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

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

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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