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WORLD NEWS Saturday 14 July 2018

Nobel widow’s release is short-lived human rights triumph

By YANAN WANG everything out of love and
GERRY SHIH humanity — he was truly
Associated Press human.”
BEIJING (AP) — The re- Government critics reflect-
lease of the Chinese No- ing on the anniversary said
bel Peace laureate Liu Liu Xia’s release did little to
Xiaobo’s widow from eight change the reality that the
years of house arrest this harshest crackdown on civ-
week brought some com- il liberties in decades was
fort to China’s activists. continuing unabated.
But the rare triumph for hu- On Wednesday, a veter-
man rights in China was an pro-democracy cam-
short-lived: Her brother was paigner was sentenced to
forced to stay behind, en- 13 years in prison for “sub-
suring Liu Xia stayed silent version” — a similar charge
on the one-year anniversa- to Liu Xiaobo’s.
ry of her husband’s death “They say that China has
Friday. entered a new era, and in-
Memorials are planned deed that is the case,” said
in Hong Kong and Berlin, Bao Tong, a former high-
where Liu Xia landed this ranking Communist Party
week after years of inter- official and friend of the
national calls to free her couple.
from the isolation China “So long as you are living
imposed to quell any en- as a Chinese citizen, you
couragement Liu Xiaobo’s are in a constant state of
Nobel might have had on In this July 12, 2018 photo, Liu Xia, the widow of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, stands in defending your rights, be-
human rights activists. a residence in Berlin, Germany. cause your rights are in a
But the poet and artist Liu Associated Press constant state of being in-
Xia herself will be notice- citing subversion of state cal condition has greatly buried in the ocean in fringed upon.”
ably absent. power” when he died of improved since she arrived proceedings that were The administration of Presi-
Tienchi Martin-Liao, a Chi- liver cancer last summer. in Berlin, but they are await- closely controlled by the dent Xi Jinping, the most
nese-born writer based He helped write Charter 08, ing medical consultations authorities, supporters have powerful Chinese leader
in Germany and friend of a manifesto calling for po- before changing drugs giv- tried to hold memorials by since Mao Zedong, has led
the couple, said Liu can- litical and economic liber- en to her by Chinese state various seashores. Some a widespread crackdown
not meet with the public alization. security agents during her among them have been on civil society, targeting
or speak to the media for In 2010, while Liu was in pris- house arrest. detained or arrested. human rights lawyers and
“reasons that have nothing on, he was awarded the Despite the constraints on On Friday, police escorted other independent groups
to do with her health.” Nobel Peace Prize. China the widow and concerns Beijing activist Hu Jia to the considered a threat to the
“She wants to join, but she was outraged and de- about her health, Martin- northern city of Chong- ruling party.
cannot,” Martin-Liao said nounced the Nobel com- Liao struck an optimistic li, which doesn’t have a Bao was hopeful that his-
Friday by phone. mittee as celebrating a note. coastline, to prevent him tory would ultimately side
Rights groups have said Liu criminal. “But on the whole, she’s in from marking the anniver- with Liu.
will feel pressured to remain Liu Xia was put under house really good spirits,” Martin- sary. “History is not going to say
silent as long as her brother arrest, with guards at her Liao said. “You’ve seen the Hu, speaking by phone that China had a criminal
Liu Hui remains in China. Liu apartment building keep- pictures: She is like a small from his enforced trip, said named Liu Xiaobo,” Bao
Xia was never charged with ing away visitors, soon after bird that has flown out.” he remembered Liu Xiaobo said. “Rather, it will say that
a crime and is seen world- she returned from telling Back in mainland China, for being courageous in his China had many people
wide as a tragic victim of him in prison that he had the authorities have gone convictions and having hu- who longed for a demo-
her love for an enemy of been given the honor. to great lengths to prevent manitarian spirit. cratic, constitutional gov-
the Chinese state. The isolation drove her into attempts to pay tribute to “He was called a traitor, ernment, but they were
Liu Xiaobo was serving an depression. Martin-Liao Liu Xiaobo. an enemy of the nation,” thrown into jail by those in
11-year sentence for “in- said Liu Xia’s psychologi- Because Liu’s ashes were Hu said. “But in fact, he did power at the time.”q