Chinese Dissident Liu Xiaobo Wins the Nobel Peace Prize [October 08 2010]

In a sharp rebuke to Beijing, the Nobel Committee named imprisoned Chinese scholar Liu Xiaobo the 2010 Peace Prize winner for "his long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights in China." The decision by the five-member committee appointed by the Norwegian Parliament comes over the objection of the Chinese government, which considers Liu a criminal.

But when the Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman, Thorbjoern Jagland, announced the award, commenting that, "China has become a big power in economic terms as well as political terms, and it is normal that big powers should be under criticism," its been reported that the broadcast on the BBC and CNN went black. This will have affected both tourist and upmarket foreign hotels as well as places where foreigners gather, with the blackout extending to reports on the Prize which later aired. Major mainland news portals have yet to publish news of Lius prize. On Sina Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter, users were briefly permitted to post his name. There have also been complaints that text messages containing "Liu Xiaobo" were blocked by the major cell phone service providers.

The Chinese government has since responded to Luis award. "To give the Peace Prize to such a person is completely contrary to the purpose of the award and a blasphemy of the Peace Prize," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement posted on the ministrys website. He added that the award could harm Chinas relations with Norway. As for Luis wife - surrounded by police at their Beijing apartment - Liu Xia wasnt allowed out to meet reporters, giving brief remarks by phone and text message instead.

She said she was happy and planned to deliver the news to Liu at prison on Saturday. In a statement on her behalf by Freedom Now (the legal NGO which has advocated for Liu Xiaobo), she said, "I am grateful to the Nobel Committee for selecting my husband, Liu Xiaobo, to be the recipient of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. It is a true honor for him and one for which I know he would say he is not worthy ... I hope that the international community will take this opportunity to call on the Chinese government to press for my husbands release."