China has stepped up criticism of Liu,Nobel
committee & other supporters ahead of the prize ceremony.
China has been furious following the award to the
54-year-old democracy campaigner and literary critic and has
mounted diplomatic pressure to dissuade other nations,
including India, from attending the December 10 ceremony.
China has stepped up criticism of Liu, the Nobel
committee, and other supporters ahead of the prize ceremony on
Friday, amid reports that China has made the event a prestige
issue.
"The erroneous decision has not only met firm
opposition from the entire Chinese people but also is not
accepted by the vast majority of countries who uphold
justice," Jiang Yu, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign
Ministry, told a media briefing here today.
"As far as I know at present there over 100 countries
and international organisations in the world who expressed
support of China?s stand in opposing this year?s Nobel peace
prize, which fully show that the majority of international
community does not accept the decision,? she claimed.
She described the members of the Nobel committee who
awarded the peace prize to the Chinese dissident Liu as
?clowns?, claiming: "You can see very clearly that the vast
majority of the international community will not attend the
ceremony".
She however declined to provide details.
China has reportedly asked even the head of the UN
Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pllay not attend the
ceremony.
Liu's wife, Liu Xia and his associates also will not
attend the ceremony to receive as they were kept under house
arrest.
Denouncing the award as a "cold war" tactic to impact
on China's political system, Jiang said the award was given to
a criminal which amounts to open fragrant interference in
China’s sovereignty.
The foreign ministry official also castigated Norway
for its support to decision.
"It (the award) has destroyed political foundation and
environment for bilateral cooperation. It is difficult to
continue bilateral relations," she said, asserting that the
responsibility for this lies with Oslo.
Charging the Nobel Committee with "orchestrating anti-
China farce", Jiang said "we are against anyone making issue
of Liu and interfering in China?s internal affairs."
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 07, 2010, 20:05