Adelaide PEN news
Local (Adelaide, South Australia)
During four and a half months, centres of International PEN arranged translation and recordings of the poem ‘June’ (Liuyue) by the imprisoned Chinese poet and journalist Shi Tao, into 125 translations of 98 of the world’s languages. Adelaide PEN provided translations in Adnyamathanha [by Lily Neville] Ngarrindjeri [by Auntie Eileen McHughes], and Polish [by Teresa Podemska]. With a relay itinerary similar to that of the Olympic Torch, the poem has virtually “travelled” around the world, from centre to centre, language to language, adding new translations as it went and ending in Beijing at the time of the 2008 Olympics [www.penpoemrelay.org].
Love Poetry/Hate Racism
This worldwide organisation promotes cultural diversity and harmony through poetry and spoken word. Each year between April 18 to 20 poets hold events around the world to combat racism. Poet Miriel Lenore represented PEN at this event. She spoke of the work of PEN and its international nature, gave statistics of worldwide branches of PEN and the number of imprisoned writers PEN assisted. Miriel explained the symbolism of the Empty Chair and how letter writing is at the core of what Adelaide PEN does, both to governments and prisoners. Since Adelaide PEN has accepted special responsibility for Asian prisoners, Miriel gave instances of the people Adelaide PEN has represented.
Miriel then spoke of the Olympic Poem Relay to accompany the Torch, of Adelaide’s contribution to it, and read the moving poem 'June', which is at the heart of the relay.
Stories, places, spaces: Literacy and identity
South Australian English Teachers Association International Conference - Adelaide Convention Centre, Riverside Room, 6-9 July. Using an informal interview format, poet Heather Taylor Johnson held an in-depth conversation with poet and displaced writer from Chile, Juan Garrido-Salgado, highlighting political censorship and the type of work that PEN does. Juan was able to tell his story of political activism, imprisonment, torture and exile under the Pinochet regime, as well as read some moving poems. Teachers approached Juan and Heather afterwards to discuss the possibility of doing the same sort of thing for their students.
Adelaide PEN's creative-non-fiction competition closing date has been extended to September 30. Winner to be published in March 2009 issue of Wet Ink.
National
Sydney PEN commissioned three writers to write an essay and deliver a lecture on a big issue facing contemporary Australia. In 2008 these writers were Christopher Kremmer [who spoke on 'Greed'], Melissa Lucashenko [on 'Survival'], and Anna Funder [on 'Courage'].
Sydney PEN launched it's new magazine 'PEN Magazine' this June [www.pen.org.au/docs/PEN_magazine_June2008_web.pdf]. The first issue includes an article on benevolence by J M Cotzee, and another by Yiyan Wang examining what China’s recent trials tell us about the Chinese state.
Melbourne PEN again provided the PEN empty chair and imprisoned writers' biogs for each session of this year's Melbourne Writers' Festival. Melbourne PEN president Arnold Zable and MWF director have agreed that this gesture will be formalised to occur at every session of every Melbourne Writers' Festival from now on.
Darwin's Wordstorm Festival featured the PEN empty chair, and six writers read statements at their sessions (Helen Garner, Gideon Haigh, Alice Garner, Gail Jones, Ursula Dubosarsky, and Dorothy Porter), and also read a statement about PEN and the empty chair project at several other sessions.
The PEN empty chair also featured for the first time at the Reality Bites Writers' festival component of the Noosa Long Weekend, and at every session of the Byron Bay Writers' Festival.
International
PEN Poem Relay - In the final countdown to the Beijing Olympics, the International PEN Poem Relay has sent a "Poetic Petition" to the Chinese authorities, including all the translations of Shi Tao's poem "June" produced as part of this historic poetic journey around the world [click here to read letter] ADDENDUM: Organisers of the PEN Poem Relay have been informed that as of August 5, the PEN Poem Relay website has been blocked in mainland China.
In a further development, PEN Club of Austria, in cooperation with the PEN Poem Relay organisers, is producing a book documenting the International PEN Poem Relay. Helmuth Niederle, Chair of the Writers in Prison Committee of P.E.N. Club Austria is editing and publishing the book, which will include all translation texts of the poem "June".
20 June ZIMBABWE: Satirical plays attacked and banned - WiPC of International PEN strongly protests attacks against the cast and crew of satirical play The Crocodile of Zambezi, and its banning by the police, in Bulawayo in May 2008. According to the WiPC's sources, production manager Lionel Nkosi was tortured and threatened with death, and actor Aleck Zulu was beaten by police. The WiPC believes that the attacks against these individuals, in the context of the targeting and banning of other critical plays, indicate a generalised threat to the entire company of The Crocodile of Zambezi, particularly the authors. It is deeply concerned for the safety of playwrights and all others associated with such plays in Zimbabwe, and calls on the authorities to respect their right to freedom of expression and to cease attacks against them.
27 June Democratic Republic of Congo: L'Interprète journalists jailed - WiPC of International PEN protests the months-long pre-trial detention of L'interprète editor Nsimba Embete Ponte and his assistant Davin Ntondo Nzovuangu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ponte was arrested by plain-clothed policemen on 7 March and detained incommunicado at an ANR building near the prime minister's office in Kinshasa. He had reportedly been receiving threats since publishing a series of articles on President Kabila's health in February. Ntondo was arrested by police at his home on 29 March. Both men were denied access to legal or medical assistance or family visits during their detention by the ANR. The two men were finally officially charged on 6 June, after being held incommunicado for 90 and 68 days respectively. The WiPC is concerned that the journalists continue to be detained and that their trial is being delayed. It believes that they are being detained solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by the national constitution and international human rights law. The WiPC is also concerned by reports that Ponte is poor health. It calls on the Congolese authorities to ensure Ponte and Ntondo receive access to bail provision and a prompt and fair trial, and to proper medical treatment whilst still in detention.
7 July 2008 MEXICO: journalist detained for two months - The WiPC of International PEN protests the two-month detention of Jesús Lemus Barajas, journalist and director of the daily newspaper El Tiempo, based in La Piedad, Michoacán state, on charges of drug trafficking. The WiPC is concerned that he may in fact be held for his legitimate journalistic activities, and that the charges may in fact be a means of ending his newspaper's criticism of the local authorities. It is also alarmed by reports that he has been ill treated. The WiPC calls on the Mexican authorities either to substantiate the charges against Lemus Barajas, or to release him immediately and unconditionally
23 July 2008 VIETNAM: Death of dissident and spiritual leader Thich Huyen Quang - International PEN mourns the death of Buddhist leader, writer and dissident, Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, on 5 July 2008 at the age of 87 after a long illness. Thich Huyen Quang had spent most of the past thirty years in prison or under house arrest for his work in support of religious freedom, human rights and political reform in Vietnam. International PEN continues to call for the release of all those currently detained in Vietnam solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to free expression, in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam is a signatory.
23 July 2008 CHINA: Dissident writer re-arrested - WiPC of International PEN protests the re-arrest of dissident writer and member of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre Du Daobin, who was detained on 21 July 2008 for apparently violating the conditions of his probation. Du Daobin was previously arrested in October 2003 and sentenced to three years in prison on subversion charges for his online critical writings, but was released conditionally in June 2004 after eight months in prison. He is now thought to be required to serve the remainder of his sentence. International PEN calls for his immediate and unconditional release, in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which China is a signatory.
7 August 2008 CAMEROON: Songwriter detained for lyrics - well known singer-songwriter Lapiro de Mbanga (real name Pierre Roger Lambo Sandjo) (51) was arrested in Mbanga City on 9 April 2008, accused of instigating mass demonstrations and strikes against the high cost of living which took place at the end of February. However, according to the Media Foundation for Western Africa and local press reports, his arrest was in fact linked to a song he wrote entitled "Constipated Constitution" which warns President Biya of the dangers of controversial constitutional amendments. The Constitutional Amendment Bill, which was adopted on 10 April, allows an unlimited number of presidential mandates (President Biya is 75 and has been in office for 26 years), as well as granting the president immunity for any acts committed while in office. Mbanga was detained at Mbanga Principal Prison and later transferred to Nkongsamba principal prison for trial. On 9 July 2008, three months after his arrest, the singer-songwriter appeared at Nkongsamba High Court and was formally charged with inciting youths to riot during the February strike action and of causing damage to property belonging to a company. He appeared in court in shackles. The singer-songwriter's health has reportedly deteriorated as a result of his imprisonment: he is said to have developed chronic back pain and a chest infection and to have lost 20kg in weight since his arrest. He has reportedly been denied medical attention. The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN protests the four-month detention of the well known singer-songwriter, and is also concerned at reports that his health has deteriorated due to poor prison conditions and lack of adequate medical care. The WiPC calls on the Cameroonian authorities to substantiate the charges against Mbanga or to release him immediately and unconditionally.
Seedy Bojang, a Gambian journalist and literary icon of recent times has authored another book, entitled Bumpy Journey. The book depicts an account of a deadly sea voyage taken by African illegal migrants, who are risking their lives in undertaking the perilous journey to developed countries.
Wajeha Al-Huwaidar - one of Melbourne PEN's honorary members - continues her campaign to lift Saudi Arabia’s ban on women driving cars. On August 4, 2006, she demonstrated on the causeway that links Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, carrying a sign demanding that women be given their rights, and was arrested by Saudi security forces and interrogated. The Security police demanded that, in return for her release, she sign a pledge to cease writing articles, conducting and organizing protests, and communicating with foreign organizations and media. However since the rise of the Internet, and websites like Aafaq, it has become much more difficult for governments to suppress writers’ access to the media. Wajeha Al-Huwaidar is one of the main organizers of the League of Demanders of Women’s Right to Drive Cars, which launched a petition drive to collect signatures to present to King Abdullah on the Saudi National Day this past September 23.
The fourth volume of Our Voice, an anthology of writings of the International PEN Women Writers Committee (IPWWC) is now available. Published by Biblioteca de Textos Universitaros in Salta, Argentina and distributed by S P D Books Online please visit www.spdbooks.org to buy. The previous three volumes are also available.
International PEN case list
International PEN publishes a case list of writers around the world who have or are being persecuted or harshly treated.
The caselist provides the full details of the plight of persecuted writers by country, including Australia. It is issued every six months and the latest statistics are:
Half-year Statistics
January to June 2008
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| Killed 2 Killed – Motive Unknown 18 Disappeared 7 Imprisoned - Main Case 124 Imprisoned - Investigation 65 Judicial Concern 4 Under Judicial Process 203 |
Non Custodial Sentence 16 In Hiding 1 Brief Detention 50 Death Threat 45 Other Threat/Harassment 51 Attacked/Ill-treated 65 Kidnapped 1 |
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Total 653 Released 35 |
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To download the current case list click here. (PDF 560KB)
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