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Associated Press Featured Article

October 12, 2010

Chinese activists report pressure after Nobel win


JINZHOU, China (AP) — The world's newest Nobel (News - Alert) Peace Prize winner remained unreachable in a Chinese prison Saturday, while his wife's mobile phone was cut off and the authoritarian government continued to censor reports about democracy campaigner Liu Xiaobo's award.


Police kept reporters away from the prison where Liu is serving an 11–year sentence for subversion, and his lawyer said that Liu's wife — who had been hoping to visit him Saturday and tell him the news — has "disappeared" and may be in police custody.

Chinese authorities, who called Liu a criminal shortly after his award Friday and said his winning "desecrates the prize," sank Saturday into official silence.

Only state–run Global Times newspaper spoke out Saturday. An editorial in its Chinese–language edition called the award "an arrogant showcase of Western ideology" and said it disrespected the Chinese people.

But one Chinese newspaper cartoonist, Kuang Biao, posted an image on his blog Friday of a Nobel prize medal behind bars. Another well–known blogger, Ran Yunfei, wrote Saturday, "In an era in which the Internet is gradually making information available to everyone, trying to hide from any Chinese the news that Liu Xiaobo has won the Nobel Peace Prize is hopelessly stupid behavior — the more one tries to hide it, the more obvious it becomes."

Some of China's most prominent activist lawyers said Saturday they were being harassed by police as they took advantage of the peace prize to try to reconcile differences among themselves. Lawyers Pu Zhiqiang, Jiang Tianyong and others said they were not allowed to leave their homes.

"The government doesn't know how to react to the news of Liu Xiaobo winning the Nobel prize," Pu said. "They are nervous, fearful and are acting chaotically."

Another group of Chinese wrote an open letter to police protesting the detention of other activists who tried to celebrate the peace prize Friday but said they were too scared to turn in the letter.

In naming Liu, the Norwegian–based Nobel committee honored his more than two decades of advocacy for human rights and peaceful democratic change — from the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989 to a manifesto for political reform that he co–authored in 2008 and which led to his latest jail term.

President Barack Obama, last year's peace prize winner, has called for Liu's immediate release.

But there was still no word from the winner himself. The mobile phone of his wife, Liu Xia, was turned off Saturday as she was expected to be visiting the prison to meet her husband.

"She's disappeared. We're all worried about them," Liu's lawyer, Shang Baojun, told The Associated Press (News - Alert) on Saturday.

He said even Liu Xia's mother had been unable to reach her.

Liu's wife's freedom of movement had been shrinking since the eve of the Nobel announcement, when she said police tried to get her out of Beijing, offering her a prison visit with Liu. She instead planned to hold a news conference with reporters Friday night, but police would not let her leave her apartment. She was negotiating terms to visit Liu on Saturday and tell him the news.

Police often force political critics, religious dissenters and sometimes their family members to leave Beijing ahead of sensitive anniversaries, often putting them up in guesthouses and keeping them out of the way for days and weeks.

Beth Schwanke with the Washington–based Freedom Now, an organization that serves as Liu's international counsel, said, "We're very concerned that the government might use this as a pretext for detaining her."

Liu's wife has said she hopes to go to Norway to collect the Nobel medal and its prize money of 10 million Swedish kronor (about $1.5 million), if he cannot.

Two years into an 11–year jail term at the prison 300 miles (500 kilometers) from Beijing, the slight, 54–year–old literary critic was not expected to find out about the award until the meeting with his wife.

Shang said it was not likely that winning the prize would have any big effect on Liu's prison sentence. "Unless (President) Hu Jintao signs some sort of special order ... but there's no precedent for that," the lawyer said. In past years, China would release certain dissidents after international pressure, but not because they won major awards.

Liu's wife was the lawyer's other concern. "I think by the end of today if she has not reappeared, there will be a big brouhaha," said Nicholas Bequelin, Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch.

___

Associated Press Writer Isolda Morillo contributed to this report.

Related Images:


 Shang Baojun, lawyer for Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, speaks during an interview in Beijing, China Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010. The world's newest Nobel Peace Prize winner remained unreachable in a Chinese prison Saturday, with his wife's mobile phone turned off and her own whereabouts _ in the company of police _ unknown. Concerns grew that an angry China might detain her as well. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

 Shang Baojun, lawyer for Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, calls his mobile phone to check whereabouts of Liu Xia, wife of Liu Xiaobo, during an interview in Beijing, China Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010. The world's newest Nobel Peace Prize winner remained unreachable in a Chinese prison Saturday, with his wife's mobile phone turned off and her own whereabouts _ in the company of police _ unknown. Concerns grew that an angry China might detain her as well. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

 This undated image provided by Voice of America shows Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo who won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Friday Oct. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/voanews.com)

 Pro-democracy protesters hold the picture of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo with Chinese words 'Release Liu Xiaobo' during a demonstration outside the China Liaison Office in Hong Kong Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for using non-violence to demand fundamental human rights in his homeland. (AP Photo/Apple Daily) ** HONG KONG OUT, NO SALES **

 In this photo taken on Monday, Oct. 4, 2010, Liu Xia, wife Chinease dissident Liu Xiaobo, speaks about possibility of her husband's winning the 2010 Nobel Peace prize in Beijing. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010, for using non-violence to demand fundamental human rights in his homeland. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) ** JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, FOR COMMERCIAL USE ONLY IN NORTH AMERICA **

 Pro-democracy protesters hold the picture of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo with Chinese words 'Release Liu Xiaobo' during a demonstration outside the China Liaison Office in Hong Kong Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for using non-violence to demand fundamental human rights in his homeland. (AP Photo/Apple Daily) ** HONG KONG OUT, NO SALES **

 In this Sept. 28, 2010 file photo, Liu Xia, wife of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, speaks about a December night nearly two years ago when her husband was taken away by the police from their apartment during an interview with The Associated Press in Beijing, China. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010, for using non-violence to demand fundamental human rights in his homeland. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

 A Chinese police officer asks journalists move away from a road entering the apartment house where Liu Xia, wife of Liu Xiaobo stays in Beijing Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for 'his long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights', a prize likely to enrage the Chinese government, which had warned the Nobel committee not to honor him. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

 A Chinese police officer seals off a road entering the apartment house where Liu Xia, wife of Liu Xiaobo stays in Beijing Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for 'his long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights', a prize likely to enrage the Chinese government, which had warned the Nobel committee not to honor him. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

 Mo Zhixu, a friend of Liu Xiaobo, speaks on behalf Liu Xia, wife of Liu Xiaobo outside her apartment house in Beijing Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for 'his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights', a prize likely to enrage the Chinese government, which had warned the Nobel committee not to honor him. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

 ** ALTERNATE CROP OF XAW801 ** In this photo taken in November, 2007 and released by Liu Xiaobo's friend Friday, Oct. 8, 2010, Liu poses during a gathering in Beijing. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010, for using non-violence to demand fundamental human rights in his homeland. The award ignited a furious response from China, which accused the Norwegian Nobel Committee of violating its own principles by honoring 'a criminal.' (AP Photo) ** CHINA OUT **

 Journalists tries to get into the apartment house where Liu Xia, wife of Liu Xiaobo stays in Beijing , Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for 'his long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights', a prize likely to enrage the Chinese government, which had warned the Nobel committee not to honor him. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

 Pro-democracy protesters hold the picture of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo with Chinese words 'Release Liu Xiaobo' during a demonstration outside the China's Liaison Office in Hong Kong Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for using non-violence to demand fundamental human rights in his homeland. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

 A pro-democracy protester holds the picture of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo with Chinese words ''Imprison the Nobel Peace Prize winner is Chinese shame' and 'Release Liu Xiaobo and all dissidents' during a demonstration outside the China's Liaison Office in Hong Kong, Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for using non-violence to demand fundamental human rights in his homeland. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)



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