‘Let freedom ring’: Jailed writer Yang Hengjun pens letter from inside Beijing jail
Singapore: Jailed Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun has expressed his hopes of being free to swap stories, tears and laughter with his readers as he endures “the hardest and darkest chapter of my life” in a letter penned from inside a Beijing prison.
Addressed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, it is the first letter that Yang has written for public release since his detention in China more than six years ago.
Australian writer Yang Hengjun and his wife Yuan Xiaoliang.Credit: AP
Written from inside Beijing No. 2 Prison, where he is serving a suspended death sentence for murky espionage offences, Yang describes his heartfelt love for both Australia and China, and his gratitude for his supporters and the efforts by the Australian government “to bring me home for medical care and reunification with my family”.
The letter was released through an authorised process involving Australian officials, in what his supporters are holding on to as a glimmer of hope that the ongoing thaw in the bilateral relationship may herald more positive outcomes for Yang’s plight.
Yang thanked Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and consular officials for their support, and was upbeat about the prospect that he might one day be freed.
“I genuinely expect to sit side by side with my readers one day, sharing ‘democracy-peddler ’-style stories; sharing laughter, tears and dreams,” Yang, 60, wrote in the letter, dated January 10, but released by his supporters on Wednesday.
“I feel all of your support beside me as I stagger through the hardest and darkest chapter of my life, allowing me to immerse in the warmth of humanity.”
“It has helped me to understand the value of words and deeds of a government of the people, by the people, for the people – to enable me to fully understand the true meaning of being an Australian citizen.
Albanese said Yang’s message was one of “profound courage and resilience and hope despite his difficult circumstances”.
“We continue to advocate for Dr Yang’s interests and well-being at every opportunity, and I have certainly asked our ambassador to convey that very directly to Dr Yang,” the prime minister said in Jakarta, on his first foreign visit since his government’s re-election earlier this month.
Yang Hengjun has been detained in China since January 2019.Credit: AP
The Chinese-born pro-democracy blogger and academic worked for China’s Ministry of State Security before becoming an Australian citizen in 2002. He has been detained in China since he was arrested at Guangzhou airport in 2019 after arriving with his wife from their home in New York.
His case was heard in secret in May 2021, with the details of the espionage charges never disclosed to the public. Yang’s family and the Australian government have denied all espionage charges against him.
Ailing health
In the years since, reports of his ailing health, worsened by a cyst on his kidney, and poor treatment in detention have filtered out through his supporters. This masthead revealed in January that Beijing prison officials had curtailed his access to food and hygiene products, and restrictions on his spending allowance meant he was forced to forgo necessities such as toothpaste and warm clothes.
His supporters say his conditions, though extremely tough, are no longer as punitive as they were at that time, but his health remains poor.
In the letter, Yang does not detail his prison conditions or delve into his health concerns, though he speaks of enduring “untold and unbearable suffering”. He relays his deep embrace of Australia, the birthplace of his children, and its democratic values and his ardent love for China as “the motherland in which I was born, brought up in, and made strong”.
“A long history, a splendid culture and tolerant people, the miracle of forty years of economic development initiated by the great leader Deng Xiaoping; it has great potential and a bright future. It has never been out of mind even for a second during these past six years behind bars,” Yang wrote.
He said he had no regrets about devoting his early working years to working on the reform agenda of the Chinese government, or the 20 years of his later life when he became a democracy advocate, “writing twenty million words for my Chinese readers all around the world”.
In signing off, Yang echoed the call made famous by Martin Luther King Jr: “I have a dream: let peace win, let humanity gain, let love prevail, let freedom ring.”
In a statement, Wong said the Australian government continued to advocate for Yang at the highest levels.
“The prime minister and I were deeply moved by Dr Yang’s letter,” Wong said.
“Dr Yang writes of his great love for his country – and we want to see him home in Australia, reunited with his family.”
The Chinese embassy in Canberra was contacted for comment.
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