Liu Xiaobo is not a household name in the West, but he certainly should be. On 4 June 1989, Mr. Xiaobo, then 33 years-old, courageously participated in an anti-government protest in Beijing's historic Tiananmen Square. As the days wore on, the Chinese military, dispatched to disperse the protesters calling for political freedom, split into pro and anti-demonstrator factions. For a time, China appeared to be headed for a civil war. The government, however, was ultimately able to retain the loyalty of its Communist troops - and hundreds if not thousands of peaceful Chinese citizens died in a merciless armed attack by the state. Many of same people who ordered the Tiananmen massacre are still in power today..
For his activism, Xiaobo served two years in prison. Rather than quietly submit to unjust authority for his own protection, he continued to speak out for the cause of freedom. In 1996, his recalcitrant voice earned three years hard labor. In 2008, he overtly challenged Beijing by drafting Charter 08 - a political constitution calling for the establishment of separate branches of government - which would effectively end one-party rule. Once again, the Chinese government threw him in jail. Last year, the Norwegian committee responsible for selecting the winner of Nobel Peace Prize chose Mr. Xiaobo, and a few days ago the presentation ceremony was held in Oslo without the recipient. Instead of handing the award to Xiaobo, Nobel officials announced the winner's name next to an empty chair.
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Liu remains in prison under a criminal regime - a regime financed and supported by Western nations everyday through the purchases of manufactured products made in China. Every purchase at Wal-Mart, for example, not only undermines workers rights in the United States (due to their practice of paying sub-standard wages to employees with limited or no access to health insurance) but also empowers the authoritarian, militaristic Chinese government.
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Liu Xiaobo should be the Nelson Mandela of the 21st century, but the West, which has become beholden to Chinese financing of its bonded debt, finds itself morally compromised - and morally bankrupted. Such is the continuing power of capital.
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Mr. Xiaobo will turn 55 on 28 December. Kleostoday would like to wish him a happy birthday despite his unfortunate circumstances. Then again, Liu would not want it any other way - as his ideals are based on truth, liberty and justice - something the US government has long abandoned in its crass and heartless policy toward China.
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(Photo: Liu Xiaobo - one day, he will pick up his prize in Oslo)
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J Roquen