Chinese Human Rights Activist and Writer Liu Xiaobo Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Source: Human Rights Watch

Before Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo, was imprisoned, he was quoted as saying, “If you want to be a person with dignity; if you want to be an honest person, fight for human rights and free speech; being imprisoned is part of that undertaking.”

His words about "persisting on this road and walking it to the end" remind us of Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Nelson Mandela, and his long walk to freedom.

The awarding of the 2010 to Liu Xiaobo underscores the urgent need for rights reforms in China. Human Rights Watch reiterated its longstanding call for the release of Liu, whom a Beijing court sentenced to an 11-year prison term on December 25, 2009.

His spurious "subversion" charges stemmed from his role in drafting and circulating Charter '08, an online petition which advocates putting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law at the core of the Chinese political system. Originally signed by 303 Chinese citizens, including rights defenders and legal activists, it has been widely circulated online and has now collected thousands of signatures.

"This award will no doubt infuriate the Chinese government by putting its human rights record squarely back into the international debate," said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "But this Nobel Prize honors not only Liu's unflinching advocacy; it honors all those in China who struggle daily to make the government more accountable."

Source: Human Rights Watch