talk about pussyfooting!). China's Foreign Ministry spokesman told journalists that Chinese citizens are free to travel according to Chinese law ("according to Chinese law" is the kicker). He said, "We hope the relevant government will respect the law enforcement carried out by Chinese authorities." ...Or relations will be strained; yeah, we got it. (Full Story)
Yesterday the Iranian authorities shut down two major opposition publications. These two publications were among the last to remain in circulation as the Iranian government has suppressed opponents' communications in recent months. The authorities have already blocked most opposition websites inside Iran, and have limited internet connections to prevent protesters from organizing demonstrations. The two opposition publications that were shut down yesterday -- a daily newspaper and a weekly magazine -- were both linked to Mehdi Karroubi, an opposition leader who has spoken out against the Iranian authorities. Last week he challenged the government by calling for a referendum on the government's popularity (you challenged the government last week and this week your two publications are shut down. Coincidence?). There was also a ruling last week by the supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that Mr. Karroubi and Mir Hussein Moussavi (another opposition leader. Both were candidates in the June election) have no place in politics.
In addition, yesterday the opposition website Jaras reported that as many as 20,000 people were arrested on February 11, the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. This was an attempt by the government to hinder opposition plans to stage a large anti-government rally. Jaras said the figure included those briefly detained on February 11, as well as others who were arrested earlier and still remained in prison. They said the figure was leaked from internal communications among the three divisions of the security forces: the police, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and the Basij militia. In another attempt by the government to intimidate protesters from organizing on February 11, the government hung two political prisoners days before the anniversary.
The article also mentioned that Tehran's troubles are not limited to the political realm. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that 200 employees of a telecommunications company in Shiraz went to Tehran to demand 13 months worth of back wages. Also, 80 employees of a steel and industrial equipment manufacturer gathered in front of the company offices demanding to know why they haven't been paid in seven months. The workers then forced their way into a board meeting and confronted the managers. The managers promised an initial payment and a settling of debt by mid-March. Stories like this are becoming more frequent in Iran as the industrial sector suffers from unpaid government debts and a tightening of bank credit. As a result, many factories are only operating at a fraction of their capacity. Meanwhile, government money is going into producing and testing guided bombs and other weapons. (Full Story)
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