You see, Liu Xiaobo is currently serving an 11 year prison term in China. He was convicted of "subversion" last year. It seems he drafted a charter calling for China to institute a multi-party democracy and respect the human rights of its individual citizens -- a definite crime in the Chinese one-party dictatorship.
The Chinese are so mad that they have warned all other nations not to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony which is to be held on December 10th. It is common practice for the nations with embassies in Norway to have their ambassadors attend the ceremony, but this year the Chinese are waging an all-out campaign to get countries to boycott the ceremony. They have said that any nation that attends the ceremony will suffer "consequences" -- although they have not enumerated just what those consequences would be.
So far, thirty-six nations have announced that they will be attending the ceremony (including the United States and most European countries). But at least six countries have bowed to the pressure from the Chinese and announced they will not be attending the ceremony (although none of them will admit they are caving in to Chinese demands). These cowardly countries are Russia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Cuba, Morocco, and China (of course).
I was a little surprised by the Russians giving in, but I guess they don't want any trouble on their long border with China (which has seen a multitude of problems over the years). The Russians are trying to save face by claiming they won't be there because their ambassador just happens to be scheduled to be out of Norway that week (as if the world doesn't know one of his underlings could take his place if it was really true).
Another sixteen countries have requested more time before deciding if they will attend. Their ambassadors have told the Norwegians that this is a "sensitive" issue and they need to consult with their governments. It is likely that at least some of them will also bow to the pressure being put on them by the Chinese government.
What makes this kind of crazy is that the Nobel Peace Prize will probably not be handed out in the December 10th ceremony. The Nobel rules state that the prize can only be given to the recipient or a close family member. Xiaobo is in prison and his wife has been on house arrest since the prize was announced (even though she's committed no crime). Additionally, his brothers are being watched closely by the Chinese police, and it is very doubtful they would be allowed to leave the country.
Personally, I think the Chinese are being more than a little silly in their reaction to Xiaobo winning the prize. It's already a done deal. He's the winner, and whether they ever let him leave the country to accept the prize or not, he will always be remembered as the 2010 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Boycotting the ceremony or refusing to allow his family to accept the prize will not change that -- it just makes the Chinese government look foolish.
China has registered their displeasure. Now they should back off.
i won a nobel prize in 2016 for cure for covid 19 virus, a few days after winning the prize i was sufficated and killed in my own house and own bed while sleeping they threw my body in dumpster and found me dead at the local landfill. They stole the prize that they had given me and mailed to president Xi. This was right before he was elected president in china. A later date when they deliverred the actual prize and gold coin prize money i was killed again a short time after recieving the prize money they said it was a home invassion where they stole the safe with nobel prize in it and the prize money. Alfred Nobel made rules for which are eligable to enter a nobel. Why are mad at me becuase eligibilty rules a country for some one to enter from. , Alferd made the rules that basically say anyone from communist country is not eligeble, alfred nobel is dead and how will they change the rules if he is dead the rules for eligibilty were alfreds rules and nobody elses they could be mad at him and only him for making them. The cobflict lies with him and nobody else, and since he is dead the rules will not be changed he made the prize not any country or organization made it. . Don"t they know this in china, so what is this get mad at prize winners, they need to get paid someday, It is a prize not an award and prize is reason why anyone enters to begin with.especially scientist who have never been paid by anyone like me. When there is no way to change the legacy of his prize it was his money and his prize and his rules. not any coutry . So what are they thinking, there angry at new sciientic break through or just ignorant on how the prize was made. Change the rules they can not be changed Alfred Nobel is dead! . And as long remains a one party communist controlled country they will not be eligible. They owe me 2 million plus intrest the way i see it. iWhat they want is no one top be a scientis ort to enter the prize for prize money they trying to take away all the incentives ever to be a scientist in the western world. I spend all time now thinking about what i can do to ithem iinsted of a cure for a virus come may be come up witrh a virus to dispatch of them all, who knows
ReplyDeletekeith william howell 572736430