m*****i
发帖数: 1222 | 1 【 以下文字转载自 ChinaNews 讨论区 】
发信人: maozexi (愤怒的毛泽西), 信区: ChinaNews
标 题: Reuters-China stood up by winner of 'Confucius peace prize'
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Thu Dec 9 12:26:25 2010, 美东)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101209/lf_nm_life/us_china_nobel_confucius
BEIJING (Reuters) – It was meant to be China's answer to the Nobel Peace
Prize, a timely riposte to the honoring of jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo. But
the winner of the first "Confucius Peace Prize" didn't even bother to show
up.
Instead, it was left to a scared-looking girl, whom organizers did not
properly identify, to collect a stack of bills for the $15,000 cash prize
meant for former Taiwan vice-president Lien Chan.
Lien had won the prize for his efforts to improve relations between China
and Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own, beating out
five other nominees, including past Nobel Peace Prize winners Mahmoud Abbas
and Nelson Mandela.
[Related: Top Chinese official meets with Kim Jong-Il]
"We believe that Mr. Lien Chan, with his knowledge, dignity, and political
wisdom, would not refuse peace, and he would not refuse this prize,"
Confucius Prize organizer Tan Changliu gamely told a packed news conference
in Beijing.
Lien, now honorary chairman of Taiwan's ruling Nationalist or KMT party, has
not commented publicly on the prize.
Lai Shin-yuan, chairwoman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, told Taiwan
lawmakers that the island's government found the prize "amusing."
"As far as we know it is an unofficial prize. We don't plan to make any
comment on it," she said. "But we do find it amusing."
Lien travelled to China in 2005 in his then capacity as chairman of the KMT
in the first such trip since the Communists won control of the mainland in
1949 after forcing the KMT to flee into exile in Taiwan.
He has since visited China numerous times and had several meetings with
Chinese President Hu Jintao.
The prize, offered before more than 100 journalists in a cramped windowless
conference room in a Beijing office block, was first suggested in an opinion
piece in the popular Chinese tabloid the Global Times three weeks ago.
Its timing is no coincidence, coming the day before the Nobel is formally
awarded to Liu in Oslo, an event that has prompted a slew of invective from
the Chinese government for honoring a man it calls a subversive and a
criminal.
Tan said China's prize had nothing to do with the government, though an
invite to the ceremony had suggested involvement of a department under the
Chinese Culture Ministry. Ministry officials said they had never heard of
the prize.
[Related: China's anti-Nobel stance not popular]
"This prize is from the people of China, who love and support peace. It has
no relation to the Chinese government, the Ministry of Culture or Beijing
Normal University," said Tan, referring to the university where his resume
says he got his doctorate.
When pressed by journalists on claims in a press release that the prize had
been chosen by "democratic voting by Internet users," Tan admitted that no
Internet voting had occurred, swiftly adding next year's prize would
incorporate voting.
Mainstream Chinese media have not reported on the prize, and Tan refused to
answer questions on the merits of pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo's Nobel
award.
But the awarding of the prize bore at least one resemblance to what will
transpire at Friday's Nobel ceremony -- its recipient was not in attendance.
The Chinese government, furious after Liu won the Nobel Peace Prize in
October, has not allowed Liu or his wife to go to the Nobel gala in Oslo.
Liu's wife and numerous Chinese activists have been put under house arrest
ahead of the Nobel ceremony. |
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