Nobel Prize controversy rumbles on

The war of words over the Nobel Peace Prize continues.

For the Nobel Committee chairman, Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is a champion of human rights, who “reminds us of Nelson Mandela.”

For China, he is a criminal. A Foreign Ministry statement read out on television news said that to honour him in Oslo “interferes in China’s internal affairs and infringes upon China’s judicial sovereignty.”

Beijing has been at pains to point out that, it says, more than 100 countries and organisations support the Chinese position on the award.

The record shows that 16 countries, Russia, Pakistan and Egypt included, did refuse their invitations to the ceremony, whether out of sympathy or fear of irritating such an important economic ally.

In Beijing, residents avoided making controversial statements to journalists. “If the Nobel Peace Prize contributes to peace then is means something,” said a 48-year old cultural exchange manager. “But if it’s just for one group or country’s interests, then it means nothing and we’ll ignore it.”

Another man giving only his name as Mr. Gao accepted that “in terms of human rights, China and the West have different opinions. There is conflict but I hope that in the future there will be more mutual understanding and mutual acceptance but this will take time.”

Liu’s award and the Chinese reaction to it, seen in the upgraded police presence around his home, have drawn the world’s attention to his message. That is what the Nobel Committee had intended but what China’s government had wanted to avoid.

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