Jailed Chinese dissident Xiaobo wins Nobel Peace Prize
Saturday, 9 October 2010
OSLO, Oct 8 (AFP): Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, an award which sparked a furious backlash from Beijing and renewed Western calls for his immediate release.
The writer and university professor was honoured "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China," Norwegian Nobel Committee president Thorbjoern Jagland said in his announcement.
"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has long believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace," he added.
In the wake of the announcement, both Germany and France called on China to immediately release Liu from prison.
"The government would like to see him released soon and receive his prize in person," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters.
But China slammed the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo as a violation of the honour's ideals, while the laureate's joyful wife led calls for his immediate release.
Beijing-which has repeatedly branded the 54-year-old writer a criminal following his December 2009 jailing for 11 years on subversion charges-also warned Norway that ties would suffer over the Nobel committee's decision.
"The Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to those who work to promote ethnic harmony, international friendship, disarmament and who hold peace meetings. These were (Alfred) Nobel's wishes," foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.
"Liu Xiaobo was found guilty of violating Chinese law and sentenced to prison by Chinese judicial organs," Ma said in a statement on the ministry's website.
"By awarding the prize to this person, the Nobel committee has violated and blasphemed the award," Beijing said in a statement.
Liu, 54, was last December sentenced to 11 years behind bars for subversion, following the 2008 release of "Charter 08", a manifesto for reform signed by more than 300 Chinese intellectuals, academics and writers.
Liu, who has been detained several times before, was also a key figure in the pro-democracy student movement in China in 1989, which was brutally crushed by Chinese authorities and culminated in the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Norway and China are currently in negotiations to forge a bilateral trade agreement, a deal which Oslo hopes to sign as soon as possible.
But instead of ducking what could be a pending diplomatic row, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was among the first to congratulate Liu.
"Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the prize for defending freedom of expression and democracy in a way that deserves attention and respect," he said in a statement.
The London-based human rights group Amnesty International called him a "worthy winner" and urged China to release all prisoners of conscience.
The group added that it hoped the award "will keep the spotlight on the struggle for fundamental freedoms and concrete protection of human rights" in China.
The Chinese government has frequently warned the Norwegian Nobel Committee to steer clear of pro-democracy advocates in general, and recently specifically warned them off Liu.
But Jagland insisted that the Nobel Committee has the right to question the human rights record of one of the world's great powers.
"China is in breach of several international agreements to which it is a signatory, as well as of its own provisions concerning political rights," said Jagland, adding that "we have a responsibility to speak when others are unable to speak."
Liu had yet to be informed of the prize, Jagland said.
With the laureate in prison and his wife under constant surveillance, it was unlikley there would be anyone to pick up the prize in Oslo in December.
Speaking in China his wife, Liu Xia, said she was "so excited" that her husband had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, thanking his supporters including the Dalai Lama, a past laureate.
In recent years Chinese dissidents have routinely been named as top candidates for the prestigious prize but have not won.
In 1989, China was incensed that the Nobel Committee chose the Tibetian spiritual leader Dalai Lama for the Peace Prize.
This year, the Nobel Committee considered a record 237 individuals and organisations for the Peace Prize, which carries with it an award of 10 million Swedish kroner (1.49 million dollars, 1.09 million euros).
The award is to be presented in Oslo on December 10. Other Nobel laureates will pick up their prizes in Stockholm on the same day.
Last year, the Nobel Committee stunned the world and the recipient alike by awarding the honour to US President Barack Obama, who had been in office less than nine months, and while the United States was waging simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Peace Prize is the most closely-watched Nobel, and follows awards for excellence in medicine, chemistry, physics, and literature. On Monday, the prize for economics will round out the 2010 Nobel season.
The writer and university professor was honoured "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China," Norwegian Nobel Committee president Thorbjoern Jagland said in his announcement.
"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has long believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace," he added.
In the wake of the announcement, both Germany and France called on China to immediately release Liu from prison.
"The government would like to see him released soon and receive his prize in person," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters.
But China slammed the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo as a violation of the honour's ideals, while the laureate's joyful wife led calls for his immediate release.
Beijing-which has repeatedly branded the 54-year-old writer a criminal following his December 2009 jailing for 11 years on subversion charges-also warned Norway that ties would suffer over the Nobel committee's decision.
"The Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to those who work to promote ethnic harmony, international friendship, disarmament and who hold peace meetings. These were (Alfred) Nobel's wishes," foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.
"Liu Xiaobo was found guilty of violating Chinese law and sentenced to prison by Chinese judicial organs," Ma said in a statement on the ministry's website.
"By awarding the prize to this person, the Nobel committee has violated and blasphemed the award," Beijing said in a statement.
Liu, 54, was last December sentenced to 11 years behind bars for subversion, following the 2008 release of "Charter 08", a manifesto for reform signed by more than 300 Chinese intellectuals, academics and writers.
Liu, who has been detained several times before, was also a key figure in the pro-democracy student movement in China in 1989, which was brutally crushed by Chinese authorities and culminated in the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Norway and China are currently in negotiations to forge a bilateral trade agreement, a deal which Oslo hopes to sign as soon as possible.
But instead of ducking what could be a pending diplomatic row, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was among the first to congratulate Liu.
"Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the prize for defending freedom of expression and democracy in a way that deserves attention and respect," he said in a statement.
The London-based human rights group Amnesty International called him a "worthy winner" and urged China to release all prisoners of conscience.
The group added that it hoped the award "will keep the spotlight on the struggle for fundamental freedoms and concrete protection of human rights" in China.
The Chinese government has frequently warned the Norwegian Nobel Committee to steer clear of pro-democracy advocates in general, and recently specifically warned them off Liu.
But Jagland insisted that the Nobel Committee has the right to question the human rights record of one of the world's great powers.
"China is in breach of several international agreements to which it is a signatory, as well as of its own provisions concerning political rights," said Jagland, adding that "we have a responsibility to speak when others are unable to speak."
Liu had yet to be informed of the prize, Jagland said.
With the laureate in prison and his wife under constant surveillance, it was unlikley there would be anyone to pick up the prize in Oslo in December.
Speaking in China his wife, Liu Xia, said she was "so excited" that her husband had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, thanking his supporters including the Dalai Lama, a past laureate.
In recent years Chinese dissidents have routinely been named as top candidates for the prestigious prize but have not won.
In 1989, China was incensed that the Nobel Committee chose the Tibetian spiritual leader Dalai Lama for the Peace Prize.
This year, the Nobel Committee considered a record 237 individuals and organisations for the Peace Prize, which carries with it an award of 10 million Swedish kroner (1.49 million dollars, 1.09 million euros).
The award is to be presented in Oslo on December 10. Other Nobel laureates will pick up their prizes in Stockholm on the same day.
Last year, the Nobel Committee stunned the world and the recipient alike by awarding the honour to US President Barack Obama, who had been in office less than nine months, and while the United States was waging simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Peace Prize is the most closely-watched Nobel, and follows awards for excellence in medicine, chemistry, physics, and literature. On Monday, the prize for economics will round out the 2010 Nobel season.