To: Mr. Premier Wen Jiaobao,

The People's Aspiration for Democracy Is Irresistible, Demand an Immediate Release of Liu Xiaobo & Zhao Lianhai On the occasion of your attention at the international conference for Portuguese-speaking nations in Macau, I would like to use this opportunity to share our views on your recent speech and the development of democracy in China.

When you were visiting Japan in June this year, you said that if a country wishes to carry out democratic justice, political reform is necessary. This includes, in your own words, “a citizen’s right to elections, the right to access information, and the right to participate and monitor the political process.” In September this year in New York, you stated, “Without the safeguards of political reform, the fruits of economic reforms would be lost and the goal of modernisation would not materialize.” These words speak to the hopes and desires of Many Chinese people.

Coming from you, the message is inspiring and encouraging. However, the political situation today in China is so far away from these brave words; the distance likens to the gap between heaven and hell. The political reform which safeguards demcoracy and the rule of law seems to be an unreachable future to many people who struggle for survival in terms of housing, medical care, labour protection and so on. Today, an activist and parent, Zhao Lianhai, who had been reporting on the death and serious sickness of children who had been fed tainted milk, was sentenced to a sentenced to a two-and-a-half-year jail term.

Mr. Premier, can’t you hear the cry of his child? What Zhao Lianhai did was no more than issued a call for a peaceful assembly in an attempt to safeguard his right, which is an accepted and daily exercise in Hong Kong and Macau. However, Zhao soon found himself a defendant instead of plaintiff. It is so unfair. There is also the case of Tan Zuoren. All that this man attempted to do was to investigate into the “Beancurd Construction of School Buildings” which had killed thousands. He found himself sentenced to five years in jail. As a top leader of our country, how can you standby and not intervene and put things right? With such an unfair system, talking about democracy and justice is no more real than dreaming. Mr. Premier, you have been likened to a big star.

Brilliant actor puts up a good show. I don’t want to believe this to be true. I would rather keep my hope alive that you would turn this mission of yours which you have so boldly articulated into action, bringing improvement and breakthrough In October this year, you said in a CNN interview, “People's desires and aspirations for democracy and freedom are irresistible.” This is precisely what Charter 08, drafted by Liu Xiaobo and other more than 300 activists, is about. Your words and theirs echo each other. But today, Liu is serving an 11-year sentence for subversion. The barbaric acts of the government stand in blatant contradiction to your public statements.

Mr. Premier, how are we to understand your words? Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang put their words into action. In doing so, they paid dearly, but history gives them high applause. Today, Mr. Premier, I ask that you show us the proof of your conviction by taking action. Doing so, you will not be alone. You will find yourself supported and backed by many of your people. Today we make a humble demand: the immediate release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, including Liu Xiaobo, Hu Jia, Zhao Lianhai, Tan Zuoren, Shi Tao, Guo Feixiong; and of those under house arrest, including Liu Zhen, Chen Guangcheng, Zheng Enchong and Gao Zhisheng. We ask that the state stop the suppression of peaceful petitioners and the lawyers who help them. We call for an end to press censorship and to control of civil society. We wish to see the opening up of the political process to political parties.

Lawyers who defend the rights of the aggrieved, journalists, and academics should not be placed under surveillance. We long to see the convening of a widely representative constitutional assembly to map out a process towards a structure of democracy and the rule of law. We close with these words of yours, Mr. Premier, “The people's aspiration for democracy is irresistible. Yield to it, and we prosper. Resist it, and we perish.” Let us all take these words of wisdom to heart.

With regards.

Albert Ho Chairperson The Democratic Party (Hong Kong)