Liu Xiaobo, Charter 08, and the Challenges of Political Reform in China

by Beja, Jean-philippe; Hualing, Fu; Pils, Eva

• ISBN13: 9789888139071
• ISBN10: 988813907X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-08-31
• Publisher: Hong Kong Univ Pr

Summary

In December 2008 some 350 Chinese intellectuals published a manifesto calling for reform of the Chinese constitution and an end to one-party rule. Known as "Charter 08", the manifesto has since been signed by more than 10,000 people. One of its authors, Liu Xiaobo, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 but has remained in prison since 2009 for subversive crimes. This collection -- the first of its kind in English -- examines the trial of Liu Xiaobo, the significance and impact of Charter 08, and the prospects for reform in China. The collection includes contributions from legal and political experts from around the world, a detailed account of Liu's trial by his defence lawyers, and a passionate -- and ultimately optimistic -- account of resistance, repression and political change by the human rights lawyer Teng Biao.

Author Biography

Jean-Philippe Bja is a senior research fellow at the Centre for International Studies and Research, Paris. Fu Hualing is a professor at the Faculty of Law of The University of Hong Kong. Eva Pils is an associate professor at the faculty of Law of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
Liu Xiaobo and the Crime of Inciting Subversion
Is Jail the Only Place Where One Can "Live in Truth"?: Liu Xiaobo's Experience	p. 15
The Sky is Falling: Inciting Subversion and the Defense of Liu Xiaobo	p. 31
Criminal Defense in Sensitive Cases: Yao Fuxin, Yang Jianli, Jiang Lijun, Du Daobin, Liu Xiaobo, and Others	p. 61
Breaking through the Obstacles of Political Isolation and Discrimination	p. 79
Charter 08 in Context
Boundaries of Tolerance: Charter 08 and Debates over Political Reform	p. 97
The Threat of Charter 08	p. 119
Democracy, Charter 08, and China's Long Struggle for Dignity	p. 141
Charter 08 and Charta 77: East European Past as China's Future?	p. 163
Charter 08 and the Politics of Weiquan and Weiwen
Challenging Authoritarianism through Law	p. 185
Popular Constitutionalism and the Constitutional Meaning of Charter 08	p. 205
Charter 08 and Violent Resistance: The Dark Side of the Chinese Weiquan Movement	p. 229
The Politics of Liu Xiaobo's Trial	p. 251
The Political Meaning of the Crime of "Subverting State Power"	p. 271
Appendix: Charter 08	p. 289
Notes	p. 299
Index	p. 371
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