Fucha was arrested:
Activist Lee Ming-che urges public to boycott China’s extension of free speech restrictions to Taiwan
-
Chen Fuyu/Reporter
Taiwanese pro-democracy activist Lee Ming-che said yesterday that the arrest of Li Yanhe, editor-in-chief of the Gusa News Agency in the mainland, shows that the Beijing government has stepped up its suppression. Freedom of Speech in Taiwan’s Publishing Industry.
Li returned to Shanghai last month to cancel his account, but was secretly arrested by the police. Since then, he has not been heard from friends and family.
Born in Liaoning Province, China, Doctor of Chinese Language and Literature, former deputy editor-in-chief of Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House. Later he married a Taiwanese and lived in Taiwan for several years. He founded the Eight Banners Culture in 2009 and obtained a residence permit in 2013. It is reported that he has obtained the nationality of the Republic of China.
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
Li, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in China for “subversion of state power,” said Beijing’s attempt to extend its crackdown on free speech to Taiwan’s publishing industry should be taken seriously and discussed.
Li said that Gusa Publishing House has published books, including The Chinese Record: An Assessment of the People’s Republic of China (China Records: Assessing the People’s Republic of China) and Tibet – 70 years under the rule of the People’s Republic of China (Xinjiang – supported by the central government for 70 years), directly targeting the core of China’s authoritarian regime, so the Beijing government is now clearly trying to suppress the most free and open Chinese publishing market-Taiwan.
“The question is how will Taiwanese society react? To keep silent out of fear? Or should Taiwan and the global community know about the suppression? This is a choice that Taiwanese society has to make,” he said. “What do we choose when our core values are suppressed?”
“China’s suppression of Taiwan’s self-determination will not stop, and the Fucha case has just begun,” Li said.
China used to exert pressure secretly, but now it is blatantly arresting people.
Facing such an urgent threat, Taiwanese society should raise its voice of resistance, he said, adding: “Give an inch to the dictator, and the dictator will gain a mile.”
Under Fucha’s leadership, Gusa Press published books that shattered the concept of Chinese nationalism that underpins the Chinese government’s rule, as well as books on how China represses human rights and non-fiction reporting on Chinese society, Li said.
These books can help Taiwanese understand and escape the historical perspective of Greater China, enabling Taiwanese to resist Beijing’s call for “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” Lee said.
Gusa Publishing House issued a statement on Sunday, saying that the publishing house adheres to the principle of disseminating knowledge and will continue to publish high-quality books. It is believed that Fucha, who is lenient and passionate about publishing, will continue to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with everyone. They are waiting He returned safely.
Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Comments containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks or propaganda of any kind will be removed and banned from use. The final decision will be at the sole discretion of The Taipei Times.
