Brussels-New York, 10 December 1997

Dear Madam, dear Sir,

As you know, Wei Jingsheng has been just liberated. A possitive event, even if - as Wei Jingsheng himself has declared - his liberation does not correspond with any fundamental change of the Chinese regime. Like him, we are convinced that the struggle for the democracy and for the state of law in China will continue and will be intensified.

We appeal to you with the belief that the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize should award, through Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan, the courage and action of those struggling for democracy and respect for human rights in the People's Republic of China.

In 1997, the candidacy of Wei Jingsheng, who is considered the father of the Chinese democracy movement, has got the support of over 1000 Members of Parliaments and University Professors worldwide. In addition, an international campaign collected thousands of signatures urging the Chinese Government to release Wang Dan, one of the prominent leaders of the 1989 pro-democracy movement.

For the ideas affirmed by them, their integrity and convictions, Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan have become symbols for two generations of activists fighting for the democracy and human rights in China. Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize 1998 to these courageous men would mean recognition and support of the international community for the Chinese movement for human rights and democracy.

The Members of Parliaments and Governments and the University Professors of Law, Philosophy, History and Political Sciences are the only entitled to support the candidacies for Nobel Prize.

If you will, as we sincerely hope, add your personal support to this initiative, please fill the following form and mail it to one of the addresses below and we will forward it for you to the Nobel Committee. The deadline for nominating candidates is the end of January 1998. We also ask you to circulate this appeal among your colleagues.

Yours faithfully,

Xiao Qiang Olivier Dupuis

Executive Director General Secretary

Human Rights in China Transnational Radical Party

Member of the European Parliament

PS. Enclosed you will find the adhesion form to the campaign for the Nobel Prize and the list of the first supporters for 1998.