Politics of the Prize

Palden Gyal

When the Nobel Committee declared that the Nobel Peace Prize 2010 to be awarded to Liu Xiaobo "for his non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China", it sent a wave of exhilaration across the globe in recognition of the Committee's decision, somewhat curing the injury of disparagement and vilification to the group for conferring it to Barrack Obama last year. The Committee in its run often known for some controversial picks from Henry Kissinger to Yasser Arafat and Barrack Obama while leaving out deserving candidates such as M.K. Gandhi and Ken Saro-Wiwa. However, this time it came as a hard slap on the face of Chinese Government and its immediate response was the suspension of the upcoming Shanghai Meeting with a Norwegian Minister in vengeance of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo. Earlier Beijing warned Olso that awarding the prize to the imprisoned dissent would have serious consequences to their bilateral relation as a longstanding trade partners (Norway is Europe's biggest exporter of oil and gas). As an independent organization, the Nobel Committee has no reason to be daunted by such warnings or care for any diplomatic relations of the two countries.

HU ON REVERSE MODE: FREEDOM AS CHALLENGES

Tenzin Lekshay

The 60 years old Chinese Communist Party rule over China is interestingly getting more trouble within. Once again, the history is going reverse as we are witnessing the plight of Chinese people coming on the front page. Once again, I fear of many more Chinese toiling to suffer with the emergence of their plea for freedom, which the Chinese Government will crack and crush them. But, I hope it won't happen this time.

Lets go back to the Chinese history briefly. In the early years, irrespective of disastrous failure of Great Leap Forward and Great Proleterian Cultural Revolution during Mao Tsetung, China remained forcibly silent under the Shadow of their horrendous leaders. Millions were killed, tortured and humiliated, which is still hidden under the surface of their history. Mao Tsetung, during his reign, once called upon people to exercise their freedom of expression, under the campaign 'let a hundred flowers blossom'. In February 1957, Mao declared, "Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting progress in the arts and the sciences and a flourishing socialist culture in our land." But, what happened thereafter was exactly opposite to the much hyped campaign, which shocked the whole nation. Even Deng Xiaoping was subjected to house arrest and was exiled to rural Jiangxi by labelling him as 'Capitalist Roader'.

LIU XIAOBO: DREAM OF CHANGING CHINA

Tenzin Lekshay

Norwegian Nobel Committee declared Liu Xiaopo, jailed campaigner of Human rights in China, a well deserving treat with 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. The President of Norwegian Nobel Committee, Mr. Thorbjoern Jagland in his announcement honored Liu Xiaopo for 'his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China'.1 Millions of people all over the world applauded with joy of the decision made by the Nobel Committee, which somehow enraged the Chinese government.

This is the first time in the history of Nobel Foundation that the Chinese dissident was honored with such a high profile Peace Prize, though China was deeply afflicted with a centralized command of horrific repression on universal freedom for many decades.

It is certainly a glorious moment for not only Liu Xiaobo, but for all those who are behind the iron curtain sacrificing their lifes for the sake of human rights, democracy and freedom in China. Since the inception of Chinese Communist regime, millions of people died, imprisoned and tortured simply because they rouse for freedom and still many are following their footsteps. Chinese government considered them as the threat for the survival of the regime. Even though Chinese government proclaim themselve as people's government, the sentiments and the aspiration of the people are crushed to ashes continously for over six decades.