Eighteen more countries refuse to attend Nobel peace prize ceremony

[alienlovechild 75]

China and 18 other countries have declined invitations to Friday's Nobel peace prize ceremony, organisers said today, as Beijing launched a fresh attack on the decision to honour the jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Beijing has urged diplomats in Oslo to stay away from the event, warning of "consequences" if they do not do so.

Several of those who have turned down invitations are long-term allies or trade partners. The full list comprises Pakistan, Iran, Sudan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Philippines, Egypt, Ukraine, Cuba and Morocco.

Another 44 are attending, while Algeria and Sri Lanka have not replied to their invitations.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said: "As far as I know, at present, more than 100 countries and organisations have expressed explicit support for China opposing the Nobel peace prize, which fully shows that the international community does not accept the decision of the Nobel committee."

She declined to list those who would not attend, but added: "After the ceremony, you can see that the vast majority of the international community will not attend."

Geir Lundestad, the committee's executive secretary, said that was "a very curious way of stating things", because only the 65 countries with embassies in Norway were invited.

But he acknowledged: "One of the reasons [for states not attending] is undoubtedly China."

A spokesman for the US state department said: "Our ambassador will be there. Our actions speak for themselves."

Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's director for the Asia-Pacific region, said: "There are a couple of disappointments, but it's effectively a club of countries with relatively bad human rights records."

He said China had persuaded only a small minority to snub the event despite "arm-twisting ... using a combination of political pressure and economic blackmail".

According to the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, all invited countries sent representatives last year, when Barack Obama won. The previous year, about 10 countries did not attend the ceremony for Martti Ahtisaari, the former Finnish prime minister.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman described supporters of the award as clowns orchestrating a farce. Jiang said they were fundamentally opposed to China's development and wanted to interfere in the country's politics and legal system.

She added: "All policies in China are for the interests of the majority of the Chinese people. We will not change ... because of the interference of some clowns who are anti-China."

Beijing was furious at the decision to recognise Liu, who is serving an 11-year sentence for incitement to subvert state power after co-authoring Charter 08, a call for democratic reforms.

The authorities have placed his wife, Liu Xia, and other supporters under house arrest and have barred other activists and dissidents from leaving the country, apparently for fear they will attend the event.

The event would normally be marked by the handover of the Nobel gold medal, a diploma and prize money worth 10m kronor (£1m), but organisers say that will not happen this year because only close family can collect on a winner's behalf. China is unlikely to let Liu's relatives attend.

It will be the first time the prize has not been handed over since Nazi Germany barred the pacifist Carl von Ossietzky from attending in 1936.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/07/china-nobel-peace-prize-clowns

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Well, where would the world be if dictatorships wouldn't stand together anymore?

[mawilson 2,133]

Well, where would the world be if dictatorships wouldn't stand together anymore?

Indeed!

"Pakistan, Iran, Sudan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Philippines, Egypt,

Ukraine, Cuba and Morocco."

Ukraine is the only odd man out, but it's in good company.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Indeed!

"Pakistan, Iran, Sudan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Philippines, Egypt,

Ukraine, Cuba and Morocco."

Ukraine is the only odd man out, but it's in good company.

Are these considered first world countries as per the criteria dictated by a former disgruntled Australian member here?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

It is a shame that the prize has been reduced to a PC award. I hope it just fades away if that is what it will be about.

[scandal 951]

Yeah, PC Award. Right.

Mr. Liu [Xiaobo] represents China’s best potential future. The 54-year-old scholar, writer, poet and social commentator is an unfaltering advocate of peaceful political change. During the 1989 pro-democracy protest in Tiananmen Square, he staged a hunger strike, then negotiated a peaceful retreat of student demonstrators as thousands of soldiers stood by with rifles drawn. He has been harassed and detained repeatedly since then.

His most recent arrest — in December 2008 — came a day before a pro-democracy manifesto he helped author began circulating on the Internet. Charter 08 affirmed the importance of freedom, human rights, equality as “universal values shared by all humankind” and endorsed direct elections, judicial independence and an end to Communist Party dominance. The manifesto was on the Internet only briefly before it was pulled by censors, but it still garnered 10,000 signatures.

[alienlovechild 75]

Yeah, PC Award. Right.

Maybe he was referring to Obama's award for getting elected.

What Liu did takes guts and maybe the award and the international attention will keep him alive.

Edited December 9, 2010 by alienlovechild