Dears friends,

I'm Writer Emanuele Bettini - Chair of Writers in Prison Committee Swiss italian P.E.N.

I inform you we have "adopted" Poet Xue Deyun from China. Please to see web:

www.writers-prison.org

Regards,

Emanuele Bettini

Emanuele Bettini

v.le Trento e Trieste n.33

26100 - Cremona (I)

+39.0372.30404

e-mail:

bettini.siscrive@dinet.it

chairman.wipc@writers-prison.org

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His Excellency President

JIANG ZEMIN

State Council

Beijing 100032 P.R. China

Lugano, 25 October, 1999

Your Excellency,

We write to you on behalf of International PEN, the world association of writers with over 75 years experience of campaigning against the suppression of freedom of expression, to express our grave concern over the arrest and imprisonment of poet Xue Deyun.

According to report we have received, Xue Deyun was arrested on 26 January 1998 with three other poets, Ma Qiang, Wu Ruohai and Xiong Jinren (also known as Xiong Xiang), as they were preparing to launch an unofficial journal supporting literary freedoms China Cultural Renaissance. Xue Deyun was charged with "engaging in subversive activities", violating "article 105.2 of the Chinese Penal Code", and attempting to overthrow "the socialist system by rumour-mongering [or] slander.

The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN considers poet Xue Deyun to be detained in Violation of his right to freedom of expression and association as guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which China is a signatory, and is calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

We thank you for your attention and welcome your comments.

Yours sincerely

SWISS ITALIAN and ROMANSCH P.E.N.

Writers in Prison Committee

Emanuele Bettini

Chairman