Committee to Protect Journalists330 Seventh Avenue, 12th floorNew York, NY 10001

   His Excellency Jiang ZeminPresident, People's Republic of China C/o Embassy of the People's Republic of China2300 Connecticut Ave., NWWashington, D.C. 20008 (博讯boxun.com)

   Via facsimile: (202) 588-0032

   Your Excellency:

   The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the recent arrest ofInternet essayist Chen Shaowen. Chen was arrested on suspicion of "usingthe Internet to subvert state power," according to a report in the officialHunan Daily.

   The Hunan Daily article, published on September 14, does not give the date ofChen's arrest, although Boxun News, an overseas online news service, reportedthat he was arrested on August 6.

   Chen Shaowen, who lives in Lianyuan, Hunan Province, has written numerous essaysand articles for various overseas Chinese-language Web sites, including HuangHua Gang magazine and Minzhu Luntan (Democracy Forum). According to his author'sbiography on the Minzhu Luntan website (http://asiademo.org), Chen's essays covered topics includingChina's unemployment problem, social inequalities, and flaws within the legalsystem.

   The Hunan Daily article accused Chen of, "repeatedly browsing reactionarywebsites ... sending in numerous articles of all sorts, fabricating, distortingand exaggerating relevant facts, and vilifying the Chinese Communist Party andthe socialist system." The report stated that Chen had published more than40 articles on overseas "reactionary" Web sites.

   Chen's case is still under investigation, and it is not clear whether he hasbeen formally charged.

   Chen's arrest is the latest in a series of moves by Your Excellency's governmentto rein in citizens' use of the Internet. Last month, domestic access to theGoogle and AltaVista Internet search engines were blocked, and your governmenthas required all domestic Web publishers to censor their sites of anyunsanctioned content. Chen's arrest brings to 14 the number of journalistscurrently in prison for publishing or distributing information online.Authorities have charged eleven of them with subversion.

   As a non-partisan organization of journalists dedicated to defending pressfreedom worldwide, CPJ condemns your government's routine use of subversioncharges to suppress online speech. Chen Shaowen has done nothing more thanpeacefully express an independent viewpoint, a right that is protected underChina's constitution as well as the International Covenant on Civil andPolitical Rights, which China has signed.

   We call for Chen's immediate and unconditional release.

   Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We await your response.

   Sincerely,

   Ann CooperExecutive Director (博讯boxun.com)