08憲章全文(中文,英文,日文)

一、前言
今年是中國立憲百年，《世界人權宣言》公布60周年，“民主墻”誕生30周年，中國政府簽署《公民權利和政治權利國際公約》10周年。在經歷了長期的人權災難和艱難曲折的抗爭歷程之後，覺醒的中國公民日漸清楚地認識到，自由、平等、人權是人類共同的普世價值；民主、共和、憲政是現代政治的基本制度架構。抽離了這些普世價值和基本政制架構的“現代化”，是剝奪人的權利、腐蝕人性、摧毀人的尊嚴的災難過程。21世紀的中國將走向何方，是繼續這種威權統治下的“ 現代化”，還是認同普世價值、融入主流文明、建立民主政體？這是一個不容回避的抉擇。

19世紀中期的歷史巨變，暴露了中國傳統專制制度的腐朽，揭開了中華大地上“數千年未有之大變局”的序幕。洋務運動追求器物層面的進良，甲午戰敗再次暴露了體制的過時；戊戌變法觸及到制度層面的革新，終因頑固派的殘酷鎮壓而歸於失敗；辛亥革命在表面上埋葬了延續2000多年的皇權制度，建立了亞洲第一個共和國。囿於當時內憂外患的特定歷史條件，共和政體只是曇花一現，專制主義旋即卷土重來。器物模仿和制度更新的失敗，推動國人深入到對文化病根的反思，遂有以“科學與民主”為旗幟的“五四”新文化運動，因內戰頻仍和外敵入侵，中國政治民主化歷程被迫中斷。抗日戰爭勝利後的中國再次開啟了憲政歷程，然而國共內戰的結果使中國陷入了現代極權主義的深淵。1949年建立的“新中國”，名義上是“人民共和國”，實質上是“黨天下”。執政黨壟斷了所有政治、經濟和社會資源，制造了反右、大躍進、文革、六四、打壓民間宗教活動與維權運動等一系列人權災難，致使數千萬人失去生命，國民和國家都付出了極為慘重的代價。

二十世紀後期的“改革開放”，使中國擺脫了毛澤東時代的普遍貧困和絕對極權，民間財富和民眾生活水平有了大幅度提高，個人的經濟自由和社會權利得到部分恢復，公民社會開始生長，民間對人權和政治自由的呼聲日益高漲。執政者也在進行走向市場化和私有化的經濟改革的同時，開始了從拒絕人權到逐漸承認人權的轉變。中國政府於1997年、1998年分別簽署了兩個重要的國際人權公約，全國人大於2004年通過修憲把“尊重和保障人權”寫進憲法，今年又承諾制訂和推行《國家人權行動計劃》。但是，這些政治進步迄今為止大多停留在紙面上；有法律而無法治，有憲法而無憲政，仍然是有目共睹的政治現實。執政集團繼續堅持維系威權統治，排拒政治變革，由此導致官場腐敗，法治難立，人權不彰，道德淪喪，社會兩極分化，經濟畸形發展，自然環境和人文環境遭到雙重破壞，公民的自由、財產和追求幸福的權利得不到制度化的保障，各種社會矛盾不斷積累，不滿情緒持續高漲，特別是官民對立激化和群體事件激增，正在顯示著災難性的失控趨勢，現行體制的落伍已經到了非改不可的地步。

二、我們的基本理念
當此決定中國未來命運的歷史關頭，有必要反思百年來的現代化歷程，重申如下基本理念：

自由：自由是普世價值的核心之所在。言論、出版、信仰、集會、結社、遷徙、罷工和遊行示威等權利都是自由的具體體現。自由不昌，則無現代文明可言。
人權：人權不是國家的賜予，而是每個人與生俱來就享有的權利。保障人權，既是政府的首要目標和公共權力合法性的基礎，也是“以人為本”的內在要求。中國的歷次政治災難都與執政當局對人權的無視密切相關。人是國家的主體，國家服務於人民，政府為人民而存在。
平等：每一個個體的人，不論社會地位、職業、性別、經濟狀況、種族、膚色、宗教或政治信仰，其人格、尊嚴、自由都是平等的。必須落實法律面前人人平等的原則，落實公民的社會、經濟、文化、政治權利平等的原則。
共和：共和就是“大家共治，和平共生”，就是分權制衡與利益平衡，就是多種利益成分、不同社會集團、多元文化與信仰追求的群體，在平等參與、公平競爭、共同議政的基礎上，以和平的方式處理公共事務。
民主：最基本的涵義是主權在民和民選政府。
民主具有如下基本特點：
（1）政權的合法性來自人民，政治權力來源於人民；
（2）政治統治經過人民選擇，
（3）公民享有真正的選舉權，各級政府的主要政務官員必須通過定期的競選產生。
（4）尊重多數人的決定，同時保護少數人的基本人權。
一句話，民主使政府成為“民有，民治，民享”的現代公器。
憲政：憲政是通過法律規定和法治來保障憲法確定的公民基本自由和權利的原則，限制並劃定政府權力和行為的邊界，並提供相應的制度設施。
在中國，帝國皇權的時代早已一去不復返了；在世界範圍內，威權體制也日近黃昏；公民應該成為真正的國家主人。祛除依賴“明君”、“清官”的臣民意識，張揚權利為本、參與為責的公民意識，實踐自由，躬行民主，尊奉法治，才是中國的根本出路。

三、我們的基本主張
藉此，我們本著負責任與建設性的公民精神對國家政制、公民權利與社會發展諸方面提出如下具體主張：

修改憲法：根據前述價值理念修改憲法，刪除現行憲法中不符合主權在民原則的條文，使憲法真正成為人權的保證書和公共權力的許可狀，成為任何個人、團體和黨派不得違反的可以實施的最高法律，為中國民主化奠定法權基礎。
分權制衡：構建分權制衡的現代政府，保證立法、司法、行政三權分立。確立法定行政和責任政府的原則，防止行政權力過分擴張；政府應對納稅人負責；在中央和地方之間建立分權與制衡制度，中央權力須由憲法明確界定授權，地方實行充分自治。
立法民主：各級立法機構由直選產生，立法秉持公平正義原則，實行立法民主。
司法獨立：司法應超越黨派、不受任何幹預，實行司法獨立，保障司法公正；設立憲法法院，建立違憲審查制度，維護憲法權威。盡早撤銷嚴重危害國家法治的各級黨的政法委員會，避免公器私用。
公器公用：實現軍隊國家化，軍人應效忠於憲法，效忠於國家，政黨組織應從軍隊中退出，提高軍隊職業化水平。包括警察在內的所有公務員應保持政治中立。消除公務員錄用的黨派歧視，應不分黨派平等錄用。
人權保障：切實保障人權，維護人的尊嚴。設立對最高民意機關負責的人權委員會，防止政府濫用公權侵犯人權，尤其要保障公民的人身自由，任何人不受非法逮捕、拘禁、傳訊、審問、處罰，廢除勞動教養制度。
公職選舉：全面推行民主選舉制度，落實一人一票的平等選舉權。各級行政首長的直接選舉應制度化地逐步推行。定期自由競爭選舉和公民參選法定公共職務是不可剝奪的基本人權。
城鄉平等：廢除現行的城鄉二元戶籍制度，落實公民一律平等的憲法權利，保障公民的自由遷徙權。
結社自由：保障公民的結社自由權，將現行的社團登記審批制改為備案制。開放黨禁，以憲法和法律規範政黨行為，取消一黨壟斷執政特權，確立政黨活動自由和公平競爭的原則，實現政黨政治正常化和法制化。
集會自由：和平集會、遊行、示威和表達自由，是憲法規定的公民基本自由，不應受到執政黨和政府的非法幹預與違憲限制。
言論自由：落實言論自由、出版自由和學術自由，保障公民的知情權和監督權。制訂《新聞法》和《出版法》，開放報禁，廢除現行《刑法》中的“煽動顛覆國家政權罪”條款，杜絕以言治罪。
宗教自由：保障宗教自由與信仰自由，實行政教分離，宗教信仰活動不受政府幹預。審查並撤銷限制或剝奪公民宗教自由的行政法規、行政規章和地方性法規；禁止以行政立法管理宗教活動。廢除宗教團體（包括宗教活動場所）必經登記始獲合法地位的事先許可制度，代之以無須任何審查的備案制。
公民教育：取消服務於一黨統治、帶有濃厚意識形態色彩的政治教育與政治考試，推廣以普世價值和公民權利為本的公民教育，確立公民意識，倡導服務社會的公民美德。
財產保護：確立和保護私有財產權利，實行自由、開放的市場經濟制度，保障創業自由，消除行政壟斷；設立對最高民意機關負責的國有資產管理委員會，合法有序地展開產權改革，明晰產權歸屬和責任者；開展新土地運動，推進土地私有化，切實保障公民尤其是農民的土地所有權。
財稅改革：確立民主財政和保障納稅人的權利。建立權責明確的公共財政制度構架和運行機制，建立各級政府合理有效的財政分權體系；對賦稅制度進行重大改革，以降低稅率、簡化稅制、公平稅負。非經社會公共選擇過程，民意機關決議，行政部門不得隨意加稅、開征新稅。通過產權改革，引進多元市場主體和競爭機制，降低金融準入門檻，為發展民間金融創造條件，使金融體系充分發揮活力。
社會保障：建立覆蓋全體國民的社會保障體制，使國民在教育、醫療、養老和就業等方面得到最基本的保障。
環境保護：保護生態環境，提倡可持續發展，為子孫後代和全人類負責；明確落實國家和各級官員必須為此承擔的相應責任；發揮民間組織在環境保護中的參與和監督作用。
聯邦共和：以平等、公正的態度參與維持地區和平與發展，塑造一個負責任的大國形象。維護香港、澳門的自由制度。在自由民主的前提下，通過平等談判與合作互動的方式尋求海峽兩岸和解方案。以大智慧探索各民族共同繁榮的可能途徑和制度設計，在民主憲政的架構下建立中華聯邦共和國。
轉型正義：為歷次政治運動中遭受政治迫害的人士及其家屬，恢復名譽，給予國家賠償；釋放所有政治犯和良心犯，釋放所有因信仰而獲罪的人員；成立真相調查委員會，查清歷史事件的真相，厘清責任，伸張正義；在此基礎上尋求社會和解。
四、結語
中國作為世界大國，作為聯合國安理會五個常任理事國之一和人權理事會的成員，理應為人類和平事業與人權進步做出自身的貢獻。但令人遺憾的是，在當今世界的所有大國裏，唯獨中國還處在威權主義政治生態中，並由此造成連綿不斷的人權災難和社會危機，束縛了中華民族的自身發展，制約了人類文明的進步——這種局面必須改變！政治民主化變革不能再拖延下去。

為此，我們本著勇於踐行的公民精神，公布《零八憲章》。我們希望所有具有同樣危機感、責任感和使命感的中國公民，不分朝野，不論身份，求同存異，積極參與到公民運動中來，共同推動中國社會的偉大變革，以期早日建成一個自由、民主、憲政的國家，實現國人百余年來鍥而不舍的追求與夢想。


08憲章(日本語版)

一、まえがき
　今年は中国立憲百年、「世界人権宣言」公布60周年、「民主の壁」誕生30周年であり、また中国政府が「市民的及び政治的権利に関する国際規約」に署名して10周年である。長い間の人権災難と困難かつ曲折に満ちた闘いの歴史の後に、目覚めた中国国民は、自由・平等・人権が人類共同の普遍的価値であり、民主・共和・憲政が現代政治の基本的制度枠組みであることを日増しにはっきりと認識しつつある。こうした普遍的価値と基本的政治制度枠組みを取り除いた「現代化」は、人の権利をはく奪し、人間性を腐らせ、人の尊厳を踏みにじる災難である。21世紀の中国がどこに向かうのか。この種の権威主義的統治下の「現代化」か？ それとも普遍的価値を認め、主流文明に溶け込み、民主政体を樹立するのか？ それは避けることのできない選択である。

　19世紀中葉の歴史の激変は、中国の伝統的専制制度の腐敗を暴露し、中華大地の「数千年間なかった大変動」の序幕を開いた。洋務運動はうつわ面での改良を追求し、甲午戦争（日清戦争1894年）の敗戦は再び体制の時代遅れを暴露した。戊戌変法（1898年）は制度面での革新に触れたために、守旧派の残酷な鎮圧にあって失敗した。辛亥革命（1911年）は表面的には2000年余り続いた皇帝制度を埋葬し、アジアで最初の共和国を建国した。しかし、当時の内憂外患の歴史的条件に阻害され、共和政体はごく短命に終わり、専制主義が捲土重来した。うつわの模倣と制度更新の失敗は、国民に文化的病根に対する反省を促し、ついに「科学と民主」を旗印とする「五四」新文化運動がおこったが、内戦の頻発と外敵の侵入により、中国政治の民主化過程は中断された。抗日戦争勝利後の中国は再び憲政をスタートさせたが、国共内戦の結果は中国を現代版全体主義の深淵に陥れた。1949年に建国した「新中国」は、名義上は「人民共和国」だが、実際は「党の天下」であった。政権党はすべての政治・経済・社会資源を独占し、反右派闘争、大躍進、文革、六四、民間宗教および人権擁護活動弾圧など一連の人権災害を引き起こし、数千万人の命を奪い、国民と国家は甚だしい代価を支払わされた。

　20世紀後期の「改革開放」で、中国は毛沢東時代の普遍的貧困と絶対的全体主義から抜け出し、民間の富と民衆の生活水準は大幅に向上し、個人の経済的自由と社会的権利は部分的に回復し、市民社会が育ち始め、民間の人権と政治的自由への要求は日増しに高まっている。統治者も市場化と私有化の経済改革を進めると同時に、人権の拒絶から徐々に人権を認める方向に変わっている。中国政府は、1997年、1998年にそれぞれ二つの重要な国際人権規約に署名し、全国人民代表大会は2004年の憲法改正で「人権の尊重と保障」を憲法に書き込んだ。今年はまた「国家人権行動計画」を制定し、実行することを約束した。しかし、こうした政治的進歩はいままでのところほとんど紙の上にとどまっている。法律があっても法治がなく、憲法があっても憲政がなく、依然として誰もが知っている政治的現実がある。統治集団は引き続き権威主義統治を維持し、政治改革を拒絶している。そのため官僚は腐敗し、法治は実現せず、人権は色あせ、道徳は滅び、社会は二極分化し、経済は奇形的発展をし、自然環境と人文環境は二重に破壊され、国民の自由・財産・幸福追求の権利は制度的保障を得られず、各種の社会矛盾が蓄積し続け、不満は高まり続けている。とりわけ官民対立の激化と、騒乱事件の激増はまさに破滅的な制御不能に向かっており、現行体制の時代遅れは直ちに改めざるをえない状態に立ち至っている。

二、我々の基本理念
　中国の将来の運命を決めるこの歴史の岐路に立って、百年来の近代化の歴史を顧みたとき、下記の基本理念を再び述べる必要がある。

自由：自由は普遍的価値の核心である。言論・出版・信仰・集会・結社・移動・ストライキ・デモ行進などの権利は自由の具体的表現である。自由が盛んでなければ、現代文明とはいえない。
人権：人権は国家が賜与するものではなく、すべての人が生まれながらに有する権利である。人権保障は、政府の主な目標であり、公権力の合法性の基礎であり、また「人をもって本とす」（最近の中共のスローガン「以人為本」）の内在的要求である。中国のこれまでの毎回の政治災害はいずれも統治当局が人権を無視したことと密接に関係する。人は国家の主体であり、国家は人民に奉仕し、政府は人民のために存在するのである。

　平等：ひとりひとりの人は、社会的地位・職業・性別・経済状況・人種・肌の色・宗教・政治的信条にかかわらず、その人格・尊厳・自由はみな平等である。法の下でのすべての人の平等の原則は必ず実現されなければならず、国民の社会的・経済的・文化的・政治的権利の平等の原則が実現されなければならない。

　共和：共和とはすなわち「皆がともに治め、平和的に共存する」ことである。それは権力分立によるチェック・アンド・バランスと利益均衡であり、多くの利益要素・さまざまな社会集団・多元的な文化と信条を追求する集団が、平等な参加・公平な競争・共同の政治対話の基礎の上に、平和的方法で公共の事務を処理することである。

　民主：もっとも基本的な意味は主権在民と民選政府である。民主には以下の基本的特徴がある。
（1）政府の合法性は人民に由来し、政治権力の源は人民である。
（2）政治的統治は人民の選択を経てなされる。
（3）国民は真正の選挙権を享有し、各級政府の主要政務官吏は必ず定期的な選挙によって選ばれなければならない。
（4）多数者の決定を尊重し、同時に少数者の基本的人権を尊重する。一言でいえば、民主は政府を「民有、民治、民享」の現代の公器である。

　憲政：憲政は法律と法に基づく統治により憲法が定めた国民の基本的自由と権利を保障する原則である。それは、政府の権力と行為の限界を線引きし、あわせて対応する制度的措置を提供する。

　中国では、帝国皇帝の権力の時代はすでに過去のものとなった。世界的にも、権威主義体制はすでに黄昏が近い。国民は本当の国家の主人になるべきである。「明君」、「清官」に依存する臣民意識を払いのけ、権利を基本とし参加を責任とする市民意識を広め、自由を実践し、民主を自ら行い、法の支配を順守することこそが中国の根本的な活路である。

三、我々の基本的主張
　そのために、我々は責任をもって、また建設的な公民精神によって国家政治制度と市民的権利および社会発展の諸問題について以下の具体的な主張をする。

憲法改正：前述の価値理念に基づいて憲法を改正し、現行憲法の中の主権在民原則にそぐわない条文を削除し、憲法を本当に人権の保証書および公権力への許可証にし、いかなる個人・団体・党派も違反してはならない実施可能な最高法規とし、中国の民主化の法的な基礎を固める。
権力分立：権力分立の現代的政府を作り、立法・司法・行政三権分立を保証する。法に基づく行政と責任政府の原則を確立し、行政権力の過剰な拡張を防止する。政府は納税者に対して責任を持たなければならない。中央と地方の間に権力分立とチェック・アンド・バランスの制度を確立し、中央権力は必ず憲法で授権の範囲を定められなければならず、地方は充分に自治を実施する。
立法民主：各級立法機関は直接選挙により選出され、立法は公平正義の原則を堅持し、立法民主を行う。
司法の独立：司法は党派を超越し、いかなる干渉も受けず、司法の独立を行い、司法の公正を保障する。憲法裁判所を設立し、違憲審査制度をつくり、憲法の権威を守る。可及的速やかに国の法治を深刻に脅かす共産党の各級政法委員会を解散させ、公器の私用を防ぐ。
公器公用：軍隊の国家化を実現する。軍人は憲法に忠誠を誓い、国家に忠誠を誓わなければならない。政党組織は軍隊から退出しなければならない。軍隊の職業化レベルを高める。警察を含むすべての公務員は政治的中立を守らなければならない。公務員任用における党派差別を撤廃し、党派にかかわらず平等に任用する。
人権保障：人権を確実に保障し、人の尊厳を守る。最高民意機関が責任を有する人権委員会を設立し、政府が公権力を乱用して人権を侵害することを防ぐ。とりわけ国民の人身の自由は保障されねばならず、何人も不法な逮捕・拘禁・召喚・尋問・処罰を受けない。労働教養制度（行政罰としての懲役）を廃止する。
公職選挙：全面的に民主選挙制度を実施し、一人一票の平等選挙を実現する。各級行政首長の直接選挙は制度化され段階的に実施されなければならない。定期的な自由競争選挙と法定の公職への国民の選挙参加は奪うことのできない基本的人権である。
都市と農村の平等：現行の都市と農村二元戸籍制度を廃止し、国民一律平等の憲法上の権利を実現し、国民の移動の自由の権利を保障する。
結社の自由：国民の結社の自由権を保障し、現行の社団登記許可制を届出制に改める。結社の制限を撤廃し、憲法と法律により政党の行為を定め、一党独占の統治特権を廃止し、政党活動の自由と公平競争の原則を確立し、政党政治の正常化と法制化を実現する。
集会の自由：平和的集会・デモ・示威行動など表現の自由は、憲法の定める国民の基本的自由であり、政権党と政府は不法な干渉や違憲の制限を加えてはならない。
言論の自由：言論の自由・出版の自由・学術研究の自由を実現し、国民の知る権利と監督権を保障する。「新聞法」と「出版法」を制定し、報道の制限を撤廃し、現行「刑法」中の「国家政権転覆扇動罪」条項を廃止し、言論の処罰を根絶する。
宗教の自由：宗教の自由と信仰の自由を保障する。政教分離を実施し、宗教活動が政府の干渉を受けないようにする。国民の宗教的自由を制限する行政法規・行政規則・地方法規を審査し撤廃する。行政が立法により宗教活動を管理することを禁止する。宗教団体（宗教活動場所を含む）は登記されて初めて合法的地位を獲得するという事前許可制を撤廃し、これに代えていかなる審査も必要としない届出制とする。
国民教育：一党統治への奉仕や濃厚なイデオロギー的色彩の政治教育と政治試験を廃止し、普遍的価値と市民的権利を基本とする国民教育を推進し、国民意識を確立し、社会に奉仕する国民の美徳を提唱する。
財産の保護：私有財産権を確立し保護する。自由で開かれた市場経済制度を行い、創業の自由を保障し、行政による独占を排除する。最高民意機関が責任を有する国有資産管理委員会を設立し、合法的に秩序立って財産権改革を進め、財産権の帰属と責任者を明確にする。新土地運動を展開し、土地の私有化を推進し、国民とりわけ農民の土地所有権を確実に保障する。
財税改革：財政民主主義を確立し納税者の権利を保障する。権限と責任の明確な公共財政制度の枠組みと運営メカニズムを構築し、各級政府の合理的な財政分権体系を構築する。税制の大改革を行い、税率を低減し、税制を簡素化し、税負担を公平化する。公共選択や民意機関の決議を経ずに、行政部門は増税・新規課税を行ってはならない。財産権改革を通じて、多元的市場主体と競争メカニズムを導入し、金融参入の敷居を下げ、民間金融の発展に条件を提供し、金融システムの活力を充分に発揮させる。
社会保障：全国民をカバーする社会保障制度を構築し、国民の教育・医療・養老・就職などの面でだれもが最も基本的な保障を得られるようにする。
環境保護：生態環境を保護し、持続可能な開発を提唱し、子孫と全人類に責任を果たす。国家と各級官吏は必ずそのために相応の責任を負わなければならないことを明確にする。民間組織の環境保護における参加と監督作用を発揮させる。
連邦共和：平等・公正の態度で地区の平和と発展を維持し、責任ある大国のイメージを作る。香港・マカオの自由制度を維持する。自由民主の前提のもとに、平等な協議と相互協力により海峡両岸の和解案を追求する。大きな知恵で各民族の共同の繁栄が可能な道と制度設計を探求し、立憲民主制の枠組みの下で中華連邦共和国を樹立する。
正義の転換：これまでの度重なる政治運動で政治的迫害を受けた人々とその家族の名誉を回復し、国家賠償を行う。すべての政治犯と良心の囚人を釈放する。すべての信仰により罪に問われた人々を釈放する。真相調査委員会を設立し歴史的事件の真相を解明し、責任を明らかにし、正義を鼓舞する。それを基礎として社会の和解を追求する。
四、結語
　中国は世界の大国として、国連安全保障理事会の5つの常任理事国の一つとしてまた人権理事会のメンバーとして、人類の平和事業と人権の進歩のために貢献すべきである。しかし遺憾なことに、今日の世界のすべての大国の中で、ただ中国だけがいまだに権威主義の政治の中にいる。またそのために絶え間なく人権災害と社会危機が発生しており、中華民族の発展を縛り、人類文明の進歩を制約している。このような局面は絶対に改めねばならない！　政治の民主改革はもう後には延ばせない。

　そこで、我々は実行の勇気という市民的精神に基づき、「08憲章」を発表する。我々はすべての危機感・責任感・使命感を共有する中国国民が、朝野の別なく、身分にかかわらず、小異を残して大同につき、積極的に市民運動に参加し、共に中国社会の偉大な変革を推進し、できるだけ早く自由・民主・憲政の国家を作り上げ、国民が百年以上の間根気よく追求し続けてきた夢を共に実現することを希望する。
括弧内は訳注。

Charter 08 (English Version)

Translated from the Chinese by Perry Link

The following text of Charter 08, signed by hundreds of Chinese intellectuals and translated and introduced by Perry Link, Professor of Chinese Literature at the University of California, Riverside, will be published in the issue of The New York Review dated January 15, which goes on sale on January 2.
—The Editors

The document below, signed by over three hundred prominent Chinese citizens, was conceived and written in conscious admiration of the founding of Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia, where, in January 1977, more than two hundred Czech and Slovak intellectuals formed a

loose, informal, and open association of people... united by the will to strive individually and collectively for respect for human and civil rights in our country and throughout the world.

The Chinese document calls not for ameliorative reform of the current political system but for an end to some of its essential features, including one-party rule, and their replacement with a system based on human rights and democracy.

The prominent citizens who have signed the document are from both outside and inside the government, and include not only well-known dissidents and intellectuals, but also middle-level officials and rural leaders. They have chosen December 10, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as the day on which to express their political ideas and to outline their vision of a constitutional, democratic China. They intend “Charter 08” to serve as a blueprint for fundamental political change in China in the years to come. The signers of the document will form an informal group, open-ended in size but united by a determination to promote democratization and protection of human rights in China and beyond.

On December 8 two prominent signers of the Charter, Zhang Zuhua and Liu Xiaobo, were detained by the police. Zhang Zuhua has since been released; as of December 9, Liu Xiabo remains in custody.
—Perry Link
Frederick Douglass Book Prize Announcement


I. Foreword
A hundred years have passed since the writing of China’s first constitution. 2008 also marks the sixtieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the thirtieth anniversary of the appearance of Democracy Wall in Beijing, and the tenth of China’s signing of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We are approaching the twentieth anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre of pro-democracy student protesters. The Chinese people, who have endured human rights disasters and uncountable struggles across these same years, now include many who see clearly that freedom, equality, and human rights are universal values of humankind and that democracy and constitutional government are the fundamental framework for protecting these values.

By departing from these values, the Chinese government’s approach to “modernization” has proven disastrous. It has stripped people of their rights, destroyed their dignity, and corrupted normal human intercourse. So we ask: Where is China headed in the twenty-first century? Will it continue with “modernization” under authoritarian rule, or will it embrace universal human values, join the mainstream of civilized nations, and build a democratic system? There can be no avoiding these questions.

The shock of the Western impact upon China in the nineteenth century laid bare a decadent authoritarian system and marked the beginning of what is often called “the greatest changes in thousands of years” for China. A “self-strengthening movement” followed, but this aimed simply at appropriating the technology to build gunboats and other Western material objects. China’s humiliating naval defeat at the hands of Japan in 1895 only confirmed the obsolescence of China’s system of government. The first attempts at modern political change came with the ill-fated summer of reforms in 1898, but these were cruelly crushed by ultraconservatives at China’s imperial court. With the revolution of 1911, which inaugurated Asia’s first republic, the authoritarian imperial system that had lasted for centuries was finally supposed to have been laid to rest. But social conflict inside our country and external pressures were to prevent it; China fell into a patchwork of warlord fiefdoms and the new republic became a fleeting dream.

The failure of both “self-strengthening” and political renovation caused many of our forebears to reflect deeply on whether a “cultural illness” was afflicting our country. This mood gave rise, during the May Fourth Movement of the late 1910s, to the championing of “science and democracy.” Yet that effort, too, foundered as warlord chaos persisted and the Japanese invasion [beginning in Manchuria in 1931] brought national crisis.

Victory over Japan in 1945 offered one more chance for China to move toward modern government, but the Communist defeat of the Nationalists in the civil war thrust the nation into the abyss of totalitarianism. The “new China” that emerged in 1949 proclaimed that “the people are sovereign” but in fact set up a system in which “the Party is all-powerful.” The Communist Party of China seized control of all organs of the state and all political, economic, and social resources, and, using these, has produced a long trail of human rights disasters, including, among many others, the Anti-Rightist Campaign (1957), the Great Leap Forward (1958–1960), the Cultural Revolution (1966–1969), the June Fourth (Tiananmen Square) Massacre (1989), and the current repression of all unauthorized religions and the suppression of the weiquan rights movement [a movement that aims to defend citizens’ rights promulgated in the Chinese Constitution and to fight for human rights recognized by international conventions that the Chinese government has signed]. During all this, the Chinese people have paid a gargantuan price. Tens of millions have lost their lives, and several generations have seen their freedom, their happiness, and their human dignity cruelly trampled.

During the last two decades of the twentieth century the government policy of “Reform and Opening” gave the Chinese people relief from the pervasive poverty and totalitarianism of the Mao Zedong era and brought substantial increases in the wealth and living standards of many Chinese as well as a partial restoration of economic freedom and economic rights. Civil society began to grow, and popular calls for more rights and more political freedom have grown apace. As the ruling elite itself moved toward private ownership and the market economy, it began to shift from an outright rejection of “rights” to a partial acknowledgment of them.

In 1998 the Chinese government signed two important international human rights conventions; in 2004 it amended its constitution to include the phrase “respect and protect human rights”; and this year, 2008, it has promised to promote a “national human rights action plan.” Unfortunately most of this political progress has extended no further than the paper on which it is written. The political reality, which is plain for anyone to see, is that China has many laws but no rule of law; it has a constitution but no constitutional government. The ruling elite continues to cling to its authoritarian power and fights off any move toward political change.

The stultifying results are endemic official corruption, an undermining of the rule of law, weak human rights, decay in public ethics, crony capitalism, growing inequality between the wealthy and the poor, pillage of the natural environment as well as of the human and historical environments, and the exacerbation of a long list of social conflicts, especially, in recent times, a sharpening animosity between officials and ordinary people.

As these conflicts and crises grow ever more intense, and as the ruling elite continues with impunity to crush and to strip away the rights of citizens to freedom, to property, and to the pursuit of happiness, we see the powerless in our society—the vulnerable groups, the people who have been suppressed and monitored, who have suffered cruelty and even torture, and who have had no adequate avenues for their protests, no courts to hear their pleas—becoming more militant and raising the possibility of a violent conflict of disastrous proportions. The decline of the current system has reached the point where change is no longer optional.


II. Our Fundamental Principles
This is a historic moment for China, and our future hangs in the balance. In reviewing the political modernization process of the past hundred years or more, we reiterate and endorse basic universal values as follows:

Freedom. Freedom is at the core of universal human values. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom in where to live, and the freedoms to strike, to demonstrate, and to protest, among others, are the forms that freedom takes. Without freedom, China will always remain far from civilized ideals.

Human rights. Human rights are not bestowed by a state. Every person is born with inherent rights to dignity and freedom. The government exists for the protection of the human rights of its citizens. The exercise of state power must be authorized by the people. The succession of political disasters in China’s recent history is a direct consequence of the ruling regime’s disregard for human rights.

Equality. The integrity, dignity, and freedom of every person—regardless of social station, occupation, sex, economic condition, ethnicity, skin color, religion, or political belief—are the same as those of any other. Principles of equality before the law and equality of social, economic, cultural, civil, and political rights must be upheld.

Republicanism. Republicanism, which holds that power should be balanced among different branches of government and competing interests should be served, resembles the traditional Chinese political ideal of “fairness in all under heaven.” It allows different interest groups and social assemblies, and people with a variety of cultures and beliefs, to exercise democratic self-government and to deliberate in order to reach peaceful resolution of public questions on a basis of equal access to government and free and fair competition.

Democracy. The most fundamental principles of democracy are that the people are sovereign and the people select their government. Democracy has these characteristics:
(1) Political power begins with the people and the legitimacy of a regime derives from the people.
(2) Political power is exercised through choices that the people make.
(3) The holders of major official posts in government at all levels are determined through periodic competitive elections.
(4) While honoring the will of the majority, the fundamental dignity, freedom, and human rights of minorities are protected. In short, democracy is a modern means for achieving government truly “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Constitutional rule. Constitutional rule is rule through a legal system and legal regulations to implement principles that are spelled out in a constitution. It means protecting the freedom and the rights of citizens, limiting and defining the scope of legitimate government power, and providing the administrative apparatus necessary to serve these ends.


III. What We Advocate
Authoritarianism is in general decline throughout the world; in China, too, the era of emperors and overlords is on the way out. The time is arriving everywhere for citizens to be masters of states. For China the path that leads out of our current predicament is to divest ourselves of the authoritarian notion of reliance on an “enlightened overlord” or an “honest official” and to turn instead toward a system of liberties, democracy, and the rule of law, and toward fostering the consciousness of modern citizens who see rights as fundamental and participation as a duty. Accordingly, and in a spirit of this duty as responsible and constructive citizens, we offer the following recommendations on national governance, citizens’ rights, and social development:

A New Constitution. We should recast our present constitution, rescinding its provisions that contradict the principle that sovereignty resides with the people and turning it into a document that genuinely guarantees human rights, authorizes the exercise of public power, and serves as the legal underpinning of China’s democratization. The constitution must be the highest law in the land, beyond violation by any individual, group, or political party.
Separation of powers. We should construct a modern government in which the separation of legislative, judicial, and executive power is guaranteed. We need an Administrative Law that defines the scope of government responsibility and prevents abuse of administrative power. Government should be responsible to taxpayers. Division of power between provincial governments and the central government should adhere to the principle that central powers are only those specifically granted by the constitution and all other powers belong to the local governments.
Legislative democracy. Members of legislative bodies at all levels should be chosen by direct election, and legislative democracy should observe just and impartial principles.
An Independent Judiciary. The rule of law must be above the interests of any particular political party and judges must be independent. We need to establish a constitutional supreme court and institute procedures for constitutional review. As soon as possible, we should abolish all of the Committees on Political and Legal Affairs that now allow Communist Party officials at every level to decide politically-sensitive cases in advance and out of court. We should strictly forbid the use of public offices for private purposes.
Public Control of Public Servants. The military should be made answerable to the national government, not to a political party, and should be made more professional. Military personnel should swear allegiance to the constitution and remain nonpartisan. Political party organizations shall be prohibited in the military. All public officials including police should serve as nonpartisans, and the current practice of favoring one political party in the hiring of public servants must end.
Guarantee of Human Rights. There shall be strict guarantees of human rights and respect for human dignity. There should be a Human Rights Committee, responsible to the highest legislative body, that will prevent the government from abusing public power in violation of human rights. A democratic and constitutional China especially must guarantee the personal freedom of citizens. No one shall suffer illegal arrest, detention, arraignment, interrogation, or punishment. The system of “Reeducation through Labor” must be abolished.
Election of Public Officials. There shall be a comprehensive system of democratic elections based on “one person, one vote.” The direct election of administrative heads at the levels of county, city, province, and nation should be systematically implemented. The rights to hold periodic free elections and to participate in them as a citizen are inalienable.
Rural–Urban Equality. The two-tier household registry system must be abolished. This system favors urban residents and harms rural residents. We should establish instead a system that gives every citizen the same constitutional rights and the same freedom to choose where to live.
Freedom to Form Groups. The right of citizens to form groups must be guaranteed. The current system for registering nongovernment groups, which requires a group to be “approved,” should be replaced by a system in which a group simply registers itself. The formation of political parties should be governed by the constitution and the laws, which means that we must abolish the special privilege of one party to monopolize power and must guarantee principles of free and fair competition among political parties.
Freedom to Assemble. The constitution provides that peaceful assembly, demonstration, protest, and freedom of expression are fundamental rights of a citizen. The ruling party and the government must not be permitted to subject these to illegal interference or unconstitutional obstruction.
Freedom of Expression. We should make freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and academic freedom universal, thereby guaranteeing that citizens can be informed and can exercise their right of political supervision. These freedoms should be upheld by a Press Law that abolishes political restrictions on the press. The provision in the current Criminal Law that refers to “the crime of incitement to subvert state power” must be abolished. We should end the practice of viewing words as crimes.
Freedom of Religion. We must guarantee freedom of religion and belief and institute a separation of religion and state. There must be no governmental interference in peaceful religious activities. We should abolish any laws, regulations, or local rules that limit or suppress the religious freedom of citizens. We should abolish the current system that requires religious groups (and their places of worship) to get official approval in advance and substitute for it a system in which registry is optional and, for those who choose to register, automatic.
Civic Education. In our schools we should abolish political curriculums and examinations that are designed to indoctrinate students in state ideology and to instill support for the rule of one party. We should replace them with civic education that advances universal values and citizens’ rights, fosters civic consciousness, and promotes civic virtues that serve society.
Protection of Private Property. We should establish and protect the right to private property and promote an economic system of free and fair markets. We should do away with government monopolies in commerce and industry and guarantee the freedom to start new enterprises. We should establish a Committee on State-Owned Property, reporting to the national legislature, that will monitor the transfer of state-owned enterprises to private ownership in a fair, competitive, and orderly manner. We should institute a land reform that promotes private ownership of land, guarantees the right to buy and sell land, and allows the true value of private property to be adequately reflected in the market.
Financial and Tax Reform. We should establish a democratically regulated and accountable system of public finance that ensures the protection of taxpayer rights and that operates through legal procedures. We need a system by which public revenues that belong to a certain level of government—central, provincial, county or local—are controlled at that level. We need major tax reform that will abolish any unfair taxes, simplify the tax system, and spread the tax burden fairly. Government officials should not be able to raise taxes, or institute new ones, without public deliberation and the approval of a democratic assembly. We should reform the ownership system in order to encourage competition among a wider variety of market participants.
Social Security. We should establish a fair and adequate social security system that covers all citizens and ensures basic access to education, health care, retirement security, and employment.
Protection of the Environment. We need to protect the natural environment and to promote development in a way that is sustainable and responsible to our descendents and to the rest of humanity. This means insisting that the state and its officials at all levels not only do what they must do to achieve these goals, but also accept the supervision and participation of non-governmental organizations.
A Federated Republic. A democratic China should seek to act as a responsible major power contributing toward peace and development in the Asian Pacific region by approaching others in a spirit of equality and fairness. In Hong Kong and Macao, we should support the freedoms that already exist. With respect to Taiwan, we should declare our commitment to the principles of freedom and democracy and then, negotiating as equals, and ready to compromise, seek a formula for peaceful unification. We should approach disputes in the national-minority areas of China with an open mind, seeking ways to find a workable framework within which all ethnic and religious groups can flourish. We should aim ultimately at a federation of democratic communities of China.
Truth in Reconciliation. We should restore the reputations of all people, including their family members, who suffered political stigma in the political campaigns of the past or who have been labeled as criminals because of their thought, speech, or faith. The state should pay reparations to these people. All political prisoners and prisoners of conscience must be released. There should be a Truth Investigation Commission charged with finding the facts about past injustices and atrocities, determining responsibility for them, upholding justice, and, on these bases, seeking social reconciliation.
China, as a major nation of the world, as one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and as a member of the UN Council on Human Rights, should be contributing to peace for humankind and progress toward human rights. Unfortunately, we stand today as the only country among the major nations that remains mired in authoritarian politics. Our political system continues to produce human rights disasters and social crises, thereby not only constricting China’s own development but also limiting the progress of all of human civilization. This must change, truly it must. The democratization of Chinese politics can be put off no longer.

Accordingly, we dare to put civic spirit into practice by announcing Charter 08. We hope that our fellow citizens who feel a similar sense of crisis, responsibility, and mission, whether they are inside the government or not, and regardless of their social status, will set aside small differences to embrace the broad goals of this citizens’ movement. Together we can work for major changes in Chinese society and for the rapid establishment of a free, democratic, and constitutional country. We can bring to reality the goals and ideals that our people have incessantly been seeking for more than a hundred years, and can bring a brilliant new chapter to Chinese civilization.