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Liu Xiaobo wins Nobel Peace Prize
CONTROVERSIAL CHOICE:Despite Beijing¡¦s
anger, the DPP, the KMT and President Ma Ying-jeou all issued statements
congratulating the dissident on his award
BY MO YAN-CHIH AND VINCENT Y. CHAO / STAFF
REPORTERS, WITH AP, OSLO
Protesters demonstrate outside the Chinese
Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong yesterday demanding the release of jailed Chinese
pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (¼B¾åªi), a key
participant in the ¡§Charter 08¡¨ initiative, was awarded this year¡¦s Nobel Peace
Prize yesterday for using non--violent means to demand fundamental human rights
in his homeland, igniting a furious response from China, which accused the
Norwegian Nobel Committee of violating its own principles by honoring ¡§a
criminal.¡¨
Chinese state media immediately blacked out the news and Chinese government
censors blocked Nobel Prize reports from Web sites. China declared the decision
would harm its relations with Norway, while the Nordic country responded that
was a petty thing for a world power to do.
Hours after the announcement, President Ma Ying-jeou (°¨^¤E) congratulated Liu for
winning the prize and called on China to address human rights issues with a more
liberal attitude.
In a written statement, Ma described Liu¡¦s winning the award as bearing
¡§significant historical meaning¡¨ for the development of human rights in China,
as well as Chinese communities around the world.
¡§We expect mainland China to address the issue of human rights with a whole new
attitude, solve major human rights incidents with honesty and confidence, and
treat dissidents with more tolerance,¡¨ Ma said.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) also congratulated Liu.
¡§Freedom, democracy and human rights are universal values, and Mr Liu¡¦s winning
the award at this time bears significant meaning,¡¨ KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin
(Ĭ«T»«) said.
Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (ù´¼±j) said Ma reiterated comments
made previously on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre that, in
addition to economic development, China should seek breakthroughs in the
development of human rights.
This year¡¦s peace prize followed a long tradition of honoring dissidents around
the world and was the first Nobel for China¡¦s dissident community since it
resurfaced after the Chinese Communist Party launched economic, but not
political, reforms three decades ago.
Liu, 54, was sentenced last year to 11 years in prison for subversion. The Nobel
committee said he was the first to be honored while still in prison, although
other winners have been under house arrest or imprisoned before getting the
prize.
Chinese authorities would not allow access to Liu yesterday.
A photograph of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo
is held by his wife, Liu Xia, during an interview in Beijing on Sunday.Oct 09,
2010
FULL STORY
PHOTO: REUTERS
His wife, however, expressed joy at the news. Surrounded by
police at their Beijing apartment, Liu Xia (¼BÁø) was not allowed out to meet
reporters. Instead, she gave brief remarks by phone and text message, saying she
was happy and that she planned to go today to deliver the news to Liu Xiaobo at
the prison, 500km away.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry lashed out at the Nobel decision, saying the award
should have been used instead to promote international friendship and
disarmament.
¡§Liu Xiaobo is a criminal who has been sentenced by Chinese judicial departments
for violating Chinese law,¡¨ the statement said.
Honoring him ¡§runs completely counter to the principle of the prize and is also
a blasphemy to the peace prize,¡¨ it said.
The Dalai Lama also issued his public congratulations to Liu Xiaobo.
¡§I would like to take this opportunity to renew my call to the government of
China to release Liu Xiaobo and other prisoners of conscience, who have been
imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression,¡¨ the spiritual leader
said.
In a statement, released minutes after the announcement of the award, the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said it welcomed the decision to award Liu
Xiaobo, adding that it was ¡§deeply concerned¡¨ about the state of human rights in
China
¡§Democracy, freedom and human rights are universal values,¡¨ the DPP said. ¡§Liu [Xiaobo¡¦s
movement] was a call on the Chinese government to realize human rights and start
democratic reform, leading to a democratic constitution.¡¨
The party also said the government should redouble efforts to try to export
democratic and human rights values to China through greater cross-strait
exchanges.
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