Today the Nobel Peace ceremony will take place in Norway. Liu Xiaobo won't be there, as he is jailed for promoting democracy (some Chinese nationalists say "for trying to destroy China and transforming it into a Western colony again). His wife won't be there as she is under house arrest. His friends won't be there because China has not allowed them to leave the country...or rather the Chinese apparatchiks who think they know what's best for China haven't allowed them to leave the country.
The Chinese government has behaved like a hysterical creature and has shown how out of touch it is with the world. It has used the cheapest Chauvinism to try to derail talks about human rights and freedom.
Apart from China, there were a group of countries with leaders that have no cojones. One of them is Venezuela. By the way, read if you have some time Francisco'sinteresting post about how the military regime in Venezuela is further curtailing freedom of expression.
The Chinese government has behaved like a hysterical creature and has shown how out of touch it is with the world. It has used the cheapest Chauvinism to try to derail talks about human rights and freedom.
Apart from China, there were a group of countries with leaders that have no cojones. One of them is Venezuela. By the way, read if you have some time Francisco'sinteresting post about how the military regime in Venezuela is further curtailing freedom of expression.
Ps. some Chinese readers wrote me earlier saying Europe would not allow someone to say what Mr Liu was saying, about changing the constitution, etc. Rubbish. The European Union has European parliamentarians saying much more.
Kudos also to Ai Wei Wei, who talks here: