Hong Kong Clamor: "Release Liu Xiaobo!"

Hong Kong Clamor:
"Release Liu Xiaobo!"

January 8, 2010 (CSN) -- The human rights community is affronted and outraged at the arbitrary sentence for Chinese dissident writer Liu Xiaobo, of 11 years' imprisonment, which was handed down by Chinese authorities on Christmas Day, December 25, 2009.

In Hong Kong, activists have slated actions to occur on January 10, 12, and 13 -- on the 13th, the Hong Kong Legislative Council will take up the matter.

The following write up of the activities comes from Patrick Poon, a veteran activist in Hong Kong. He reports, "We are outraged that the Chinese government defies appeals to release Liu Xiaobo. We are organizing the following activities to continue demanding the immediate release of Liu Xiaobo."

1) Collect signatures to “Demand Release of Liu Xiaobo” and “Support Charter 08”

Date: 10 January 2010 (Sunday)

Time: 1pm – 6pm

Venue: Jardine Bazaar, Causeway Bay

2) “Release Liu Xiaobo” Candlelight Vigil

The Legislative Council is going to debate the motion “Releasing Liu Xiaobo” on 13 January 2010. We are going to hold a candlelight vigil on the previous evening. See details below:

Date: 12 January 2010 (Tuesday)

Time: 7pm – 9pm

Venue: Open area outside Legislative Council (facing the Prince’s Building)

Rundown:

- Speeches by representatives of participating organisations

- Reciting the poems written by Liu Xiaobo and poems about Liu Xiaobo

- Action art performance

- Free speeches by participants

- Singing human rights songs

Participating organizations: Independent Chinese PEN Centre, Hong Kong Chinese PEN Centre, Hong Kong Journalists Association, International Federation of Journalists, Amnesty International, Inmediahk.net, Hong Kong University Students’ Union, Hong Kong Christian Institute, China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese, HKFS Social Movement Resource Centre (smrc autonomous8a), Hong Kong Alliance In Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Laogai Research Foundation

3) Support the “Releasing Liu Xiaobo” motion outside the Legislative Council

Date: 13 January 2010

Time: 10:30am (The Legco meeting will start at 11am)

Venue: Protest zone outside the Legislative Council