At Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, recipient Liu Xiaobo represented only by his words
| Oslo
Scores of supporters for Liu Xiaobo, this year鈥檚 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, shouted calls for democracy in China as guests arrived for this year鈥檚 controversial award ceremony in Oslo City Hall.
The demonstrators stood behind police barricades while about 20 pro-China protestors 鈥� 100 were anticipated 鈥� gathered a few blocks away with three giant white banners in Norwegian and Chinese and small yellow handwritten signs stating 鈥淟aw Breaker = Peace Prize Laureate?!鈥� and 鈥淧eace Prize = Political Tool.鈥�
The decision to award the prize this year to an imprisoned Chinese dissident has aroused strong reaction in China and prompted the protest led today by the Norway-China Association.
Beijing is angry at the Norwegian Nobel Committee for awarding the prize to a 鈥渃riminal,鈥� who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for 鈥渋nciting subversion of state power鈥� after co-authoring the political manifest Charter 08.
Yaming Yuen, leader of the Norway-China Association, said he disagreed with statements made by Thorbj酶rn Jagland, Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman, during a press conference yesterday that the decision to give the prize to Liu was not a prize against China.
鈥淗e has totally misunderstood everything,鈥� says Mr. Yaming. 鈥淗e has to travel to China to understand.鈥�
In his opening ceremony speech for this year鈥檚 Nobel Peace Prize, Mr. Jagland praised China for the country鈥檚 recent achievements, while warning efforts to quash freedom of expression could lead to corruption.
He commended China in particular for its rapid economic growth, its success in lifting several hundred million people in China out of poverty, and its ratification of United Nations and International Labor Organization鈥檚 major international conventions on human rights.
However, Jagland said China鈥檚 growing economic status bore with it the responsibility for accepting criticism. Even though authoritarian states could have long periods with fast economic growth, it was no coincidence that nearly all of the richest countries in the world were democratic, he said.
鈥淗istorical experience has given us reason to believe that continuing rapid economic growth presupposes opportunities for free research, thinking, and debate,鈥� said Jagland. 鈥淲ithout freedom of expression, corruption, the abuse of power, and misrule will develop.鈥�
Jagland made his speech aside an empty chair that was placed on the stage of Oslo City Hall to symbolize Mr. Liu鈥檚 absence 鈥� the first time in 75 years that no one came to represent the laureate. Liu 鈥榮 wife was prevented from attending because she has been under house arrest in China as part of a widespread crackdown on Liu鈥檚 supporters.
In Liu鈥檚 stead, Liv Ullmann, one of Norway鈥檚 most famous actresses, read a text from Liu鈥檚 final statement on Dec. 23, 2009, entitled 鈥淚 Have No Enemies.鈥� The essay expresses Liu鈥檚 compassion for his adversaries and his hopes that he will be the last one in China to be incriminated because of speech.
鈥淔reedom of expression is the foundation of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth,鈥� Ullmann read. 鈥淭o strangle freedom of speech is to trample on human rights, stifle humanity, and suppress truth.鈥�
The laureate鈥檚 absence will also be specially marked this evening during the traditional torchlight parade to the Grand Hotel, where the Nobel Banquet will take place. Since the laureate is unable to wave from the hotel balcony this year to the crowd-filled square, Amnesty International has arranged for an image of Liu to be projected onto the fa莽ade of the five-story building.
