Featured Writer: Jiao Guobiao
JIAO'S STORY
Three years ago, Jiao was an associate Professor of Journalism at Peking University. He wrote an article entitled 'Denouncing the Central Propaganda Department (of CPC, Communist Party of China)' which was translated into English and widely circulated on the internet in April 2004. Jiao says:
'At first, I just sent this article to a few friends by email. But a lawyer friend put it onto a website without informing me, and a few days later the vice president of Peking University summoned me to his office. I did not know the article had spread so widely. Many overseas media, such as the Asian Weekly of Hong Kong, Voice of America, The New York Times, even a newspaper in Helsinki, Finland, published the whole article or its summary, or reported the event of its publication. The vice president asked me not to write critical articles again and not to accept foreign media interview requests as well. I was forced to agree.'
Following this meeting Jiao experienced close monitoring, a period of house arrest and imposed restrictions on further publications and talks. Jiao allowed a collection to articles to be published in Japan in July 2004, with a preface called 'My Post-Denouncing Times', referring to what was happening to him:
'I had already been isolated from my students and friends. When this preface was also published in The Asian Weekly, Peking University strongly disapproved and my classes were suspended. At the end of 2004, the University forced me to make a choice, leave the School of Journalism for the Classical Literature Centre at Peking University, or leave Peking University. If not, the University would expel me. I was in great pain and distress. Just at this time, the NED [National Endowment for Democracy] invited me to Washington DC as a visiting scholar for six months.'
Jiao did not resign, but left China on 16th March, 2005. Two days after he left, the University sent a letter to his home, headed with the words 'A Voluntarily Position-leaving Notice'.
'After finishing my stay in the US, I returned to Beijing in October, 2005. From this time on, I became jobless. There are hundreds of universities in China, but no one dared employ me. From November, 2005, due to joining in a secret investigation into torture and the Falungong movement, I was controlled much more tightly. At times, the police and their cars waited outside the gates of my apartment building all day long. The longest time was for seven days. One year later, in November, 2006, I was invited to Germany. I stayed in Germany for 15 months. Then, in February, I came to Norwich to work as Writer in Residence on the Norwich City of Refuge Programme'.
As we all know, China's human rights record has been under the spotlight recently due to their relations with Tibet and the run-up to the Olympics. Professor Jiao is keen to raise awareness of those who remain under threat of oppression, violence and persecution in his native country. As such, he has been attending events and talks around Britain and in Europe, talking over his experience of exile and and highlighting the human rights violations that continue to affect many thousands of people living in China today.
JIAO'S WORK
During his time in Norwich, Jiao worked on two books: On the Cultural Transmission and Looking at China Today, and several academic articles complementing the variety of articles that have already been published in English and translated into over 22 languages, including: 'Ideological Control' and 'Declaration of Ministry of Central Propaganda'.
Jiao Guobiao is now back in China (July 2008).
ICORN wishes to thank New Writing Partnership , Norwich, for sharing this article.
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