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BEIJING – The news that jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize created a lot of excitement among the foreign media here.
One of their first ports of call Friday was a housing compound in a back alley near China’s Ministry of National Defense in the western part of Beijing, hoping to see and hear from his wife, Liu Xia.
Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images
Near the China Liason Office in Hong Kong, where Chinese residents have greater freedom of speech than mainland China, protestors celebrate Liu Xiaobo being awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
But after a couple of hours of waiting – and some scuffles with Chinese security personnel – it dawned on the crowd that there would be no appearance by Liu Xia. “No, she cannot come out,” said, Liu Xiaoquan, Liu Xiabo’s younger brother, a hint that authorities were taking preventive measures.
Which, indeed, they did. After several hours of a semi-standoff, Liu Xia was taken from her home by plainclothes police officers.
“They are forcing me to leave Beijing," she told Reuters during a phone interview as plainclothes police waited for her outside.
Preventive measure also were being taken by the government-controlled media.
China Central TV’s 7 p.m. national newscast reported on Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s trip to Europe, the status of China’s eleventh iteration of the “Five-Year-Plan” for the economy (the first version began after the revolution in 1949) and the successful artificial insemination of a panda that lead to the birth of two panda cubs in Spain – but not a word on Liu Xiaobo was mentioned.
Actually, up until Friday, many Chinese people had never even heard Liu Xiaobo’s name before – because his political writings are considered to be subversive by the government, his name has long been censored from the media.
Soon after the Nobel announcement, major Chinese Web portals like Sina, Netease and Sohu all redirected their previous special reports on this week’s Nobel prizes to their homepages or simply displayed a message saying “deleted.” And reports on the Peruvian writer Vargas Llosa winning the Nobel Literature Prize were demoted on web site homepages and buried among hundreds of other headlines. China Mobile users also found it impossible to send out any text messages mentioning “Liu Xiaobo.”
Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV did report on the award, but in the context of the foreign ministry’s condemnation of the honor.
And broadcasts of CNN and BBC, which are usually available in upscale hotels and places where foreigners gather, were blacked out when the Nobel announcement was made and during subsequent reports on the award.
‘Finally this day has arrived!’
Despite the government-controlled media blackout, the Chinese blogosphere and microblogs still exploded with excitement as soon as the news came out that Liu had been awarded the prize.
On Twitter, the popular web site that can only be accessed via proxy servers in China, it seemed like almost every tweet was about Liu winning the honor.
“I’m in ecstasy,” wrote Wang Dan, a prominent student leader at the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing in 1989 who now lives in the U.S. “Finally this day has arrived!”
Reports on dinner celebrations and firecrackers popping in major cities spread online and there were more than a few tweets from people saying they had shed tears in exhilaration at the news.
There were also sarcastic comments making the rounds, too. “The Nobel Committee must be broke! So they are giving the award to someone who cannot come to get his money!” or “Congratulations to Chinese judges who sent Liu Xiaobo to prison! They just won the Nobel Shame Prize!”
Outside the Twitter world, under the surveillance of the government’s censorship, Netizens still found ways to express joy and anger about the government’s response to the award. One person wrote, “Good new, good news, Chinese! You know what I mean!”
And on Douban.com, another popular Chinese Web portal, a user named “Chengcheng” simply posted links to reports on the win from the world’s major newspapers with Liu Xiaobo’s photo and wrote, “He’s in the headlines of all these media” without writing Liu’s name.
His post was followed by comments from other users who didn’t mention Liu’s name, but pointed out the constant struggle with censorship. “Yeah he’s on headlines of English media, but not on Chinese ones,” one person wrote. Another wrote, “Last year everyone talked about Obama winning Nobel, this year…nothing.”
Another stop in a long journey
The prize was clearly a big boost for China’s dissident community, which has been largely harassed and marginalized by China’s economic achievements and dramatic rise on the global stage.
Qi Zhiyong, who lost a limb during the 1989 armed crackdown at Tiananmen Square, said the prize was “a confirmation and promotion of Chinese struggle for democracy.” He quickly added, “but it also means we have to redouble our efforts to realize that day,” he said.
Peking University professor Xia Yeliang, who co-signed the controversial Charter 08 manifesto that led to Liu’s imprisonment, boldly declared to a group of foreign journalists that “the one-party dictatorship will be ended within ten years.”
For Liu himself, the prize marks the culmination of a long journey that began in the late spring of 1989. He cut short his fellowship at Columbia University in New York to join the historic pro-democracy movement at Tiananmen Square.
The Tiananmen movement was “teaching China’s government on how to govern in the ways of democracy and rule of law,” he declared in a manifesto that led to a hunger strike in June 1989.
Nearly 20 years later, he was still promoting the same message. “The awakening Chinese citizens increasingly recognize that freedom, equality and human rights are universal values and that democracy, a republic, and constitutionalism are the hallmarks of modern governance,” declared the Charter 08 manifesto that Liu helped compose in 2008. That document eventually led to an 11-year prison sentence.
“He has never thought of giving up, and I cannot persuade him to stop,” his wife told NBC News before the news of the Nobel award.
“You only have one life, so I let him do what he wants to do,” she added.
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US, by turning blind eyes to the evil government and actively pursuing the financial profit from their cheap labor, effectively empowered the evil kingdom.
you are so right
China is very Yin Yang. They have done great things to improve the quality of life for millions of it's citizens. There is genuine good will on the part of it's government toward it's population.
That said, they also have had to make some pretty drastic actions to keep control of their population. China has a long history of violent and bloody civil war between provinces, and control of information is one of their best weapons to keep that under control. And sometimes that control goes to far.
I personally find their behavior regarding North Korea the most reprehensible. They have had a key roll in creating and supporting the closest thing to Hell on Earth.
quite unfortunately I believe your commentary has some merit - but we are a society that is goverened by currency in trade for goods and servies - would a barter society even work in today's society?
Sanescience I agree on some parts of your post but taking everything away then giving back just enough to get by is NOT improving the lives of the Chinese people, Good will toward the people is NOT demonstrated by armed response to peaceful demonstration or jailing those with different opinions
"I personally find their behavior regarding North Korea the most reprehensible. They have had a key roll in creating and supporting the closest thing to Hell on Earth."
Yes, Another Republic controlled by Republican ethics which have a direct comparison to Republican ethics in the USA, Deregulate enviromental protections, profit from corporate control of the government and people, deregulate lending, cut working benefits, Keep the people dependent on corporate benevolence for their basic living needs
The people of China, Cuba, N. Korea are all "forced" Republicans and became that way by the exact same principles of the Republican Party in the USA, Destroy the economy and creat mass unemployment and people will work 16 hours a day to feed their families, The last three Republican Presidents in the USA have came VERY close to accomplishing the goal
Keith: Well said and unfortunately correct.
Unfortunately our own government is not without flaw and we have those that have sacrificed themselves for the betterment or worsening of it. So, I do not know that we are wise to throw stones, even if only at our own delicate structure.
Let Freedom Ring.
amen
But you must remember before them, we empowered a horrid rule of supposed democracy. The Kuomingtang. they played the us for a democracy but were worse than the communist at the time, they used the US govs money to fight imperialism but were really just using it for extreme shows of elegance. when the communist party origionaly came into power they seemed like a godsent.
A good book to read by an ex citizen of china is "Three Swans" its a good detail of what really was happening. its a bit on the long side, but if you really want to see whats happend and to see what we origionaly promoted then read the book.
The chinese need to stand up for themselves, the fact the goverment censors things like this makes my skin crawl. How could you live knowing the goverment has a vail over everything you do.
Informist2010: Would you be willing to die for that cause. Because that is what would happen to a lot of them and the first to stand up most certainly be condemning themselves to death. It is easy to say to stand up but citizens of that country don't have access to arms. They would be fighting against a major military power with stones and sticks.
Agreed, Sean, but so what? Does "give me freedom or give me death" ring a bell? You sound like the effete x patriot Iranians I speak to all the time, and there is a class of Chinese who are just the same. Instead of philosophizing about freedom comfortably ensconced in coffee shops in Paris and Vancouver, some having left their countries with fortunes, both Chinese and Iranian x patriots should be building an armed underground, a resistance movement, to take up arms and start killing their oppressors. But this is contrary to their very core. Most of this so-called intelligensia are leftists who view pacifism as a god. Both nations will forever be doomed to rule by tyrants lest they be overthrown by any means necessary. Rest assured they will not go of their own accord.
I suspect there's more going on there than meets the eye. Remember, they ARE doing something about it if every tweet and every blog in the country which has the world's largest number of Internet users is hailing this guy as a hero when they can't even legally mention his name on any media. His wife publicly thanked the Dalai Lama today - I'm sure that made the Chinese bureaucrats really really happy. A prominent academic at Beijing University told the press today, citing his own name, that this means the "dictatorship will fall within 10 years".. said that, for the world press. I'm not sure what more you want them or expect them to do.
The same thing Americans do to keep our Democracy, Fight Republican corporate ethics in any way we can, Eventually the people will regain their country from the corporate greed of their political system
Republic = Republicans = Communism
freempg: My assertion wasn't that they should do nothing. My intent was to put in contest the tremendous obstacles they face in over throwing the largest communist regime in the world. Does Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 ring any bells? If you haven't heard of it do look it up.
America needs to put more political and economic pressure on China to aid in these people fight.
Good grief, Sean. Of course I have heard of tiananmen square. I watched it unfold from the safety of my TV like most of the rest of the world that watched these brave people get rolled by tanks. You simply made my point. Had they an armed resistance to back them up, the government could very well have toppled at that point. The world was rife for revolution. The Soviets had collapsed, we had hoped China would be next. It would have been had their been an armed rebellion. The army would not have persisted against its people. Now it's another matter.
America can do nothing but inflict economic damage on the very people you expect to help. But we won't even do that for fear of inflation from having to buy more expensive goods should we impose tariffs. Our government class are fearful of the economic dislocation from Chinese retaliation. Our government idiots, all they can complain about is the yuang being undervalued. Great, let it float on the world market and double in value. Then watch the Chinese military come over here and buy everything in site, including more of our feckless politicians. We my friend very well may be screwed, and all we can hope for is China (not to mention Iran) implodes from within by any means necessary.
And what should we do about the Republicans that are already inside the USA trying to promote the same policies that created the Republic of China, Which created the Republic of North Korea.
Our last President (Bush) passed laws that allowed him to detain people indefinately with no charges, Investigate and spy on virtually anyone that disagreed with his policies, deregulated industry and corporations while giving them more control of our Government, Created huge numbers of unemployed willing to work any hours for any wages just to feed their familes, He was virtually creating a Republic as close to Communist China as possible.
Bo: Have you noticed no one responds to your comments? I am only doing so to enlighten you on the simple fact you appear to be an absolute moronic partisan that contributes nothing to the debate but the childish views of a brainwashed stooge.
What country do you live in Informist2010? Most countries have opression of comments to some extent, a "vail", if you will. I live in America and I know we are not free to speak as we please. I lost my job for having political views that differed from my boss. Also, people in our neighborhood had their windshields shot out for sporting political preference. Not to mention that the government has been known to pay great sums of money to our media to change the truth.
Not nearly as bad as what the Chinese are suffering but it is still oppresion and sensorship none the less.
but you have to remember that origionaly they were fighting teh kuomingtang, which used the US money given to them to promot democracy and fight the dynastic empire. in reality the peasantry were starving and the kuomingtang were using the money for shows of ellegance and wealth. so at the time that the communist came into power they seemed like a godsent b/c they didnt treat people the way they had been treated.
A good book to read on the subject is "Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China " by Jung Chang its the story from her grandmother to herself in china. it is one of the few true stories about how life was and still in china.
Yes I agree! Wild Swans is one of the best books I have ever read - it will open your eyes as to how an entire population could be (and still is) brain-washed by its leader(s). Absolutely fantastic book - a must read for everyone..
so let us all contine to pray for freedom of the people - as they wish it.
I am terribly disappointed. I thought Obama deserved a second one, for the same reasons he won the first.
which were?
Classic. "Deserved" used in context with the Peace Prize. The fact that he was awarded the first one is an insult to the legacy of Nobel.
Guys, it was a joke, I thought it was obvious.
The Nobel Prize for Doing Nothing Except Screw Things Up? Hell, yeah, Obama deserves that one again. Based on what I've seen with the Nobel prize, that's pretty much what they should call it. This Liu Xiaobo guy sounds pretty awesome, so I don't think they should dishonor him by giving him a Nobel.
Talking about the screwing up Nobel prize, that should go to W Bush first, Obama could not have that honor.
But of course a big congratulation to Mr Xiaobo for his winning and recognition.
Just a little "which were" Promoting peace by NOT placing hundreds of missles in Poland pointed at Russia (claimed to be a defense against Iran by Bush but placed in entirely the wrong area for that use) which prompted Russia to not place a thousand missles pointed at Europe
Reason enough for me, And for the Nobel System
I have read Three Swans and have studied Chinese history. There is nothing in there that says what China does today to disdents is right. It actually says the opposite, since the author fled to the US rather than live under the repression of the One Voice of China, which is what the government there tries to force down their throats.
He is a brave man, and I wish the US would support democracy in China the way it fought for it in Iraq and Afganistan
So right - I truly do not get that we spend major dollars in the middle east when the same kind of oppression happens in the far east - but China has more industry, more labor - need I say more? It is just to sad.
At least the Peace prize went to someone who deserves it, unlike the recipient who got it last year...
Sorry Latina, wise is not a word to describe an idiot.
Yes, Wise, and not to mention former recipients, Yasser Arafat, James Earl Carter, and Al Gore.
former and free - never did understand how obama earned the prize. Please enlighten us again on how he won it.
Simple. He loathed Bush and promised to make peace with the Religion of Peace.
wtf is religion of peace"?
To quote from Wikipedia: "The Religion of Peace (sometimes abbreviated as ROP or RoP) is a political neologism used as a description of Islam."
Islam is a religion of peace? Say what? When in the name of islam, we (here in the U.S.) lost hundreds of lives on 9/11, when we (the people of Europe) continue to lose hundreds of lives to bombings of trains, public spaces - R U smoking that wacky tabaccy? Islam the religion of peace? Get serious.
Kate: It may be Orwellian doublespeak, but proponents of Islam refer to their religion as the Religion of Peace. Type the phrase into your favorite search engine and have a gander. By the way, good idea on the wacky tabaccy, my posterior is aching from some of the comments here, I better fire up a blunt for medicinal purposes.
freempg - thanks, I think??!
It is interesting. The Nobel Prize Committee may have just given birth to a new Chinese Revolution.
I can't wait to see what happens next.
Let us all pray for our fellow humans in the far east.
We need to stop buying anything and everything from China. Only when the money dries up will that country get a clue.
Amen to that - remember to buy American!
They got this years prize winner so right,makes me wonder how they got last years recipient sooooo wrong.
One of my kids is visiting China right now.I have to e mail her on a Hotmail account because they won't allow anything with Google(gmail) to go through.
I've used my Gmail account while I was visiting relatives in China. Everything, including Facebook, Youtube, anything that was blocked there, still sent me emails, and this is the without the aid of proxy servers or VPN software.
Walk down the streets "of democracy" in New York or LA at 3 in the morning and you will see how good this democracy works. I wish we did have more rules like China. They ain't broke.....we are.
We do, china just enforces theirs and we don't want to, but we will create thousands of regulations.
One of Maos quotes was that "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun".
Our politicians and the supreme court refuse to have victims rights supercede the criminals rights.
So American 2051576 - where would you rather live? Here, where you can walk at 3 a.m., think what you will, read what you want, dress as you want - or in a government controlled country where you can only read what they allow, think what they allow - maybe they have more $ - for now - but if we here continue to buy from our fellow citizen, patronize our countrymen and their products and services - we will see what that tightly controlled country will do when their good and services aren't as popular as they once were. I prefer to live here - perhaps you could apply for citinzenship there if that is what you prefer.
Kate, I think he may already be one step in that direction by being a Republican
kate and bo - try walking the streets at 3 am yourself in a large urban city in the low rent district. Bet you look hot in your getup at night Kate.
Think that all the regs being written for the HCR act and financial reform act aren't going to crimp your lifestyle?
Why do you favor the criminals rights over the victims Kate?
At least we agree on buying american, although it gets harder to find everyday
Be glad that I choose to live here for without myself and millions of others the US Constitution would be but a historical footnote in the history of the US and you might well be dumpster diving for your next meal.
One more year of Republican economics and the entire working class would of been dumpster diving and willing to work any hours for any wages, Apparently you have never been outside of the USA if you think our streets are dangerous at 3am, I retired from the United States military myself and have been many places where NO man or woman walks the streets at 3am alone and unarmed, I cannot think of a place in the USA that even slightly compares.
As far as buying American, I am all for it, But I am also for buying products made anywhere workers are treated with respect and given a decent wage, That pretty much excludes any Republican controlled Nation on the planet
I am with Bio-1925019, I have lived in several countries and I do not know if anyone will listen but I advocate learning as much as you can from reliable sources.
So much misunderstanding about the way things are could be avoided if people would take the time to ascertain facts and not just assume that everything they read, or everything they see on the news is true. It does take time to really hunt down the core facts but the effort is well worth it.
"Now the Renegades are the people, with their own philosophy. They change the course of history. Everyday people like you and me!" - RATM
Every thing we buy comes from China makes you wonder.
Not everything we buy comes from China - this citizen prefers, looks for products made right here. Very Easy To Do - Buy American - put China out of business - for the good of our country and theirs.
Of course, collapsing the exporting industry of a country is for the good of that country.
The Chinese people can take control whenever they get tired of being trod upon. They almost got the nerve back at Tienanmen Square. If only they had more like Tank Man.
The citizenry moves closer, grows stronger.
People in China, the United States and everywhere else end up with the government they deserve. Liu Xiabo's writings alone cannot change China; the people of China have to desire democracy and human rights, and be willing to risk all to obtain it. Economic prosperity has delayed interest, perhaps forever.
I light of the facts that the people in China are aware and demonstrating says that "...economic prosperity..." has not entirely delayed the interest in democracy.
rather see a person from china get the nobel prize who probably deserves it than obama who did nothing....
Don't be fooled; the same thing is happening in the usa. Free media is non-existent!
Not so sir -
Don't know if we can post links in here, but I will try, this one is for a screening of people for an upcoming Obama appearance on MTV, read not so much the article, but the readers comments, they are hilarious:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1010/MTV_screening_Obamas_audience_for_views_looks.html
Not really. No one is going to put you into Federal prison for 15 years just for expressing your constitutionally protected right to free speech (which, according to Liu's writings, is a constitutionally protected right in China too.. it's just that his own government doesn't seem have a problem with ignoring its own constitution).
The American problem is a different one - too many people simply don't care enough about what our government is (or more to the point, isn't) doing in our name. Every blog and tweet in China today was hailing this guy today, despite their government's attempt to prohibit any media coverage at all. We don't even get this type of interest in civic affairs on election day, even with our totally free press. The Chinese lack a free press and want one. We don't care enough to pay attention to the one we do have. We're so much better off in so many different respects, but sometimes it feels like we do little to appreciate or take advantage of the rights and protections afforded to us.
Amen fellow Californian - way too many sit on their couch potato butts on election day and the bitch to high heaven when they get the government they 'voted' for - Please, encourage all your fellow citizens, in the work place, in your community, where ever you are - to stand up, speak out, and VOTE. I will, I do and will continue to do so until they put me in the ground.
actually, BrokeCalifornian, the average Chinese citizen isn't a whole lot more ethusiastic about political issues than your average American. You hear a lot about the few really loud ones like Liu Xiaobo because they are the most vocal and draw media attention disproportionally.
"The awakening Chinese citizens increasingly recognize that freedom, equality and human rights are universal values and that democracy, a republic, and constitutionalism are the hallmarks of modern governance," - I send prayers for his release and for the awakening of the Chinese government to the will of the people.
Unfortunately the 'glow' of winning the nobel peace prize has dimmed a lot after last year's incredibly stupid win----------------
dimmed? did you not read the article? This year's recipeint has moved a country to awakening
Apparently a few of the comments here did not understand that the people whom received the Nobel prize did not do their work or fight for freedom with the aspiration to receive the Nobel prize. The Nobel committee made their owned judgment on who deserved the prize and award the prize.
Benjamin Franklin has it right - "any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do"
Casylius: ok, I get it and agree '...any fool..." but, that being said, the Nobel committee has recoginzed the work and the recognition has lead to the awakening of a country. - is that a bad thing?
Well Eastside69, if you want to give up your rights then go ahead and move to China. I myself on the other hand will stay right here and enjoy our not always perfect but way way better rights....Glad to be an American..........and as far as broken. We're not broken!!!!! Just walkin with a limp.
Lisa 2316724: good to hear from a fellow citizen who believes as I do, we are not broken, battered maybe, bleeding a bit maybe, but certainly not broken. Even in our battered state there are folks who desire greatly to come Here for a better life. Way too many here take their freedoms for granted; forgetting all those who came before, sacrificing their lives so that those that would come after them would have a better life - and we do because of thier sacrifice. So much so, that even when we are battered and bleeding there are those who would fight and die to come here because where they are has no promise of getting better. - China for one.
Kate, I realize your urge to pat yourself on the back, but I think you're confounding the main causality for immigrants coming to the US. Most people come here for the $$. Otherwise, how would you explain the equally abundant Indian immigrants, people from the so-called largest democracy in the world?
Bravo Casylius Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lisa and Kate: I think casylius was objecting to the criticism of the nobel committee for chosing Obama last year, not for this year's recipient. And if so, I'm sure he/she may also consider their other choices of merit, like Yasser Arafat, Jimmy Carter, and Al Gore. Finally the elitist socialist european sychophants got this one right.