The World in Words
A Chinese Champion of Peace and Freedom
Václav Havel et al
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PRAGUE – On Christmas Day last year, one of China’s best-known human rights activists, the writer and university professor Liu Xiaobo, was condemned to 11 years in prison. Liu is one of the main drafters of Charter 08, a petition inspired by Czechoslovakia’s Charter 77, calling on the Chinese government to adhere to its own laws and constitution, and demanding the open election of public officials, freedom of religion and expression, and the abolition of “subversion” laws.
For his bravery and clarity of thought about China’s future, Liu deserves the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. There are two reasons why we believe that Liu would be a worthy recipient of that prestigious award.
First and foremost, he stands in the tradition of Nobel Peace Prize laureates who have been recognized for their contribution to the struggle for human rights. Nobel laureates such as Martin Luther King, Lech Walesa, and Aung San Suu Kyi are but a few of the many examples that the Nobel Committee has recognized in previous years.
We are convinced that the concepts that Liu and his colleagues put down on paper in December 2008 are both universal and timeless. These ideals – respect for human rights and human dignity, and the responsibility of citizens to ensure that their governments respect those rights – represent humanity’s highest aspirations.
Should the Nobel Committee choose to recognize Liu’s courage and sacrifice in articulating these ideals, it would not only draw global attention to the injustice of Liu’s 11-year sentence. It would also help to amplify within China the universal and humanistic values for which Liu has spent so much of his life fighting.
The second reason why Liu deserves the Nobel Peace Prize resonates with Alfred Nobel’s original intent for the award. In working to promote human rights, political reform, and democratization in China, Liu has made a significant contribution to the values of peace and fraternity among nations that Nobel had in mind when he created the award more than a century ago.
Of course, democratization does not automatically guarantee better behavior on the world stage. But it does facilitate a full and rigorous public debate over key questions of a state’s foreign and domestic policies. This active and searching conversation, the hallmark of a democratic polity, is the best hope for better decisions by governments, both at home and abroad.
Liu’s committed advocacy on behalf of democracy in China is, above all, intended for the benefit of the Chinese people. But his courage and example may help to accelerate the dawn of the day when China’s participation in international affairs is aided by the expertise and oversight of civil-society groups, an independent media, and an engaged citizenry able to express its views through the ballot box.
It is primarily for these two reasons that we believe that Liu would be a worthy recipient of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. In conferring on Liu one of the world’s highest honors, the Committee would be signaling once again the importance of human rights and democracy on the one hand, and world peace and international solidarity on the other.
Liu’s harsh prison sentence was meant as an exemplary measure, a stern warning to all other Chinese who might want to follow his path. We are convinced that there are moments when exemplary civic engagement, such as Liu’s, requires an exemplary response. Awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize is precisely the response that his courage deserves.
Václav Havel is a former president of the Czech Republic; His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism; André Glucksmann is a philosopher; Vartan Gregorian is President of Carnegie Corporation of New York; Mike Moore is a former Director of the World Trade Organization; Karel Schwarzenberg is a former foreign minister of the Czech Republic; Desmond Tutu is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Grigory Yavlinsky is the former Chairman of the Russian United Democratic Party, Yabloko.
Copyright Project Syndicate, 2010
www.project-syndicate.org
For a podcast of this commentary in English, please use this link: http://media.blubrry.com/ps/media.libsyn.com/media/ps/havel38.mp3
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hsgross 11:46 19 Jan 10
ChasL,
Liu Xiaobo is a Chinese intellectual and academic who has been arrested multiple times fo promoting democracy in China. As such, he and his organization natural beneficiaries for outside grants, just as many groups in Yunnan and Inner Mongolia receive grants to assist with environmental research and mitigation efforts.
The Chinese imprisoned Liu because they see his actions as subversive to the PRC. However, as Liu's actions are intended for the betterment of the Chinese people, his imprisonment thus does harm to the interests of the people. Awarding Liu the Peace Prize brings much needed attention to this injustice and would, hopefully, cause people to think further about it.
Sadly, I would suggest that if it were widely known to the Chinese that the Dalai Lama was strongly in favor of such a decision, the tide of public opinion would strongly turn against Liu Xiaobo's nomination.
At any rate, I am sure we can agree that this is an interesting column and an interesting idea.
Regards,
ChasL 07:04 19 Jan 10
Mr. Gross, the difference between environmental research and domestic politics is night an day. In America our law (FARA) stats a citizen's political asperation is not genuine if it it directed or sponsored, in part or whole, by foreign entities.
Liu took US government funds to advocate abolition of China's constitution - as you can see that doesn't pass mustard here in US either.
cypress10 08:12 24 Jan 10
ChasL, do you know that China is a one-party dictatorship, whose government is not elected but propped up by the use of violence and lies? Do you know that the Chinese Communist Party government is violating human rights every day? Do you know there is no freedom of thought, no freedom of speech (as was evidenced by the persecution of Dr Liu Xiaobo and many others)? Do you know its formidable armed forces are the private property of the Communist Party? Do you it is supporing all the hedious repressive regimes in the world such as North Koera? Do you know in China the rich are getting ever richer while the rich-poor gap is as wide as the worst Latin American countries, if not even worse? Dr Liu Xiasobo is a courageous soul. For his peaceful written petition for democracy he is serving a 11-year sentence. Anyone with social conscience should admire him. He deserves the Nobel Prize foreace.
toma 01:03 24 Jan 10
To ChasL: You makes me surprise in your lovely comment and have reason to believe that you are an unqualified 50 Cent Party member. Of course, it might be for your to earn 50 cents USD as you comment in English and outside China. Your level of thinking which causes me to believe that the "Great" Chinese Communist Party's future is very slim.
I want to emphasize that democracy and freedom are the universal values. Dr. Liu Xiaobo is a great thinker, but also a great democracy activist. He is not an independent activist, he represents us who yearning for freedom and democracy. I‘m convinced that victory would belong to Liu Xiaobo. Because the "Great""Right""Glorious" Chinese Communist Party authorities' opponent is the people who pursuit of freedom and democracy, as far as I know, there is no victory in the history for any country.
You can continue your work, my dear 50 Cent Party!
by the way, I'm a Chinese, living in China.
ChasL 07:00 25 Jan 10
Haha, toma, supreme grade (I drive a german sports car) gas is US$4 a gallon here in Seattle, I would need be in a "500 dollar party to make it worty my while.
The truth is I ain't from Mainland China, ain't never been citizen of the PRC a day in my life. I just don't think my tax dollar should be used to advocate abolition of your country's constitution.
Feel free to show some evidence to your worthless (really, 50 cents?) accusation. Maybe 50 cent is enough for you to attack people online, but my opinion can not be purchased.
Honestly, do you have anything to say about the fact Liu Xioaobo is on the take from US government?
toma 08:05 25 Jan 10
ChasL:
I guess you must have not received higher education, or I can say you are an illiterate. As you said, if you are a U.S. citizen, then obviously you are a pitiful worm, and America's shame. The United States is great because of its values, not just its wealth and military power. The United States has the responsibility and obligation to help those non-democratic, non-free countries to obtain the same rights as same as Americans. That's why the Berlin Wall could fall down, that's why the United States can win the respect of the world, that's why the United States has a strong ally in the world. I don't have any evidence that Mr. Liu has got any funding from the U.S. government. But even so, the Chinese government should also act within the law, rather than surreptitious illegal trials.
Listen, selfish wretch! You should go to learn more about your own country's values, rather than here disgraceful.
ChasL 10:30 25 Jan 10
toma, you don't have evidence of Liu taking money from the NED, but that doesn't mean he didn't. Looks like your head-in-sand logic fails here:
http://www.chinais.com/2010/01/some-facts-about-ned-and-liu-xiaobo.html
In America our law says citizen's political asperation is not genuine if it's foreign sponsored. Why should it be any different for China?
America's responsibility does not include paying billions to sink China into Statelessness, like what we did to Iraq. Democracy sure sounds nice, until the bombs start to drop. Look at the mess we made in Iraq, it'll be 1000 times worse if we did it to China and 1.3 billion Chinese.
ChasL 07:41 29 Jan 10
wmr89502270, the anonymous nature of the internet certainly lends itself to 5-year-old logic like yours. Do you have any proof? Should I reply with "I know who I am, but what are you?"
Sorry, we are not children here.
The NED's China grant is open information, so is Liu Xioabo's affiliation with ICPC and Mingzhu Zongguo magazine. Do you have anything to say about these facts, or you are just here to rake mud and dish out personal attack?
Art 07:08 31 Jan 10
Unfortunately the prestige of the Nobel peace prize has found an all time low with Obama's warmonger speech in the ceremony. What was it?
"if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence."
hsgross 11:40 01 Feb 10
ChasL, I ask you, why would you not want Liu Xiaobo to get the peace prize? Or even to be nominated for it? Surely as a Westerner with any sense of freedom, which all patriotic Americans truly must have a priori, you should see that Liu Xiaobo is just like our Thomas Jefferson, John Adams or Thomas Payne, responding rationally and civilly, in words, to a corrupt and authoritarian government that does not allow its people basic freedoms. As a human being, as a person of education and as an American, surely your sympathies must lie with the brave Liu Xiaobo and not the PRC. Right?
wmr89502270 05:18 02 Feb 10
the author of the article, please have a look the wikipedia article "50 Cent Party".
sptme 09:38 08 Feb 10
The USA fears the rise of China and is looking for ways to create instablility there. Through NED the USA have done this in Tibet and Xinjiang and also with the Chinese democracy movement. What at first looks like a worth while movement for freedom on closer inspection is actually a proxy for US imperialism. I find it suspicious that Liu story is pushed so storngly in the media and think there are plenty more activist worthy of the nobel peace prize in places like say South America but they wouldnt fit so nicely with the America agenda.
2658 06:53 13 Feb 10
mao and the chinese communist party received soviet weapon, ideological and organizational assistance during the period 1921 - 1961. so liu is perfectly justified to receive foreign aid.
50-cent party members now infest media outside china. each major internet site has a few of those. they have identical views, identical set of sources to cite from, and usu write in pretty good english. communist china is certainly making a lot of progress.
leimng 06:03 16 Feb 10
我支持刘晓波成为诺贝尔奖获得者
tyeryu 04:05 04 Oct 10
I am a Chinese, I support Liu XiaoBo, He is a freedom writer, and hope He will receive the Nobel Peace Price！
ChasL 01:09 19 Jan 10
Mr. Havel, do you know Liu Xiaobo received hundreds of thousands of US government funding via the NED in the past five years. Please see the NED's China grants for Independent Chinese Pen Center and Minzhu Zhongguo magazine, which Liu heads, cited below.
If Liu is American he'd be in violation of Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). Pray tell, why would we lament Chinese money corrupting our political process, while sending many folds more to China, to corrupt their political process?
This is by no means a straight foward case of free speech. Liu took foreign money the Chinese government has every right to prohibit (as we do under FARA.)
My reading of the verdict is that the Chinese court decided Liu's political speech exceeded the limit of free speech, at least in part due to the prosecution evidence showing Liu received foreign remittance.