by Liao Yiwu
Warmly,
Wolf
on the 27th of April 2017
* * *
Later, there was a time I got through to Liu Xia by phone when Herta happened to be at my place, and the two of them spoke with each other for the first time. The storied old city of Karlsruhe had started a movement where a free writer would “adopt” an un-free writer and speak on their behalf over an extended period of time. I took on Li Bifeng and Herta adopted Liu Xia. So Herta was aware of everything to do with Liu Xia, as through a translator they spoke of life, poetry, Paul Celan, and so on. Herta felt that Xiaobo should leave China, teach at university, lecture all over the world, and enjoy freedom, and that freedom would greatly stimulate his creativity.
Liu Xia was so happy, her voice trembled. Again and again she said, “Just wait a bit, wait a bit. Xiaobo loves me; they have no reason not to release him.” I told her the German government was hard at work, that secret negotiations between China and Germany had been under way all along.
* * *
When Liu Xia and I spoke by phone in May, she laughed like a bird in a forest: “It won’t be so quick.” She actually comforted me. Peter Sillem’s news from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the same: “It won’t be so quick.”
And then, on June 6, Liu Xia was struck by a bout of depression, her heart beating like a drum; she reached out for her medicine, but there wasn’t enough. She clutched at the phone, but she fell to the ground. When she came to several hours later, the phone rang and she struggled to pick it up. It was Jinzhou Prison, and they wanted her to come immediately. She cautiously asked why, as it wasn’t time for the monthly visit. But the caller was noncommittal, so she immediately rushed there.
After that, we lost contact. I asked everywhere, but there was no news. I sensed something was wrong. On June 16, at 4:30 in the morning, I received a call from someone in Liu’s immediate family.
“Uncle has liver cancer, late-stage.”
Not hearing clearly, I thought I heard “aunt,” and was shocked: “What? Liu Xia has liver cancer?”
“No, no, it’s uncle with late-stage liver cancer.”
I was stunned for a moment, and then yelled at the top of my lungs: “Xiaobo? HIM?”
“Yes, Aunt made me tell you as soon as possible, but you can’t tell anybody, especially the news media.”
“I guarantee I won’t. But can I go through channels and tell people in high levels of the German government, like Chancellor Merkel?”
“Yes, this is precisely what they want you to do.”
“Xiaobo and Liu Xia want me to do this?”
“Yes.”
“I need to understand more of the situation. Where is Xiaobo now? In the prison hospital? Or will he be secretly moved to Beijing?”
“He’s stuck in a Shenyang hospital. Nothing can be done about this.”
“My dad had cancer, so I know liver cancer is the most painful type.”
“That’s why Uncle and Aunt want to go to Germany. As soon as possible. If he has to die, it would be better for him to die in Germany.”
Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Aunt knows Xi Jinping will be visiting Germany next month. Please ask Mrs. Merkel for urgent help. Plead with her to bring this up specifically when talking with Xi Jinping, to let Liu Xiaobo go to Germany as quickly as possible . . . no, to save him.
You’ve told Aunt that Merkel is the most humane and compassionate of politicians today, that she’s helped you and many refugees, even when it has caused her great difficulties.”
“May I reveal to Merkel the source of this information?”
“You may. These past two months, after all Aunt’s applications and struggles, the government finally allowed Uncle to learn what happened to his family [while he was in prison], but now he’s dying.”
“I understand. Please give me your contact details . . .”
Without pausing for breath or thought, I wrote an email to the Biermanns, telling them the situation described above. They were shocked, Pamela saying she would inform the Chancellor’s Office as soon as possible and that she might come to Berlin to see me, but that today it wasn’t possible to determine a plan of action.
Given the abrupt change in circumstances, I took up my pen and wrote:
* * *
Dear Mrs. Merkel:
Please forgive me for taking this liberty! But matters are urgent, and I have no choice but to send you a second letter asking for help.
My old friend, Liu Xiaobo, the still-imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer and is now at death’s door.
This shockingly bad news was entrusted by Liu Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, to an immediate family member, and at 4:30 this afternoon she risked calling me to tell me about it. Liu Xiaobo and his wife asked me to represent them and to ask you and the German government to rescue them from totalitarian China. Liu Xiaobo, though wracked by pain, had the strength to say: “It would be better to die in Germany if I have to die!”
At this point, my face is drenched by my tears. I can’t write anymore. I know that Xi Jinping will visit Berlin early next month. I beg you in the names of Liu Xiaobo and his wife that in your talks with Xi Jinping you use your compassion and political wisdom to urge the Chinese government to release Liu Xiaobo to Germany as soon as possible; no, call it a humane rescue. Liu Xiaobo is now deathly ill and cannot “subvert the country” anymore.
If you are unable to help, please reply, and I will convey the news to Liu Xiaobo and his wife.
If you need to meet with me for more details, please pass this information along by way of our mutual friend, Wolf Biermann. I will be awaiting news at home.
Respectfully yours,
Liao Yiwu, writer in exile
in Berlin on the evening of June 16, 2017
From the frequent feedback I received through the kind offices of the Biermanns, as well as the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Beijing, I learned that the talks between Germany and China about the Lius were extremely difficult. And then on June 26, with tacit permission from the authorities, Liu Xiaobo’s former lawyers, Mo Shaoping and Shang Baojun, suddenly revealed to the global news media the shocking news that the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate had late-stage liver cancer. Our good friend in China, Zhou Zhongling, took the risk of posting a short video announcing that neither chemotherapy nor radiotherapy could be used to cure Xiaobo’s cancer. Shortly after this, Liu Xia and her husband vanished. I did everything I could to find news of them, but everybody said they were inside a heavily guarded building in Shenyang and nobody could get close to it. Still later, Jinzhou Prison announced that the convict Liu Xiaobo had been approved for “medical parole.” According to the law in China, medical parole implies a return home, but the Lius were not allowed to return home. The authorities guaranteed they would gather the country’s foremost cancer experts and consultants and do all they could to save Liu Xiaobo. When the representatives of several Western governments expressed a desire to welcome Liu Xiaobo for cancer treatment, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that the Lius would willingly remain in China to undergo treatment.
During this time, Herta and Harry Müller often came to my home. Our translator and good friend, Zuo Jing, was always together with us. In my home, Herta drafted the joint statement signed by over 130 Nobel laureates, and I remember Herta saying at the end: “We can’t let Liu Xiaobo die like this in China, and we can’t let Liu Xia live like this in China.” Correspondence between the Biermanns and myself was frequent, sometimes several letters a day. On June 25, 2017, the day before Liu Xiaobo’s critical illness was revealed to the world, Pamela wrote:
* * *
Dear Yiwu,
I talked to my friend today. She sends cordial greetings to you and says she will not forget you and your friends. She tried to make a difference the first time we brought her your message. Unfortunately, her counterpart was not very enthusiastic and
rather hostile. That’s probably because our case is pretty well-known. Therefore, I think, it is advisable to keep calm and to make as little kerfuffle as possible in order not to obstruct the way to a quiet solution.
My friend will take care of it again, even if she has the big meeting soon. It seems to be rather difficult. But she will do her best.
Please write me that you got this email.
Best regards, also from the Biermanns,
Pamela
I immediately responded:
* * *
Dear Pamela, Dear Wolf,
Many thanks for everything. I understand that this is not an easy thing to do. Nevertheless, I thank your friend from my heart and I trust in her wisdom. If there’s a god in this world, may it also protect my friend and keep him from death.
Yiwu
A short while later, Pamela wrote back:
* * *
Dear Yiwu,
I thought it over again. Your friend is now a patient. He should undergo a special medical treatment that exists in Berlin, for example. Maybe it will work this way. I advised my friend in this sense; she found the idea a good one. Let’s wait and hope together with you.
Greetings,
Pamela
And again I responded:
* * *
Dear Pamela,
Yes, that’s a good idea. Your friend was on the phone with us. We had to be silent. We are waiting for more news in peace.
Best Regards,
Yiwu
In fact, I wasn’t sure. During the subsequent G20 summit in Hamburg, Angela Merkel, the “friend” in Pamela’s letter, repeatedly told Xi Jinping that there was a special treatment for Liu Xiaobo’s condition that could only be implemented in Germany. Xi Jinping gave a perfunctory response, saying in effect: Wait until I understand more about the situation and then I’ll decide. Then the German and American cancer experts arrived at Liu Xiaobo’s bedside, listened to his wishes, and published a report and a statement, reiterating that Liu Xiaobo could travel long distances under the care of medical personnel. And the German embassy in Beijing issued a statement:
A certain authority released an audio-visual recording of a German doctor who consulted with Liu Xiaobo. This act violated the wishes of the German side and violated the written agreement between the two parties before the visit. These videos were selectively leaked to certain Chinese official media. It seems that security agencies are leading the process, not medical experts. This behavior undermines trust in the authorities handling Liu Xiaobo’s case—which is crucial to ensure maximum treatment success.
On July 11, I wrote to the Biermanns, making a final appeal to Mrs. Merkel:
* * *
Dear Wolf, Dear Pamela,
My friend Liu Xiaobo fell unconscious two days ago. According to the official announcement, the hospital is trying to save him. I’m full of worries and I need to bother you again, which I apologize for now.
A segment of the video surveillance was officially released: a group of white-gowned puppets stood around Liu Xiaobo; only a view of Liu Xia’s back was visible. She seemed to be sobbing, as when the German expert voiced his opinion, the American expert stroked her shoulder and suggested they bring some tissues. This scene seemed like a dream to me. After the German and American experts had left the room, the remaining ghost doctors stood expressionless around Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia.
The German and American experts have heard Liu Xiaobo’s repudiation with their own ears: “Germany is the first choice! I would go to the US too. I hope the Chinese government approves my departure.” I would like to reiterate that Xiaobo wants to save Liu Xia and Liu Hui [Liu Xia’s brother] by bringing them to Germany with his last remaining strength. On June 16, someone from his family called me and reported that Liu Xiaobo had called out in great pain: “It would be better to die in Germany if I have to die!”
Dear Wolf, dear Pamela, I have caused you many problems. Of course, through your letters and phone calls, I know that Mrs. Merkel has tried everything she can. However, I approach you with this question: Would it still be possible to ask them to talk with the highest level in China again, even Xi Jinping at the top? Many rumors and conjectures are circulating these days, and even the artist Ai Weiwei is heavily involved in the rumor mill. Since he is influential, the rumors spread even faster and further, so I had to denounce him with allegations against him on Facebook. However, I have not revealed anything not approved by you.
I have kept my promise. My friend A will be made known when this is over. The salvation of Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia is a major historical event, almost a Chinese version of “Schindler’s list.” Every detail and every piece of writing will be archived and documented. Ai Weiwei’s recent remarks, such as “Pandas and planes are more important than Liu Xiaobo,” cause confusion and distrust, which weakens the rescue effort.
The story repeats itself. Schindler had to deal with the criminal Nazi regime to save as many Jews as he could. The Chinese regime today is not inferior to the Nazis in its malevolence. So I understand very well, as you repeatedly emphasize, how difficult Mrs. Merkel has it. However, I cannot hold back and have to write again for one reason: Liu Xia will die soon after if Liu Xiaobo dies in China and she is not allowed to leave. Depression, heart disease, and despair would kill her quickly. And this would cause an agony that would never leave me.
So I count on you again with this request: Please speak again with Mrs. Merkel. Will you do this for me?
Your loving Yiwu,
Berlin, 11.07.2017
On the morning of the twelfth, the German embassy in Beijing asked the Berlin-based reporter Su Yutong to contact me. He urgently asked for visa photos for Liu Xiaobo, Liu Xia, and Liu Hui. The diplomats spoke guardedly but confirmed that the German side was prepared to move ahead.
I stayed up all night and haunted the house like a ghost. I took out three bronze coins and made a divination with the I-Ching, or Book of Changes. I got 贲, with a change to 既 濟. 贲 is a decorative motif, 既 濟 is completion, meaning that to seek virtue is to attain virtue. A week ago, for the same reason, I obtained 明 夷, without a change. The literal translation of 明 夷 is “Light is injured, the sun sinks into the earth’s core.” Sure enough, at noon on July 13, 2017, I received a long letter from Biermann, which began:
* * *
Liu Xiaobo is Gone
* * *
Dear Liao Yiwu,
I just received the message: not “We did it . . .” but the pigs have unfortunately managed to let your heart’s brother die in China. This long-suffering man went in his own way today: Liu Xiaobo is dead. I know it from Pamela, who just called me. And she is back to communicating with our friend in Berlin, as discreetly as the last time.
But now it’s a new situation. Now, unfortunately, it can only be a question of saving at least the widow at the edge of the abyss.
As you know, our friend in Berlin has always tried hard to help Liu Xiaobo. Yes, my dear, next to the G-20 summit meeting, next to the idiotic excesses of inhuman violence in Hamburg, beside contracts on free trade, panda diplomacy and Erdoğan terror and Putin’s heroic deeds for the dictator in Syria and for the annexation of Ukraine . . . in addition to dealing with the Chinese turbocharged concentration-camp capitalism, it is always about the most important thing: the individual in this bestiary of world politics . . .
Just two days later, Xiaobo’s ashes were thrown into the Yellow Sea. The authorities stressed that these were Liu Xia’s own wishes. Liu Xiaoguang, Liu Xiaobo’s eldest brother, a retired cadre of the Communist Party who had severed relations with his brother after the June Fourth massacre, gave his “heartfelt thanks to the Party and the government” at the supposedly globally broadcast live press conference. Soon after, a distraught Liu Xia was hurried off to Dali, in Yunnan, escorted by a large number of officers of the secret police.
* * *
A DIRGE FOR LIU XIAOBO
What difference will it make? He’s dead.
Nailed to the cross by the Communist Party, he is now eternally there like Jesus
Who rose again after being tortured to death
I still wait to hear you have news of his takeoff
I wait for him to write that last love letter
For him to send his wife thousands of miles far away and later be buried in a foreign land
We will often go to visit him. As the nighttime darkness gathers
The past sweeps by like a river flood sweeping past tree branches.
But everything was shattered, he is not free
His life and his death, his cremated ashes, his love, none of them are free
The whole world watched helplessly as a man of integrity
Like an outstanding book, was torn apart bit by bit
Nobody can stop these ignorant atrocities
But everyone hoped that they could be stopped!
Nobody can do anything about that, dear God
He is dead.
* * *
What did I do wrong? I had been trying since 2014. If you believe the official account, things moved too fast. They say they convened the country’s top experts and consultants to save him—when, in fact, following similar practice, even if there had been no treatment, he should have survived another three to five months or more. After a sudden fire in a sector of Jinzhou Prison where he had been incarcerated, all records of prisoners’ physical exams over the years were turned to ashes. No country imposed even the slightest sanctions on China for any of this. Not Germany, either, although no other country had done as much as Germany to help Liu Xiaobo and his wife.
