Announcement on the implicated criminal detention of Peng Heping, friend of Lang Zi,as an extension of the detained poet Lang Zi case, that poem being criminalized, literature being criminalized, and publication criminalized
Notice of detaining Peng Heping issued by Guangzhou authority (partial)
Copyright page of “An opening origin” (Yi Zhong Kai Duan 一種開端)
Exhibition catalog of “An opening origin” (Yi Zhong Kai Duan 一種開端)
Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) was shocked that the case of detained poet Lang Zi has been extended recently. Lang Zi is a member of ICPC, a poet, and his original name is Wu Mingliang. He has been criminalized because of writing poems, due to literature and publication. Now this case goes further that his friend Peng Heping in Guangzhou was also arrested by the Guangzhou authority. Peng Heping , friend of Lang Zi, once helped Lang Zi by printing the catalog of poem & art exhibition “An Opening Origin (Yi Zhong Kai Duan 一種開端)”, was implicated and detained on August 29, charged with “illegal business activity”, by Guangzhou City Haizhu District police authority (See attachment 1) because of that.
The Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) is strongly against and condemn the Guangzhou authority’s relevant activities. Guangzhou authority has been continuously violating the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it deprived Lang Zi of his citizen rights and freedom exhibited in his publication of “An Opening Origin (Yi Zhong Kai Duan 一種開端)” and “A Poetry Anthology in Commemoration of Liu Xiaobo (Liu Xiaobo Ji Nian Shi Ji 劉曉波紀念詩集)”. They cooked up charges, framed a case against Lang Zi, and intentionally extended the case now. They are severely damaging the freedom of every Chinese citizen to undertake literature creation, publication, and free expression, as according to the Chinese Constitution. ICPC requests that the Guangzhou authority stop all wrong actions and to abide by the promise and protection required by Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, and release poet Lang Zi and his friend Peng Heping immediately.
International literature circle, and media circles have expressed sympathy and support immediately after ICPC’s member, poet Lang Zi being arrested by Guangzhou authority on August 18 due to poem criminalized, literature criminalized, and publication criminalized. ICPC hereby thanks PEN America, PEN Club Français, PEN Club Belgique, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and other international groups, thanks for supporting Chinese fellow writers, and for highly concerning about the deteriorating public space of Chinese writers and citizens.
The Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) is also grateful to all the media, institutions and individuals who have continued to pay attention to, report or publicly support Lang Zi’s case ever since the incident happened. ICPC is willing to work together with everyone, looking forward to the immediate release of Lang Zi, Peng Heping and every Chinese citizen that are criminalized because of free expression.
Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) September 3, 2017