Saya baca Chapter 08 itu kata demi kata baris demi baris, apa yg ada di petisi 
itu merupakan hal umum pada negara demokrasi dan sangat mirip dengan tuntutan 
mahasiswa pada reformasi 98, tidak ada sedikitpun unsur subversifnya terkecuali 
pada negara dictatorship yang pantang mendengar suara rakyatnya sendiri.
Ingin saya tahu pada hal yang mana Chapter 08 itu anda pandang subversif, 
ataukah anda hanya sekedar ikut2an pandangan pemerintah Tiongkok?
---In [email protected], <SADAR@...> wrote :

Kenapa anda tidak membalik mempertanyakan diri sendiri, kenapa tetap saja 
sejalan dengan aktifis barat tidak juga berhasil melihat yang diperbuat LiuXB 
sesungguhnya adalah subversif, ... dan oleh karena dijebloskan dalam penjara!  
From: jonathangoeij@... [GELORA45]Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2017 2:47 PMTo: 
[email protected]: Re: [GELORA45] Charter 08 Hal yg menunjukkan 
bantahan anda hanya omong kosong saja. Apa yg salah dari manifesto Charter 08 
yg ditandatangani oleh 350 terpelajar terkemuka Tiongkok itu? Apa salahnya 
petisi "human rights are universal" itu? Subversif atas hasil pemikiran?
 Kelihatannya bagi anda apapun yg dilakukan penguasa itulah yg benar dan anda 
agung2kan tidak perduli betapa absurdnya sekalipun..

---In [email protected], <SADAR@...> wrote :

Menurut saya, hukuman ke-2X yg dijatuhkan pada Liu tetap sama saja, makar atau 
gunakan subversif. Dikaitrkan atau tidak dengan peristiwa Tian An Men, tetap 
merupakan kelanjutan dari pemikiran yg sama dan tidak berubah dikepala Liu itu! 
 From: jonathangoeij@... [GELORA45]Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2017 12:31 PMTo: 
[email protected]: Re: [GELORA45] Charter 08  Bung Chan, tidak 
tahu kita bicara utk hal yg sama atau tidak. Yg jelas Liu dihukum penjara 
selama 11 tahun dgn tuduhan makar/subversif bulan Desember 2009 setelah 
mengeluarkan petisi/manifesto Charter 08 yg notabene isinya sama dgn universal 
declaration of human rights-nya PBB. Dan disini lucu atau ironinya Tiongkok 
adalah negara yg voting mendukung/setuju human rights itu (sumber wikipedia). 
Dan pada saat warganya mengeluarkan manifesto berdasarkan deklarasi itu eh 
malah ditangkap dan dijatuhi hukuman subversif.

Hukuman penjara 11 th ini tidak ada kaitannya dgn Tien An Men.

---In [email protected], <SADAR@...> wrote :

TENTU saja TIDAK BEGITU! Setiap warga di RRT juga boleh2 saja mempunyai beda 
pendapat dengan Pemerintah, ... selama dia tetap bisa mematuhi HUKUM, UU yang 
berlaku. Saya bisa BUKTIKAN tidak sedikit warga Tiongkok, bahkan anggota PKT 
yang beda pendapat, dikenal dengan suara sumbang, yang meneriakkan pandangan 
sosial Demokrat, seperti Li Rui (mantan sekretaris Mao, sudah berusia lebih 93 
tahun), juga Hu Deping, anaknya Hu Yaobang. Gak pernah dengar mereka ditangkap, 
kok! Tapi, .... begitu dia menginjak dan melewati garis, ... sudah menjurus 
berniat makar, menghujat, mengganyang dan hendak guling pemerintah, begitu 
seruan dan tindak tanduk disaat akhir demo lebih sebulan di lap. Tian An Men, 
sampai HARUS ditindas 4 Juni 1989! Artinya, toleransi selama sebulan itu tetap 
bisa diberikan, tapi begitu aksi-aksi mereka sudah jelas dan konkrit menjurus 
mengganyang dan gulingkan pemerintah, bagaimana mungkin tetap beri toleransi? 
Apalagi juga sudah jelas ada DUKUNGAN/BANTUAN dari ASING! Bagaimana mungkin 
LiuXB salah satu tokoh nya dan setelah itu masih tetap melakukan 
kegiatan-kegiatan bersekongkol dengan asing, hendak bung katakan hanya beda 
pendapat! Saya yakin disemua negara didunia ini, termasuk AS juga tidak akan 
dibiarkan, ... Sikap dan tindakan LiuXB yg kebablasan dan radikal inilah yang 
membuat dirinya dijebloskan dalam penjara, dan ternyata LiuXB bukan seorang 
pejuang yang TEGAR, yang mampu bertahan hidup dipenjara dengan mengatasi BEBAN 
pikiran yg terjadi! Coba bandingkan dengan pejuang2 G30S yang dipenjarakan 
belasan tahun dengan kondisi jauh lebih berat, .... Dimana dipenjarakan TANPA 
BATAS WAKTU, tidak tahu kapan bisa keluar dilepas, ... belum lagi menghadapi 
kondisi penjara sudah sangat tidak manusiawi, harus mengalami penyiksaaan 
fishik dan bathin begitu berat, ... disamping tidak sedikit yang mati 
kelaparan, mati disiksa, tapi juga kenyataan tidak sedikit yang berhasil 
mempertahankan hidup! Tapi LiuXB justru menunjukkan kelemahan dirinya, TIDAK 
BERHASIL mengatasi pikirannya sendiri dan akhirnya terbunuh kanker diusia 
relatif muda itu! Salam,ChanCT  From: jonathangoeij@... [GELORA45]Sent: 
Tuesday, July 18, 2017 10:27 AMTo: [email protected]: [GELORA45] 
Charter 08  Petisi/manifesto dibawah yg membawa Liu Xiaobo kedalam penjara 
sampai akhir hayatnya dengan tuduhan subversif, inti manifesto ini adalah 
"human rights are universal" yang notabene tertuang dalam Universal Declaration 
of Human Rights 1948. Terus terang tidak tahu dimana letak subversifnya.---

Charter 08
Read the manifesto that landed 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Chinese 
dissident Liu Xiaobo in prison.
   
   - BY BLAKE HOUNSHELL
   - OCTOBER 8, 2010

In December 2008, 303 Chinese activists, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu 
Xiaobo, issued "Charter 08," a petition calling for greater human rights and 
democratic freedoms in China. An English translation by the Hong Kong-based NGO 
Human Rights in China is republished here with permission. The translation was 
first published in China Rights Forum, the organization’s quarterly journal.


I. Preamble

This year marks 100 years since China’s [first] Constitution, the 60th 
anniversary of the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 
the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Democracy Wall, and the 10th year 
since the Chinese government signed the International Covenant on Civil and 
Political Rights. Having experienced a prolonged period of human rights 
disasters and challenging and tortuous struggles, the awakening Chinese 
citizens are becoming increasingly aware that freedom, equality, and human 
rights are universal values shared by all humankind, and that democracy, 
republicanism, and constitutional government make up the basic institutional 
framework of modern politics. A “modernization” bereft of these universal 
values and this basic political framework is a disastrous process that deprives 
people of their rights, rots away their humanity, and destroys their dignity. 
Where is China headed in the 21st century? Will it continue with this 
“modernization” under authoritarian rule, or will it endorse universal values, 
join the mainstream civilization, and build a democratic form of government? 
This is an unavoidable decision.
The tremendous historic changes of the mid-19th century exposed the decay of 
the traditional Chinese autocratic system and set the stage for the greatest 
transformation China had seen in several thousand years. The Self-Strengthening 
Movement [1861–1895] sought improvements in China’s technical capability by 
acquiring manufacturing techniques, scientific knowledge, and military 
technologies from the West; China’s defeat in the first Sino-Japanese War 
[1894–1895] once again exposed the obsolescence of its system; the Hundred 
Days’ Reform [1898] touched upon the area of institutional innovation, but 
ended in failure due to cruel suppression by the die-hard faction [at the Qing 
court]. The Xinhai Revolution [1911], on the surface, buried the imperial 
system that had lasted for more than 2,000 years and established Asia’s first 
republic. But, because of the particular historical circumstances of internal 
and external troubles, the republican system of government was short lived, and 
autocracy made a comeback.The failure of technical imitation and institutional 
renewal prompted deep reflection among our countrymen on the root cause of 
China’s cultural sickness, and the ensuing May Fourth [1919] and New Culture 
Movements [1915–1921] under the banner of “science and democracy.” But the 
course of China’s political democratization was forcibly cut short due to 
frequent civil wars and foreign invasion. The process of a constitutional 
government began again after China’s victory in the War of Resistance against 
Japan [1937–1945], but the outcome of the civil war between the Nationalists 
and the Communists plunged China into the abyss of modern-day totalitarianism. 
The “New China” established in 1949 is a “people’s republic” in name, but in 
reality it is a “party domain.” The ruling party monopolizes all the political, 
economic, and social resources. It has created a string of human rights 
disasters, such as the Anti-Rightist Campaign, the Great Leap Forward, the 
Cultural Revolution, June Fourth, and the suppression of unofficial religious 
activities and the rights defense movement, causing tens of millions of deaths, 
and exacting a disastrous price from both the people and the country.The 
“Reform and Opening Up” of the late 20th century extricated China from the 
pervasive poverty and absolute totalitarianism of the Mao Zedong era, and 
substantially increased private wealth and the standard of living of the common 
people. Individual economic freedom and social privileges were partially 
restored, a civil society began to grow, and calls for human rights and 
political freedom among the people increased by the day. Those in power, while 
implementing economic reforms aimed at marketization and privatization, also 
began to shift from a position of rejecting human rights to one of gradually 
recognizing them. In 1997 and 1998, the Chinese government signed two important 
international human rights treaties.2 In 2004, the National People’s Congress 
amended the Constitution to add that “[the State] respects and guarantees human 
rights.” And this year, the government has promised to formulate and implement 
a “National Human Rights Action Plan.” But so far, this political progress has 
largely remained on paper: there are laws, but there is no rule of law; there 
is a constitution, but no constitutional government; this is still the 
political reality that is obvious to all. The ruling elite continues to insist 
on its authoritarian grip on power, rejecting political reform. This has caused 
official corruption, difficulty in establishing rule of law, the absence of of 
human rights, moral bankruptcy, social polarization, abnormal economic 
development, destruction of both the natural and cultural environment, no 
institutionalized protection of citizens’ rights to freedom, property, and the 
pursuit of happiness, the constant accumulation of all kinds of social 
conflicts, and the continuous surge of resentment. In particular, the 
intensification of antagonism between the government and the people, and the 
dramatic increase in mass incidents, indicate a catastrophic loss of control in 
the making, suggesting that the backwardness of the current system has reached 
a point where change must occur.

II. Our Fundamental Concepts
At this historical juncture that will decide the future destiny of China, it is 
necessary to reflect on the modernization process of the past hundred and some 
years and reaffirm the following concepts:Freedom: Freedom is at the core of 
universal values. The rights of speech, publication, belief, assembly, 
association, movement, to strike, and to march and demonstrate are all the 
concrete expressions of freedom. Where freedom does not flourish, there is no 
modern civilization to speak of.Human Rights: Human rights are not bestowed by 
a state; they are inherent rights enjoyed by every person. Guaranteeing human 
rights is both the most important objective of a government and the foundation 
of the legitimacy of its public authority; it is also the intrinsic requirement 
of the policy of “putting people first.” China’s successive political disasters 
have all been closely related to the disregard for human rights by the ruling 
establishment. People are the mainstay of a nation; a nation serves its people; 
government exists for the people.Equality: The integrity, dignity, and freedom 
of every individual, regardless of social status, occupation, gender, economic 
circumstances, ethnicity, skin color, religion, or political belief, are equal. 
The principles of equality before the law for each and every person and 
equality in social, economic, cultural, and political rights of all citizens 
must be implemented.Republicanism: Republicanism is “joint governing by all, 
peaceful coexistence,” that is, the separation of powers for checks and 
balances and the balance of interests; that is, a community comprising many 
diverse interests, different social groups, and a plurality of cultures and 
faiths, seeking to peacefully handle public affairs on the basis of equal 
participation, fair competition, and joint discussion.Democracy: The most 
fundamental meaning is that sovereignty resides in the people and the 
government elected by the people. Democracy has the following basic 
characteristics:(1) The legitimacy of political power comes from the people; 
the source of political power is the people. (2) Political control is exercised 
through choices made by the people. (3) Citizens enjoy the genuine right to 
vote; officials in key positions at all levels of government must be the 
product of elections at regular intervals. (4) Respect the decisions of the 
majority while protecting the basic human rights of the minority. In a word, 
democracy is the modern public instrument for creating a government “of the 
people, by the people, and for the people.”Constitutionalism: Constitutionalism 
is the principle of guaranteeing basic freedoms and rights of citizens as 
defined by the constitution through legal provisions and the rule of law, 
restricting and defining the boundaries of government power and conduct, and 
providing appropriate institutional capability to carry this out. In China, the 
era of imperial power is long gone, never to return; in the world at large, the 
authoritarian system is on the wane; citizens ought to become the true masters 
of their states. The fundamental way out for China lies only in dispelling the 
subservient notion of reliance on “enlightened rulers” and “upright officials,” 
promoting public consciousness of rights as fundamental and participation as a 
duty, and putting into practice freedom, engaging in democracy, and respecting 
the law.

III. Our Basic Positions
Thus, in the spirit of responsible and constructive citizens, we put forth the 
following specific positions regarding various aspects of state administration, 
citizens’ rights and interests, and social development:1. Constitutional 
Amendment: Based on the aforementioned values and concepts, amend the 
Constitution, deleting clauses in the current Constitution that are not in 
conformity with the principle that sovereignty resides in the people, so that 
the Constitution can truly become a document that guarantees human rights and 
allows for the exercise of public power, and become the enforceable supreme law 
that no individual, group, or party can violate, establishing the foundation of 
the legal authority for democratizing China.2. Separation of Powers and Checks 
and Balances: Construct a modern government that separates powers and maintains 
checks and balances among them, that guarantees the separation of legislative, 
judicial, and executive powers. Establish the principle of statutory 
administration and responsible government to prevent excessive expansion of 
executive power; government should be responsible to taxpayers; establish the 
system of separation of powers and checks and balances between the central and 
local governments; the central power must be clearly defined and mandated by 
the Constitution, and
the localities must exercise full autonomy.3. Legislative Democracy: 
Legislative bodies at all levels should be created through direct elections; 
maintain the principle of fairness and justice in making law; and implement 
legislative democracy.4. Judicial Independence: The judiciary should transcend 
partisanship, be free from any interference, exercise judicial independence, 
and guarantee judicial fairness; it should establish a constitutional court and 
a system to investigate violations of the Constitution, and uphold the 
authority of the Constitution. Abolish as soon as possible the Party’s 
Committees of Political and Legislative Affairs at all levels that seriously 
endanger the country’s rule of law. Prevent private use of public 
instruments.5. Public Use of Public Instruments: Bring the armed forces under 
state control. Military personnel should render loyalty to the Constitution and 
to the country. Political party organizations should withdraw from the armed 
forces; raise the professional standards of the armed forces. All public 
employees including the police should maintain political neutrality. Abolish 
discrimination in hiring of public employees based on party affiliation; there 
should be equality in hiring regardless of party affiliation.6. Human Rights 
Guarantees: Guarantee human rights in earnest; protect human dignity. Set up a 
Commission on Human Rights, responsible to the highest organ of popular will, 
to prevent government abuse of public authority and violations of human rights, 
and, especially, to guarantee the personal freedom of citizens. No one shall 
suffer illegal arrest, detention, subpoena, interrogation, or punishment. 
Abolish the Reeducation-Through-Labor system.7. Election of Public Officials: 
Fully implement the system of democratic elections to realize equal voting 
rights based on “one person, one vote.” Systematically and gradually implement 
direct elections of administrative heads at all levels. Regular elections based 
on free competition and citizen participation in elections for legal public 
office are inalienable basic human rights.8. Urban-Rural Equality: Abolish the 
current urban-rural two-tier household registration system to realize the 
constitutional right of equality before the law for all citizens and guarantee 
the citizens’ right to move freely.9. Freedom of Association: Guarantee 
citizens’ right to freedom of association. Change the current system of 
registration upon approval for community groups to a system of record-keeping. 
Lift the ban on political parties. Regulate party activities according to the 
Constitution and law; abolish the privilege of one-party monopoly on power; 
establish the principles of freedom of activities of political parties and fair 
competition for political parties; normalize and legally regulate party 
politics.10. Freedom of Assembly: Freedoms to peacefully assemble, march, 
demonstrate, and express [opinions] are citizens’ fundamental freedoms 
stipulated by the Constitution; they should not be subject to illegal 
interference and unconstitutional restrictions by the ruling party and the 
government.11. Freedom of Expression: Realize the freedom of speech, freedom to 
publish, and academic freedom; guarantee the citizens’ right to know and right 
to supervise [public institutions]. Enact a “News Law” and a “Publishing Law,” 
lift the ban on reporting, repeal the “crime of inciting subversion of state 
power” clause in the current Criminal Law, and put an end to punishing speech 
as a crime.12. Freedom of Religion: Guarantee freedom of religion and freedom 
of belief, and implement separation of religion and state so that activities 
involving religion and faith are not subjected to government interference. 
Examine and repeal administrative statutes, administrative rules, and local 
statutes that restrict or deprive citizens of religious freedom; ban management 
of religious activities by administrative legislation. Abolish the system that 
requires that religious groups (and including places of worship) obtain prior 
approval of their legal status in order to register, and replace it with a 
system of record-keeping that requires no scrutiny.13. Civic Education: Abolish 
political education and political examinations that are heavy on ideology and 
serve the one-party rule. Popularize civic education base
d on universal values and civil rights, establish civic consciousness, and 
advocate civic virtues that serve society.14. Property Protection: Establish 
and protect private property rights, and implement a system based on a free and 
open market economy; guarantee entrepreneurial freedom, and eliminate 
administrative monopolies; set up a Committee for the Management of State-Owned 
Property, responsible to the highest organ of popular will; launch reform of 
property rights in a legal and orderly fashion, and clarify the ownership of 
property rights and those responsible; launch a new land movement, advance land 
privatization, and guarantee in earnest the land property rights of citizens, 
particularly the farmers.15. Fiscal Reform: Democratize public finances and 
guarantee taxpayers’ rights. Set up the structure and operational mechanism of 
a public finance system with clearly defined authority and responsibilities, 
and establish a rational and effective system of decentralized financial 
authority among various levels of government; carry out a major reform of the 
tax system, so as to reduce tax rates, simplify the tax system, and equalize 
the tax burden. Administrative departments may not increase taxes or create new 
taxes at will without sanction by society obtained through a public elective 
process and resolution by organs of popular will. Pass property rights reform 
to diversify and introduce competition mechanisms into the market; lower the 
threshold for entry into the financial field and create conditions for the 
development of privately-owned financial enterprises, and fully energize the 
financial system.16. Social Security: Establish a social security system that 
covers all citizens and provides them with basic security in education, medical 
care, care for the elderly, and employment.17. Environmental Protection: 
Protect the ecological environment, promote sustainable development, and take 
responsibility for future generations and all humanity; clarify and impose the 
appropriate responsibilities that state and government officials at all levels 
must take to this end; promote participation and oversight by civil society 
groups in environmental protection.18. Federal Republic: Take part in 
maintaining regional peace and development with an attitude of equality and 
fairness, and create an image of a responsible great power. Protect the free 
systems of Hong Kong and Macau .On the premise of freedom and democracy, seek a 
reconciliation plan for the mainland and Taiwan through equal negotiations and 
cooperative interaction. Wisely explore possible paths and institutional 
blueprints for the common prosperity of all ethnic groups, and establish the 
Federal Republic of China under the framework of a democractic and 
constitutional government.19. Transitional Justice: Restore the reputation of 
and give state compensation to individuals, as well as their families, who 
suffered political persecution during past political movements; release all 
political prisoners and prisoners of conscience; release all people convicted 
for their beliefs; establish a Commission for Truth Investigation to find the 
truth of historical events, determine responsibility, and uphold justice; seek 
social reconciliation on this foundation.

IV. Conclusion

China, as a great nation of the world, one of the five permanent members of the 
United Nations Security Council, and a member of the Human Rights Council, 
ought to make its own contribution to peace for humankind and progress in human 
rights. Regrettably, however, of all the great nations of the world today, 
China alone still clings to an authoritarian way of life and has, as a result, 
created an unbroken nchain of human rights disasters and social crises, held 
back the development of the Chinese people, and hindered the progress of human 
civilization. This situation must change! We cannot put off political 
democratization reforms any longer. Therefore, in the civic spirit of daring to 
take action, we are issuing Charter 08. We hope that all Chinese citizens who 
share this sense of crisis, responsibility, and mission, whether officials or 
common people and regardless of social background, will put aside our 
differences to seek common ground and come to take an active part in this 
citizens’ movement, to promote the great transformation of Chinese society 
together, so that we can soon establish a free, democratic, and constitutional 
nation, fulfilling the aspirations and dreams that our countrymen have been 
pursuing tirelessly for more than a hundred years.

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