Friday 21 December 2012

伦敦中国留学生支持人权日活动(图)

2012-12-12
一名在伦敦留学的中国学生为西藏自焚青年落泪。学生表示,在国内并不知道少数族裔真正的处境,但是绝不相信共产党所宣传的藏人是被迫为金钱或宗教而自焚。另外在英国的日本佛教团体星期一晚间也共同参与人权日活动,并为西藏自焚人士默哀。
图片: 师岗对自焚的藏人表达静默哀悼,并要求中国当局尊重人权。 (记者张安安拍摄)
两名来自中国的留学生星期一晚间主动到中使馆前,对由英国华维藏团结会发起的人权日活动表达支持。他们在接受记者访问时表示,过去在国内, 由于言论封锁和意识形态,这些有关人权的事情的确没有接触的可能,但是在国外读书,一个自由的环境里,让他们有机会了解人权这些符合人性的,过去没有接 触,不了解的事物。一名留学生说:他说在海外看到很多事情,身为汉人,也为自己的政权在西藏和其他许多少数民族地区,甚至包括对待同是汉族的同胞,也有很 多事情是看不过眼的。这名在英国研究政治的刘姓同学表示,现在国内和海外都在相互指责,海外学生并不知道确实的真相,但是国内政权不开放,又说这么多遮遮 掩掩的话,在海外学生看起来,执政者很心虚。

面对当前西藏有这么多自焚的事件,接受访问的中国留学生表示:不论政治观点是什么,生命是最重要的,而中共说外界有人以金钱和宗教逼迫藏人去自焚。不过他并不相信90多条的生命可以被金钱收买,共产党官员也不可能因为共产主义信条而去自焚。

而另一名来自中国的女留学生表示,看到这么多自焚的藏人,有些有他们的图片,我们还可以看到他们过去活着的样子,但是有些自焚的人却只有身影,连什么模样也看不到,令人感到非常的心痛。这名女留学生说着,也为自焚藏人感伤地落泪。

对 于中国人权的改善,来支持人权日活动的中国留学生看法不一,有的悲观的认为希望不大,也有谨慎乐观的。一名同学表示,人权是符合人性的,未来国内不可能不 改变,尽管现在的共产党政权利用谎言、暴力和一种腐败笼络来维持他们的统治。但是就如同很多跟他一样受红色教育出来的人一样也会转变。他认为目前在国内的 许多微博和社交网络上,已经可以感受到很多人们不满的地方。

在英国华维藏团结会主办的人权日活动中,也有一些外国人权人士的参与,包括来 自英国的人权人士,也包括旨在散播善良人性的日本新宗教团体组织“幸福科学”。负责“幸福科学”在伦敦寺庙的住持师岗说:中国的情况也令许多日本人担忧, 因为日本也受到威胁,中国是区域的强权,但是根本不在乎人权。师岗表示,日本和中国也有着岛屿争议,他认为大家可以用讨论的方式来解决纷端,而不是威胁日 本,因此人权日有必要和大家一起提高声音,向中国政府要求要尊重人权的普世价值,以沟通来代替强权威胁。

以上是自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自英国伦敦的报道。

英国“华维藏团结会”在伦敦中使馆前示威(图,视频)

2012-12-11
英国“华维藏团结会”于星期一“人权日”的晚间召集维护人权的人士,在伦敦中使馆前为自焚的藏人静默致哀,高声呼吁释放诺贝尔和平奖得主刘 晓波在内的中国境内所有政治犯良心犯。抗议人士也要求联合国派员进入西藏、新疆,要求欧盟将中国人权迫害的案例,直接提交人权法庭追究其“反人类罪”。
Photo: RFA
图片:12月10日晚间在伦敦中使馆前,英国《华维藏团结会》发起抗议,要求国际社会关注中国统治下,不论是汉维藏族裔的人权都恶劣不受尊重,要求中国境内所有政治良心犯获得释放。(张安安摄)



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除了要求释放所有政治犯之外,主办活动的英国华维藏团结会指出,他们也希望尽快能让独立的国际媒体和联合国调查员能立即进入西藏和维吾尔地区,实地 了解当地严峻的情况。代表藏人发言的卡玛(Karma Chura-Tsang)表示,现在已经有95名西藏人自焚抗议,他们的抗议声音必须传递出来让世人听见。

参与抗议的维吾尔艺术家拉希米 (Rahime Mahmut)表示,“国际人权日”首先就让人想起那些为维护人权而被关在监狱里的人们,不论他们是哪一个族裔,都必须在此刻为他们发声。看到那些藏人以 自焚的方式表达不满和绝望,拉希米说,这些人应该和我们在一起。她说用这样惨痛的手段,一定是到了一种非常绝望的时刻才会做这样的事情。她说很多自焚藏人 的照片看起来都是很年轻的青少年,但是为了自由,为了他们民族的自由牺牲了自己生命。拉希米表示,在新疆也是一样的高压统治,任何人只要说一点批评中共政 策的话,不论是谁,老师也好,诗人也好,都会被判处10年15年的徒刑,如知名的历史学家、记者Gheyret Niyaz就被判处15年的徒刑,她认为这些良心犯都应该全部被释放。

伦敦中使馆所在的魏玛斯街前,前来抗议的流亡藏人、汉人以及维吾尔人,不断的高呼“自由西藏”,“自由东突”,“自由中国”。

数年来备受打压的法轮功学员,也拿着横幅在一旁静坐抗议。一名法轮功学员向记者表示,尽管当年打压法轮功的统治者已经不再是领导,但是千千万万法轮功学员还是为了信仰被关在牢里,尤其是仗义为学员提供法律协助的维权律师高智晟也受迫害,被关在监狱。

“英国民阵”发言人金露西指出,中共政权不尊重生命不尊重人权,异议人士受到政治迫害,如学者刘晓波因为发表批评政府的言论,即便获得诺贝尔和平奖的崇高肯定,这原本应该是中国人的骄傲,但是却因言获罪,连妻子都受到软禁,这是中国人的悲剧,他们都应该被释放。

“华 维藏团结会”在举行抗议的时刻,也派出代表到中国使馆递交抗议信。到中使馆递交抗议信的“华维藏团结会”邵江博士表示,18大开会期间就有许多访民和人权 活动人士被捕,还有2名访民被打死的消息传出,而此期间西藏就有28人自焚,可以看得出来新领导人只会继续执行这种长期压制的政策。邵博士表示,他们的抗 议要求包括国际社会真正的关注和支持中国的人权,并且要求中国政府必须遵守人权宣言和公约,要求国际支持中国公民社会,此外也要求联合国特别调查以及独立 的国际媒体进入中国,特别是到西藏和新疆不受限制的进行了解。邵江博士说更重要是要求欧盟,要将中国人权迫害的案例直接提交人权法庭,审理中共官员在其统 治下所犯下的“反人类罪”。

以上使自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自英国伦敦的报道

中国通过新法保护精神病人权利 旅英异议人士批评仅为国际文宣

2012-10-26
中国当局周五通过新法保护精神病人的权利,不过旅英异议人士认为新法制定仍是国际文宣,切实情况仍需继续监督法律的执行。旅英异议人士也呼吁联合国的人权机制应向中国要求进行国别访问,了解实况。
一个为保护精神病人权利的《精神卫生法》,星期五由中国全国人大常委会表决通过,《路透社》星期五引述国际人权组织《人权观察》指出,他们 欢迎这项法律的制定,因为有法可依总比无法律好。《人权观察》认为根据这项新法将会允许公民社会监督对精神病患的管理,也限制警察的权利。

但 是很多被当局视为是制造麻烦的人被送进精神病院,旅英异议人士国际政治学博士邵江就表示,直到近期都还有许多人权组织报道中国访民被关进精神病院,然后送 到黑监狱的讯息,而这些人在其村里根本没有人会怀疑他们的精神有问题。邵博士认为星期五制定的这项新法,多半是为了国际文宣,他表示中国当局在对付国际人 权机制的审议一直是使用读法律的办法来应付,这几乎是个障眼法的手段,因为中国官员对国际机制表示他们有这项法律,就好像他们就是这样执行的,而实际并不 真是如此。

邵博士指出,联合国残疾人权利委员会近期在日内瓦就中国签订的公约和落实进行审议,就可了解中国并没有真正按照签署的公约去落 实和实施,他说,而目前接近《十八大》,中国当局更对有许多公益团体、非政府组织如“爱知行”等机构进行打压,更证明这些人权法律的制定和国际人权公约的 签署只是个文宣,而不是真的要执行。而除了要求中国政府信息公开,当局说投入多少基金到人权工作,如当局声称多少经费投入到有关残疾人执行平等权,或是法 院有什么设施残疾人可以享受等,那就必须公开基金的流向,特别是在中国有很多由政府组成的非政府组织。邵博士认为联合国人权机制应继续跟踪落实和执行,也 应要求国别访问,如反酷刑的特别报告员、反任意羁押的特别报告员都应继续的要求,到中国访问了解真正的处境。

以上是自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自英国伦敦的报道

国际特赦发布报告聚焦中国暴力拆迁 引英媒关注

2012-10-11
国际特赦组织星期四发表对中国民众面临强拆迁的《坚守家园》报告,受到英国媒体普遍关注。而以关注中国人权为基础的的英国“华维藏团结会”也指出,中国签署的经社文国际公约内明确规定不能强制拆迁,但是签署公约中国当局只当成国际文宣,并没有真正执行。

英国各大媒体星期四都大幅报道国际特赦组织发表的《坚守家园》报告,英国《每日电讯报》的记者从北京报道说,新报告中指出,这两年至少有超过40名 中国百姓,因为抗议家园遭到强制拆迁而引火自焚。国际特赦的调研中记录档案的有40个案例,分别发生在2009年到2011年之间,尽管强制拆迁案例全中 国都有,但是多数都发生在乡下。国际特赦组织的资深研究员达克沃斯在《每日电讯报》表示,有数个抗议实例造成人命伤亡,其中包括民间发展商雇用的黑社会打 手杀害不愿失去家园抗议强制拆迁的屋主。

英国《卫报》的报道也表示,许多人权组织这些年不断地批评中国政府,对阻止强制拆迁做得不够,特 别是当有国际大型活动举办,如2008的北京奥运和上海世博会,人们就要面临大型的强制迁移。《卫报》指出中国政府去年出台对限制暴力强制拆迁,和公平的 赔偿的规定,尽管国际特赦组织欢迎法令的出台,可是法令对民众保障远远不够,并且只适用在城市的居民。

由旅居英国不同族裔组成的人权团体 华维藏团结会的主要成员邵江博士,星期四也指出,中国政府签署的经济社会文化国际公约,就有明文条款政府不能强制拆迁,但是签署公约成了中国的对外文宣, 却缺乏切实的执行。邵博士表示,签署国际公约就应该完成国际的义务。他表示国际特赦组织(大赦国际)的调研报告也是照公约的规定在评议,他认为这方式也可 是中国民间社会团体,未来监督中国当局落实国际公约很重要的方式。

国际特赦组织在发表的新研究报告中也指出,随着中国地方政府和地产发展 商的可疑交易,透过征地和卖地来偿还地方政府巨额债务下,中国的暴力强拆迁事件日益增多。国际特赦组织也敦促中国政府对这个情况要采取必要的措施。报告中 也表示,过去两年强拆迁显著增加,地方政府从国有银行获得巨额贷款刺激经济,现在依靠征地卖地的手段偿还债务。然而强制拆迁的手段,却让中国居民被迫赶出 家园,甚至导致居民死亡、被殴打、骚扰和监禁。其中一个国际特赦调查的案例是2010年3月发生在湖北武汉的王翠云老太太,在30名工人强制拆迁她的家的 时刻,她在老家住房前被一辆挖土机当场活埋。这起骇人听闻的事例,星期四在英国多数媒体的相关报道中都报道了这项实例,也报道中国开放商的残酷手段以及地 方政府的漠视。


以上是自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自英国伦敦的报道。

Monday 24 September 2012

英华维藏团结会十一在驻英使馆前抗议中共专制(图,视频)


2011-10-01
英国华维藏团结会在《十一》纪念日,于伦敦驻英使馆前向依旧专制的共党政府,为62年无数的死难者高声抗议,并要求在中国实施自由人权和民主。

Photo: RFA
图片:英华维藏团结会十一在驻英使馆前抗议中共专制(张安安摄)



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上周六、十月一日出席在伦敦由华维藏团结会号召抗议的人士中,不论是汉族、藏族或是维族都一致地表达他们不庆祝中共政府62年来的统治。海外华人、也是英国民阵发言人的金露西说:他们不是来庆祝的。她指责中共当局只在乎手中的权利,而不在乎人们的权利与人权。

旅居英国的维族人士也有多人出席,抗议在新疆维族人遭受的迫害。在新疆长大能说流利汉语的旅英维族歌唱家蕾西玛女士向记者表示,她和所有出席活动人士一样带着面具,代表那些无法自由说出自己理念的人前来抗议。英国维族协会的负责人安华托帝也指出:六四事件许多汉族人一样被杀害,让他意识到存在的问题不单纯是民族问题,而是共产党的统治问题。

流亡海外的藏民们永远不会忘记美丽的家园西藏,他们在伦敦中国大使馆前激昂的喊着抗议口号,抗议中共当局在西藏、新疆、蒙古和中原大地所进行的高压统治和种种缺乏人权保障的强制规定。而当这些居住在英国的年轻的藏民们用藏语高声地在伦敦唱着藏族美丽的歌曲时,也立即提醒所有的人他们原是来自遥远美丽的高原,自由的生活、高歌舞蹈和礼赞他们的宗教信仰、崇敬达赖喇嘛等等,原本就是他们不能被剥夺的生活。

负责召集十一,铭记受难者活动抗议的华维藏团结会发起人之一邵江说:他们的抗议活动希望对中国社会传达出的讯息是,不能再容忍专制的政府,必须继续公民抗争,完成中国的和平自由民主的转型,保障人权和自由和发展民主。

以上是自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自英国伦敦的报道

华维藏团结会在伦敦中国使馆前敲响大钟抗议中共统治


2009-10-01
流亡英国分属华维藏不同族群的海外人士,星期四在中国驻英使馆前,敲响大钟60下,细数各族人民在中共一党专制60年违反人权统治的血泪经历。自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自伦敦的报道

Photo: RFA
图片:在伦敦中国使馆前华维藏团结示威,要求民主自由与人权(记者张安安摄)

m1001-kangyi-zaap1-280.jpg
图片:伦敦反对中共极权专制的人士,敲响大钟,叙述六十年镇压史(记者张安安摄)
伦敦中国使馆前虽然在星期四中国国庆的日子挂上了一个雅致的大红灯笼,但是人们的眼光却不断地被使馆前方,来自英国各地要求中国走向民主自由,向中国统治者要求人权的人们所吸引。一群要求民主自由人权的华人维吾尔人以及藏人,正团结在一起向世人表达,他们反对中共在中国大地上以违反人权方式的统治。

穿着西藏传统服饰的波波仁增向记者表示:他以藏文写下心愿,不论在过去的六十年藏人经历多少挫折苦难,藏人对于自由正义的热爱都不会在枪杆子的威胁下泯灭。他也表示,中国当局正在北京向全世界展示强大军力,实际上他们是没有什么好值得庆祝的,有这么多为争取民主自由的异议人士被关在监狱中,中共不断抓上访人民,扫荡网上言论、打压宗教信仰自由。波波仁增表示,中共政权应为其所作所为向人民道歉,并立即释放所有因政治宗教言论入狱的良心犯。一些来自新疆的维吾尔族人,也到中国使馆前举着东土耳其斯坦的天蓝色旗帜,和要求自由的藏人和争取民主的华人一起,呼吁民主自由和人权。

一名在英国埃塞克斯大学读书的香港学生王净江,额头上仍绑着勿忘六四的红丝带,他对记者说,在中国应该实施民主,不该继续一党专政,他说: 少数民族政策也必须改变,必须尊重人权。对于少数民族的遭遇,他说身为汉人都感到罪咎。

星期四在中国使馆前的示威,在示威人士敲起大钟时最令人动容.钟声共敲了60响,代表中共政权经历的60年,在每个关键的年代,代表各族的人士,诉说着那一年在西藏在新疆或是在中原,一个个不被记载在中共官方历史书上的血泪镇压经过,其中包括了六四天安门的血腥镇压,去年三月西藏的抗暴,今年新疆的七五事件,还有受尽苦难被打被抓的法轮功信仰者等等。这一件件由人民的血泪所记载的镇压史,伴随着钟声在中国使馆前响彻了云霄。星期四主办示威的华维藏团结会表示,他们在中国使馆前示威,就是要传达一个很清楚的讯息,不论族裔,中国的民众都应享有民主、自由和人权这些普世价值。

以上是自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自伦敦的报道。

Sunday 23 September 2012

伦敦纪念六四23周年


Protestors to Mark the 23rd Anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre
On Monday the 4th of June, 8pm-10pm, around one hundred protesters gathered outside the Chinese Embassy in London to hold a candlelight vigil commemorating victims of the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989.
Protestors read out the names of known victims of the massacre, and mark their names on a street map of Beijing showing the places where most of these victims were killed or the hospitals to which their bodies were taken. The commemoration highlighted the fact that there are still people who remain in prison for participating in the 1989 protests.
The commemoration also mourned the recent death of Ya Weilin, a key member of the Tiananmen Mothers who committed suicide on 25 May at the age of 73. Mr Ya’s younger son was shot in the head by martial law troops in Beijing in the evening of 3 June 1989 and later died in the hospital. Tiananmen Mothers’ obituary states that Mr Ya ‘was in despair after enduring more than 20 years of grief without any redress and had decided to protest with his own death’.
On the 23rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, we repeated our demands: the truth of the massacre, the prosecution of those responsible, an end to the autocratic rule of the Chinese Communist Party, the guarantee of human rights, and the democratisation of China! 调查六四真相清算屠城罪状结束一党专制,建设民主中国, 保障人权自由#8964 

Time: 8pm – 10pm
Location: Opposite the Chinese Embassy, 49-51 Portland Place, London W1B 1JL. Stations: Regent's Park, Great Portland Street or Oxford Circus.

More Media reports

荷兰国际广播电台通过广播 RadioNetherlands Worldwide

http://www.rnw.nl/chinese/article/713570

衝出維園在倫敦街頭悼六四

http://yantsz.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/%E8%A1%9D%E5%87%BA%E7%B6%AD%E5%9C%92%EF%BC%8C%E5%9C%A8%E5%80%AB%E6%95%A6%E8%A1%97%E9%A0%AD%E6%82%BC%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9

Protests London Book Fair and Independent cultural events


 Protests London Book Fair and Independent cultural events
4月15日晚伦敦书展前夜,中共在使馆晚宴遭抗议。http://t.co/viWI2rwBhttp://t.co/zAuwLl0b
4月16日伦敦书展抗议及独立文化活动 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuWRMoLzYtI
Here are three video clips from the panel discussion held on 15 April, the eve of the London Book Fair, where independent scholars warned LBF2012 of being used by the party-state of the PRC as one of the latest outlets for disseminating censored information. Unfortunately, this has proved true by the three-day book fair held at Earl’s Court last week.
Tibetan scholar Lama Jabb discusses independent writings in Tibet, warning the London Book Fair of being used as an outlet for disseminating censored information. He examines three major themes in contemporary Tibetan literature that have been heavily suppressed by the Chinese censorship: history, colonial experience and identity.
Kaiser Abdurasul, President of the International PEN Uyghur Centre, examines Uyghur writers imprisoned by the Chinese state, criticizing LBF2012 for excluding independent voices. He emphasizes that the current situation in East Turkistan is 'hopeless' and 'helpless'.
Tienchi Liao, President of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC), criticizes LBF2012 for collaborating with PRC's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), the organization responsible for censoring independent voices in China, Tibet and East Turkistan. She calls for cultural institutions including the British Council to show more integrity and courage.
Chinese, Uyghurs, Tibetans and supporters protest at London Book Fair 2012

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vuWRMoLzYtI?list=UUjg3h0CJzlPhasHwgaLHH2w&amp;hl=en_US" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuWRMoLzYtI
On the opening day of the 2012 London Book Fair, Liu Binjie, head of GAPP, cancelled his conference speech due to protests. The speech, including the punctuation, was read out on his behalf. The Chinese chair of the conference said: 'We've spent money renting this venue. I hope the organizers can be responsible for the money we've spent.'
Protests give voice to Tibetan, Chinese and Uyghur writers at London Book Fair
Tibet Society's report on actions at London Book Fair
http://www.tibetsociety.com/content/view/267
Protests give voice to Tibetan, Chinese and Uyghur writers at London Book Fair
[17 April] Tibetans were joined by Chinese and Uyghur human rights defenders at the London Book Fair, in actions highlighting the Chinese government's continued crackdown on the freedom of expression. Readings of banned writers were given and protests took place at several events. Following the actions Chinese Minister Liu Binjie cancelled his appearance at the Fair.
The actions were organised by Tibet Society in conjunction with International Campaign for Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet UK and colleagues from Chinese Uyghur Tibetan Solidarity UK and the Independent Chinese PEN Centre.
The London Book Fair is a three-day annual international trade fair for the publishing industry. It hosts hundreds of companies from around the world and has approximately 25,000 attendees. This year China was the focus of the Fair. Under the auspices of the Chinese government's General Administration of Press and Publishing (GAPP), 180 Chinese publishing companies exhibited at the Fair.
Given that the organisers of the London Book Fair and the British Council apparently caved-in to pressure from the Chinese government and failed to invite dissident authors and poets from China, Tibet and East Turkestan, a series of actions were organised to give banned and imprisoned writers a voice and to highlight China's persecution of defenders of free speech.
Chinese Minister afraid of facing protest
In a major embarrassment for the London Book Fair organisers, Chinese Minister Liu Binjie cancelled his appearance at one of the Fair's main forums at the last minute, following protests earlier in the day at the Fair (see below). Liu Binjie was due to give the keynote address along with UK Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey.
Just before the forum event was due to begin security officials were seen in long discussions with organisers and pointing out various protestors who were in the audience. After a delay, it was announced Liu Binjie was unable to attend. Instead, his speech was read by Zhang Fuhai, International Director of GAPP.
During the speech, signs were held up, in a silent but dignified protest. The signs in both English and Chinese, read "Free speech is not a crime" and "Stop literary persecution". A poster of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo was also displayed during the talk. (Watch video of protest: http://youtu.be/vuWRMoLzYtI)
Security guards tried to prevent the protest, by forcing the arm down of the first protestor to hold up a sign and threatening removal from the auditorium, but when other protestors began to display signs the security guards gave up. About 10 Tibetans, Uyghurs and Chinese protestors held up protest signs throughout the 20 minute speech. Though not formally acknowledged by any of the forum's speakers, the protest made a visible impact and gave a strong reminder to all present that China continues to flout international standards by denying the right to freedom of expression.
Protest at China Pavilion
The first protest at the London Book Fair took place by Chinese dissident and Tiananmen Square survivor, Shao Jiang. Standing next to the China Pavilion, where state-approved books were being launched and discussed, Shao Jiang held up the two protest signs - "Free speech is not a crime" and "Stop literary persecution" - in both English and Chinese.
Security were quickly on the scene and tried to end the silent protest, but Shao Jiang stood his ground, claiming he had the right to express his opinions and that he was not disrupting the event. Chinese officials then tried to block the protest from being viewed with screens, but as the pavilion had been designed as an open space this proved fruitless as Shao Jiang simply walked around the pavilion!
Banned writers given a voice
Later in the day, and thanks to a sympathetic exhibitor, one of the performance spaces at the Book Fair was used for a public reading of banned Tibetan, Uyghur and Chinese writers.
Called Transcending the Terror, the unofficial event included Tibetan poems by Woeser, a Tibetan author living in Beijing and an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, Ombar, a Tibetan who has written for Shardungri (Eastern Snow Mountain) a banned publication in Tibet and, Namlo Yak, a Tibetan writer who escaped into exile in 1999.
Following the readings a press conference was held by Independent Chinese PEN Centre, who had a stand at the Book Fair under the name of "57 Publishing Company". Banned Chinese writers, who had not been given an official platform at the Book Fair,  were introduced, including Qi Jiazhen, an exile writer from Australia, Bei Ling an exile writer from Germany, and Ma Jian, author of Beijing Coma, a novel about the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
As he spoke, Ma Jian smeared his face with red paint in defiance to the Chinese authorities who have banned his work and barred him from returning to China. He said, "No Chinese writers enjoy freedom of speech. When you see 180 Chinese publishers here it may appear that there is a great variety but in reality they all come from the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist party... This invitation dishonours the values that make Western civilisation strong."
Organisers claim 'censorship and human rights to feature prominently'
Prior to the London Book Fair, Tibet Society along with a number of other concerned NGOs wrote an open letter to The Guardian stating their disappointment that dissident authors and poets had not been invited to an event which should be promoting the freedom of expression, rather that tacitly condoning it.
In a printed response, the London Book Fair organisers and the British Council said the participation of the Chinese government was to "strengthen cultural links with China". They also claimed that "censorship and human rights are expected to feature prominently in all the discussions and debates".
As Tibet Society discovered, the only nod to these issues was provided by several fringe events organised by the NGO English PEN. However, the main talks and forums focused on issues such as international trade, digitisation and new technologies and 'safe' topics such as education, health and children's books. A scan of the London Book Fair guide reveals no events specifically looking at the issues of freedom of expression or banning of books.
Tibet Society and its partner organisations plan to continue with further actions at the London Book Fair on Wednesday.
View more photos: facebook I flickr (larger set)
Further reading:
Independent: London book fair interrupted by protest (17 April)
Guardian: Is the London Book Fair supporting Chinese censorship? (13 April)
Guardian Letters: Chinese voices (13 April) Letter from Tibet Society and other NGOs
Guardian Letters: London Book Fair strengths cultural links with China (15 April) Response from London Book Fair organisers and British Council
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More:
Activists protest during CCP leaders’ visit on #lbf12. @BritishCouncil 4月17日伦敦书展示威继续, 活动人士冒雨6小时追踪抗议李长春 。 twitpic.com/9b5vgx
There will be more protests and Independent cultural events.

The Great Banner-Wall of China at the London Book Fair 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60bqCu4o7gQ
伦敦书展的防火墙 The Great Banner-Wall of China at #LBF12http://is.gd/Vas4JF @BritishCouncil @LondonBookFair@ReedExhibitions

Voices of Poets Imprisoned or Banned in the PRC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IirA4o8j9g
In order to give the voice to those imprisoned or banned in the PRC, we staged guerrilla poetry protests throughout the London Book Fair. The last reading session took place at the Literary Cafe, kindly provided by the English PEN.