[3068] Yang Jianli laments Liu Xiaobo’s absence at Nobel Peace Prize ceremony

3068 Edition
December 13~19, 2010
Headline News

Yang Jianli laments Liu Xiaobo’s absence at Nobel Peace Prize ceremony

Phone interview by Sam Lee

Written by Lydia Ma

Yang Jianli, a Christian and Chinese human rights activists, arrived at the December 12, 2010, Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo on behalf of the Peace Prize Laureate, Liu Xiaobo. The latter had been arrested and detained by Chinese authorities months ago on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” for his significant role in penning Charter 08 – a human rights manifesto calling for reform and liberalization in China.

Yang commented in a phone interview with Taiwan Church News that Beijing only succeeded in highlighting its vulnerability against a rising tide by apprehending Liu and preventing him from receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and attending this ceremony.

Yang also commended the PCT for its relentless efforts in advancing human rights and said human rights activists in China have much to learn from PCT.

According to reports, it was Liu Xia, the wife of Liu Xiaobo, who’d asked Yang to be present at this ceremony. On that day, arrangements were made for Yang to be seated in the first row, while the seat reserved for Liu remained conspicuously empty and the focus of much media attention.

After the assembly read aloud Liu’s statement issued last year during his trial – a statement where he made a point to clarify that he had “no enemies” – attendees gave Liu a standing ovation despite his absence.

According to Yang, Thorbjoern Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, later approached him and told him that such a warm response from the audience was a rare sight at Nobel award ceremonies.

 

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