Letter from President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic to Ms Zhang Cuiying [May 4, 2002]

Prague, 4 May 2002

Dear Mrs. Zhang Cuiying,

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your beautiful gift and for your letter of 3 May 2002.

I am always very sorry and moved when I hear about the treatment by the Chinese authorities of people involved in the Falun Gong movement. I feel solidarity with you and with all those who, due to their convictions, become the target of violence, oppression and persecution.

Art connects people throughout the world and promotes solidarity and responsibility for the lives of others. With your drawings, you can draw attention to the injustice and unlawfulness and, therefore, help to remedy the situation. In this way you can initiate the necessary dialogue. I can assure you that in every case of differing opinions with which I have been confronted, I have always preferred dialogue over confrontation, and this principle has served me well. This simple rule should also apply in the People's Republic of China.

As the President of the Czech Republic and as its citizen, I remain very concerned with the human rights situation in the PRC, and I seek to address this issue whenever I can. I believe that human rights based on respect for others are values valid not only for one part of human civilization, but that they are truly universal. We must never be content with the situation in the world when it falls short of these values.

I appreciate your efforts very much, and I am also pleased that I had a chance to learn about your art. I hope you will continue to create beautiful pictures, and I hope that your future will be full of happiness.

With respect,

Vaclav Havel