| Chinese human rights campaigners celebrate as Liu Xiaobo wins Nobel peace prize Jailed dissident's award gives campaigners 'happiest day in years' but Chinese government calls decision 'blasphemy'China's human rights campaigners were celebrating the "happiest day in years" today as the jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel peace prize. But the Chinese government reacted in fury, describing the decision as a "blasphemy".The Nobel committee said it was recognising the 54-year-old author's "long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China", adding that it had long believed there was a close connection between human rights and peace.Beijing warned the decision could harm ties with Norway – where the awards are based – and summoned Oslo's ambassador to make a formal protest.Liu is serving 11 years for incitement to subvert state power after co-writing Charter 08, a call for democratic reforms in China. Human rights campaigners have complained of a broader drive against lawyers and activists recently."This is the happiest day in years ... 1.3 billion Chinese should not live in an environment where human rights are being violated," said Mo Zhixu, a friend of Liu's and Charter 08 signatory. Li Hai, another signatory, added: "This is the best gift from the international community to the Chinese people. I hope we can now see some progress in the political system."China argues it has no dissidents; only people who break the laws. Today's statement by foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu denounced Liu as a criminal and said his award was a "blasphemy to the peace prize".Security officers did not allow Liu's wife Liu Xia out of her apartment to speak to reporters. In a statement released via a campaign group, she said: "It is a true honour for him and one for which I know he would say he is not worthy." She added that police had offered to take her to Liu's prison in north-east China, apparently to prevent her from talking to foreign reporters. "They are forcing me to leave Beijing," she told Reuters by phone. "They want me to go to Liaoning to see Xiaobo. They want to distance me from the media."But she said that if they were telling the truth she would at least be able to see her husband and tell him he had won.While Liu's supporters welcomed the news, they acknowledged the battle for reform was still extremely difficult.Few outside intellectual circles have heard of the author and former academic. "I don't know about his work so I can't say whether he deserves the prize or not," said a salesman passing the dissident's home.Screens showing the BBC and CNN went blank in Beijing as news of the announcement broke. Earlier, in a sign of the authorities' nervousness, several major news portals had removed pages devoted to Nobel awards.Nicholas Bequelin, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "Their top concern is the domestic impact and the fact millions of people may look to see 'Who is Liu Xiaobo and what is the content of Charter 08?'."He added that the award might allow moderates in the government to push back against hardliners. "The reason Liu Xiaobo has a Nobel prize is because Chinese leaders decided to break the status quo – he was under surveillance but basically allowed to pursue his activities – and jail him to make an example of him and scare others. That has spectacularly backfired. People are bound to ask whether this was worth it."Liao Yiwu, a fellow dissident and one of Liu's closest friends, said he was thrilled, describing the award as "a big moment in Chinese history" which would encourage other campaigners.Around a dozen friends and supporters of Liu were taken away by police after holding a small demonstration outside a Beijing park, holding up signs congratulating him and shouting: "Long live freedom of speech, long live democracy."Barack Obama, who won the prize last year, welcomed the news. He urged China to release Liu and respect human rights.He said: "Last year, I noted that so many others who have received the award had sacrificed so much more than I. That list now includes Mr Liu, who has sacrificed his freedom for his beliefs. The Nobel Committee has chosen someone who has been an eloquent and courageous spokesman for the advance of universal values through peaceful and non-violent means."The Dalai Lama – who won the prize in 1989, again to the anger of Beijing – was also among those who congratulated Liu.Another peace laureate, Desmond Tutu, joined Vaclav Havel and several others in nominating the author.In Norway, the Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland told Reuters China should be under greater scrutiny as it becomes more powerful and said ignoring its human rights issues would have undermined the award's authority."We have to speak when others cannot speak," he said. "As China is rising, we should have the right to criticise."The Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg said it would be "negative for China's reputation" if they punished Norway over the award.Liu XiaoboNobel peace prizeChinaNorwayBarack ObamaDalai LamaHuman rightsTania Braniganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Scientists call for defence cuts A group of scientists has called for cuts to public spending on science to come from military research. bbc.co.uk |
Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown locked in battle for broken state of California Who will inherit Arnold Schwarzenegger's poison chalice?The candidates fighting to become governor of California were faced with an unusual sight when they met last week for their final pre-election debate.Moderating between the Democrat Jerry Brown, a liberal dubbed "Governor Moonbeam" when he held the position in the 1970s, and the Republican Meg Whitman, a former Silicon Valley chief executive, was an injured debate host, Tom Brokaw.Brokaw, one of America's most famous TV newsmen, had broken his ankle and he hobbled on stage on crutches. He could not resist comparing his condition with that of California. "We're both broken at the moment," he said. "The difference is that I hope to be repaired before the beginning of the year."The punchline lies in the cruel reality of the crisis facing California as it prepares to wave goodbye to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former movie star who became its governor. He departs with catastrophic approval ratings but also a sense that the state's problems were too big even for a "Governator".California, which once embodied a sun-soaked version of the American Dream, now has an unemployment rate of 12.4%, far above the national average. Its public education system is ranked bottom in the country. Its budget deficit is $19bn, and its government regularly has to issue IOUs. Some of its cities, such as Vallejo, have declared themselves bankrupt. A few people believe that a major metropolis, perhaps Los Angeles, could follow suit. With its sprawling suburbs and ample land, this state was at the centre of the property boom, and figures released late last week showed that it leads America in at least one thing: the rate of foreclosures.Political commentators do not pull their punches when discussing the challenge that faces the next governor. "It is absolutely awful," said Barbara O'Connor, a professor at the University of California at Sacramento. "Many voters' fears here are basic. How will I keep my house? How will I feed my family? How will I keep my job?"Answering those questions has not been easy for either candidate. Brown's campaign has attracted big-name supporters such as Bill Clinton and top donors including the Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, but it has relied mostly on the fact that Brown is one of the most familiar names in state politics. He is currently the state's attorney-general but earned his "Moonbeam" nickname from his period as governor from 1975 to 1983, when he expressed interest in space satellite technology. He has a narrow lead over Whitman in many polls, probably reflecting the desire of traumatised voters for somebody safe. "Jerry's been there before and he understands this. After Schwarzenegger I don't know that Californians want to give another outsider a chance," said O'Connor.That is a problem for Whitman. Though she ran the auction website eBay, a California success story, she is not from the state and has little direct experience of politics. Brown's campaign has painted her as an outsider without the skills to take on the state's problems. What Whitman does have is money: lots of it. She has pumped more than $119m of her own cash into the race, filling the airwaves with adverts portraying him as just the sort of politician who created California's crisis.Part of the reason this has yet to win Whitman a lead may be that, while her party is running on an anti-immigration platform, she employed an illegal immigrant housekeeper for nine years and sacked her just before her campaign began. The story did not play well with either the Republican base or the state's large Hispanic population. But Brown too has had his problems. His campaign was rocked by the surfacing of a tape on which one of his staffers can apparently be heard referring to Whitman as a "whore". "The race is not over. Jerry can shoot himself in the foot on any given day," O'Connor said.But what of the man Whitman and Brown are hoping to replace? Schwarzenegger failed to tackle the political and economic paralysis that has exacerbated California's problems. He is derided by liberals for huge cuts to state employees' wages and services, like education. But he is also disliked by many conservatives for pushing through climate-change legislation that they say strangles economic growth. No wonder, then, that he is staying out of the campaign and has not even endorsed a successor. Indeed last week – most of which he spent on a trip to Russia – Schwarzenegger came out swinging against both Brown and Whitman. He denounced her as having sold out to big backers such as the police union, and him for the "unacceptable" language of "whoregate".Of course, none of the bickering between any of them is doing much for California. Most experts believe Brokaw was right during last week's debate. His broken ankle will be healed much quicker than the Golden State's seemingly intractable problems.CaliforniaUS midterm elections 2010US politicsUnited StatesPaul Harrisguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
US cuts aid to Pakistan military units Obama administration to agree separate aid package for counter-terrorism operationsThe US government plans to cut military aid to several Pakistani military units as punishment for human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial executions, according to senior officials.But at the same time, the Obama administration is reportedly in the final stages of agreeing a new $2bn (£1.28bn) aid package for Pakistan to pay for equipment needed in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.The sanctions centre on the deaths of hundreds of people at the hands of Pakistan's regular and paramilitary forces in the Swat valley since an operation to drive out the Taliban started in May 2009.Human rights groups estimate that at least 300 people have died in extrajudicial executions, one of which was recently captured in a gruesome video that circulated on the internet.But Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, told human rights activists in Washington last week that he believed this was a conservative estimate, and that the real number of deaths was "much higher".The units to be sanctioned have not been identified, but they are understood to include elements within 12 Punjab infantry regiment, which is based in north-western Mardan, and units from the Frontier Corps, the paramilitary force recruited from the Pashtun tribes.The White House has not officially informed Pakistan of the decision even though senior Pakistani military and civilian leaders are in Washington for meetings with the government.Earlier this month, a harrowing video surfaced which purported to show a group of soldiers shooting six blindfolded men in the country's troubled north-west.US military assistance cannot be given to foreign armed forces suspected of committing, encouraging or tolerating atrocities under the 1997 Leahy agreement, a law named after the Democratic senator who championed it, Patrick Leahy."In accordance with the Leahy amendment, we have withheld assistance from a small number of units linked to gross human rights violations," a US official told AP. "At the same time, we have encouraged Pakistan to improve its human rights training, and it is taking steps in that direction."It was not immediately clear when the decision to stop the aid was first taken or exactly how many Pakistani military units would be affected. The New York Times, which first reported the measure, said around six units were singled out.A human rights official who had been briefed by Washington said the issue of the human rights abuses had been quietly bubbling between the US and Pakistan for months, and that the Pakistani army had already started to take action against the offending units.General Ashfaq Kayani, the army chief, had issued an internal order about four months ago "telling units to behave," he said.Mullen said Kayani recognised the seriousness of the issue and "was trying very hard to deal with it".The army spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas, said he could not respond to news of the sanctions until the army had been "formally informed" by the US government.But he said that in general the army operated a "zero tolerance policy" towards offenders, noting that a two-star general had been told to investigate the execution video. "Anything that has been brought to our notice, people have been punished," he said.But the spokesman was not able to specify which units had been punished, when the punishment took place, or what sanctions were applied.The units targeted by the Leahy amendment will no longer receive US weapons and their soldiers will not be trained by US personnel. A small number of American soldiers train Frontier Corps officers to help fight the Taliban.But the sanctions are not likely to affect broader US support for Pakistan, which is worth at least $2bn per year and is considered key to counter-terrorism efforts in the region.Later today the US is expected to announce military aid for Pakistan worth about $2bn over the next five years as it presses the country to do more to fight extremists there and in neighbouring Afghanistan.Under the deal, which has not yet been finalised, direct military aid is expected to incrementally increase from the current level of about $300m a year to almost $2bn in five years' time. The military aid complements a separate commitment of $7.5bn in civilian aid over five years, and other military payments and covert assistance.The package replaces a similar but less valuable five-year package that was instituted under the then president George Bush in 2005 and expires this month.The announcement is planned at the end of three days of high-level strategic talks in Washington between top US and Pakistani officials, including Kayani and President Barack Obama. The new aid package will be "no strings attached", officials told the BBC.But the relationship between Pakistan and the US is fraught with tensions. Earlier this month an incursion by Nato helicopters into Pakistan killed two border guards, sparking a temporary closure of the Afghan border, and the human rights investigations could complicate matters further.Some US politicians, impatient at Pakistan's sometimes reluctant co-operation, could seize on the abuses to increase pressure on Islamabad.Human Rights Watch welcomed the application of the Leahy bill as a "targeted sanction". "We have long maintained that these abuses are occurring in Swat and elsewhere and hope that the sanctions will act as a deterrent to further such abuses being committed," said the South Asia senior researcher Ali Dayan Hasan. Human Rights Watch estimates Pakistani forces have killed at least 300 people in Swat valley. Hasan said the group had directly confirmed 50 of those killings, but said the real number "may be far higher" than 300.PakistanUnited StatesHuman rightsTortureGlobal terrorismDeclan WalshHelen Piddguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Cameron: Rise in EU Budget Is 'Unacceptable' UK. Prime Minister David Cameron fired an opening salvo ahead of this week's European Council meeting in Brussels, saying it is "unacceptable" that the EU budget could rise sharply this year. online.wsj.com |