Chinese Dissident Dedicates Nobel Peace Prize To Tianamen Square Victims

Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo has dedicated his Nobel Peace Prize to the victims of the June 1989 massacre in Tianamen Square. Proving again that the events of that day still live on in the memory of many Chinese people.

The Chinese government was already upset over the fact that jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and Liu’s response to the award is unlikely to please them at all:

Chinese Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo has tearfully dedicated his award to victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, activists said, as his wife was held under house arrest on Monday.

“This award is for the lost souls of June Fourth,” the US-based group Human Rights in China quoted Liu Xiaobo as telling his wife Liu Xia, referring to the bloody June 4, 1989 crackdown on democracy protests at the vast Beijing square.

Meanwhile, news of the award has led to the Chinese government cracking down on Liu’s wife:

Via her Twitter account, Liu Xia said she had been placed under house arrest at her Beijing home both before and after travelling to the prison in northeastern China where her husband is being held to inform him of his prize.

“Brothers, I have returned home. On the eighth (of October) they placed me under house arrest. I don’t know when I will be able to see anyone,” said the Sunday night Twitter posting.

“My mobile phone has been broken and I cannot call or receive calls. I saw Xiaobo and told him on the ninth at the prison that he won the prize. I will let you know more later. Everyone, please help me (re)tweet. Thanks,” she said.

Liu Xiaobo’s wife was taken to the prison under police guard, his lawyers said at the weekend.

At least two dozen police, plain-clothes officers and other security personnel were seen deployed Monday at the compound where Liu Xia lives, interrogating returning residents and preventing journalists from entering.

Calls to her mobile phone were met with a recording saying it was out of service.

As I noted on Friday, it’s unlikely that Liu will be allowed to leave China to receive his award, at least not under circumstances that would allow him to return there after the Nobel ceremonies were over. Nonetheless, it’s fairly clear from the reaction in Beijing, and Liu’s reference to events that took place 29 years ago, that there still remains a strong desire for freedom in some parts of China. Let’s hope that this prize will bring them closer to achieving their dreams.

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Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. tom p says:

    “Let’s hope that this prize will bring them closer to achieving their dreams.”

    without any more “lost souls”…

    Naive, I know, but one can hope.

  2. Samurai R3 says:

    The FACT that happened near Senkaku Islands

    (The ship of the Japan Coast Guard stopped a suspicious ship of China,encroached on the Japanese territorial waters on Sept.7th,2010.)

    The Japan Coast Guard ship brought alongside to a Chinese ship. The staff of the Japan Coast Guard boarded it. Afterwards, the Chinese ship suddenly left the sea route.
    One left staff of the Japan Coast Guard was kicked by Chinese crew. He fell into the water from a Chinese ship.To crush the staff who had fallen into the sea, the Chinese ship changed the course.The staff swam desperately to run away. Chinese crew tried to stab him to death with the harpoon. The Japan Coast Guard ship stopped to rescue the staff and the rescue was started. Chinese ship approached from the rear side. The staff was almost crushed. The staff managed to be carried up from the back to the Japan Coast Guard ship. The Chinese ship collided with the back of the Japanese ship after a few seconds. The hull of a Japanese ship damaged seriously.
    All parties concerned who had seen the video said that this was an attempted murder.