Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波), 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 (馬英九) congratulated Liu for winning the prize and called on China to address human rights issues with a more liberal attitude.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“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 (蘇俊賓) said.
Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) 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.
His wife, however, expressed joy at the news. Surrounded by police at their Beijing apartment, Liu Xia (劉霞) 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.
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
HAN KUANG: The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers said The armed forces would for the first time test new rules of engagement (ROE) at this month’s annual Han Kuang exercises, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday. The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers told a news conference in Taipei. ROE cards would be issued to select combat troops to test their ability to function without tight control, they said. The most recent edition of the rules was published last year, they said. One of the cards’ two templates identifies enemy targets that soldiers