Chinese scholars sign open letter calling for release of Maoist intellectual
Peking University graduate Zhang Yunfan was arrested at reading session in November, given six months’ detention
More than 100 people have signed an open letter calling for the release of a Chinese Maoist intellectual who was arrested last month.
Zhang Yunfan, a 24-year-old philosophy graduate of Peking University, was arrested during a reading group session on November 15, according to the letter, which was verified by the South China Morning Post.
He was charged with “assembling a crowd to disrupt public order”, after expressing his views on “certain historical events”, the letter said, adding that he had been detained at an unspecified location and would be held for six months.
One of the signatories of the letter, which was circulated on Maoist websites, was Qian Liqun, an expert on post-Mao literary and cultural criticism, and a retired Peking University professor.
Others included prominent Maoist intellectuals Kong Qingdong, who also teaches at the university, and Fan Jinggang, the founder of the Wuyou Bookstore, a popular resource for Maoist supporters.