CHINA JUST THROUGH A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER IN PRISON FOR TRYING TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT

Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, sparking a furious diplomatic row as China accused the Norwegian awards committee of honouring a "criminal".



The Chinese authorities denounced the award as an "obscenity" and warned that it would damage relations between the two countries.


The Nobel Committee said Mr Liu was honoured "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China". The 54-year-old activist, was sentenced last year to 11 years in prison for subversion.


In a strongly-worded citation, the committee criticised China's human rights record.


"Over the past decades, China has achieved economic advances to which history can hardly show any equal. The country now has the world's second largest economy; hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty. Scope for political participation has also broadened. China's new status must entail increased responsibility," it read.


"China is in breach of several international agreements to which it is a signatory, as well as of its own provisions concerning political rights. Article 35 of China's constitution lays down that 'Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration'. In practice, these freedoms have proved to be distinctly curtailed for China's citizens."