Governments and activists react to Liu's Peace Prize

(October 09, 2010) Jailed Chinese pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for decades of non-violent struggle for human rights. There has been overwhelming support and happiness expressed by leaders all over the world. The U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, that this award of the Nobel Peace Prize to jailed Chinese democracy activist underscores growing concern around the world to improve human rights. This is recognition of the growing international consensus for improving human rights practices and culture around the world, he said. U.S. President Barack Obama, last year's winner, urged China to release Liu as soon as possible. He added, that this award reminds us that political reform has not kept pace, and that the basic human rights of every man, woman and child must be respected. The Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1989, in a message called on “the government of China to release Mr Liu Xiaobo and other prisoners of conscience who have been imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression”. Similar requests have come from France and Germany. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that the decision of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee is a strong message of support to all those around the world who, sometimes with great personal sacrifice, are struggling for freedom and human rights. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has congratulated jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo for winning the Nobel Peace Prize and called on China to improve its human rights record. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu however, strongly reacted saying that the awarding of the peace prize by the committee to Liu completely contradicts the Committee’s purpose of awarding the peace prize.