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China will "try to block" Nobel prize for dissident
Policemen stand near a portrait of one of China's best known dissidents Liu Xiaobo during a protest urging for his release at the China liaison office in Hong Kong in this December 25, 2009 file photo.
Credit: Reuters/Tyrone Siu
BEIJING |
BEIJING (Reuters) - China will try its best to block a Nobel Peace prize for jailed Chinese writer and dissident Liu Xiaobo, his wife told Reuters ahead of the Nobel Committee's announcement on Friday.
Liu is considered one of the front-runners for the prize, although the Nobel Committee often confounds expectations. Czech politician and former dissident Vaclav Havel is one of those pushing for Liu to win the prize.
The Nobel Committee will announce the winner on Friday.
"This government is one that has never given reasons for its actions. It is a government that thinks there is nothing it can't do," Liu's wife, Liu Xia, told Reuters in an interview.
"To get what it wants, the Communist Party will spare no effort. It will use all types of methods to block the prize or anything else that would hurt the party. They will use their money and power to get others to support them."
Liu Xiaobo was jailed for 11 years in December 2009, more than a year after his detention as lead author of Charter 08, a manifesto issued by Chinese intellectuals and activists calling for free speech and multi-party elections.
He was charged with subversion of state power.
The former literature professor rose to prominence as one of the leaders of a hunger strike during student protests on Tiananmen Square in 1989.
He was later jailed for 20 months and then spent three years in a "labor re-education" camp during the 1990s, as well as months under virtual house arrest.
Liu Xia said she had a feeling Liu would not get the prize.
Deputy Foreign Minister Fu Ying warned the head of the Nobel Institute against granting the prize to Liu during a visit to Oslo this summer, saying it would hurt ties between China and Norway.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said last month that Liu's actions were "diametrically opposed to the aims of the Nobel prize."
(Editing by Nick Macfie)
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Liu on the take from US government is not a secret. Even our own law (FARA) states financial sponsorship by foreignty entity, in part or whole, substantiates foreign agent status.
Evidence of Liu taking over half million dollars from US government is publically available – in NED’s China grant publication. Liu started two political organizations, ICPC and Mingzhu Zhongguo, to received funding from a quasi-government entity funded by the US congress.
Come on, this is double standard. Would an American on the take from China advocating abolition of US constitution ever be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize? Heck no.
For the people of China and for all of humanity, I support Liu Xiaobo for the Nobel Peace Prize! Let the Chinese Communist Party dictatorship hear a strong message that China’s people deserve better!
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