Liu Xiaobo << lee oo shee ow boh >> (1955-2017) was a Chinese writer and political activist. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his long and nonviolent campaign for human rights in China. When he received the award, he was serving an 11-year prison sentence. The Chinese government imprisoned him for his work on a 2008 document, Charter 08, that called for increased freedoms and political change in China.
Liu Xiaobo was born in Changchun, the capital of China’s Jilin Province, on Dec. 28, 1955. He received a B.A. degree in literature from Jilin University in 1982. In 1984, he earned an M.A. degree from Beijing Normal University. He began teaching at the university, and he earned his Ph.D. there in 1988. In late 1988 and early 1989, Liu taught at several international universities as a visiting lecturer. Liu’s lectures and writings often questioned the Chinese government and the ruling Communist Party.
In April 1989, students in Beijing gathered in Tiananmen Square to mourn the death of former Communist Party head Hu Yaobang, a liberal reformer. The mourners began voicing grievances against government corruption and restrictions on the freedom of speech in China. The students occupied Tiananmen Square, attracting millions of supporters and drawing international attention. Liu, who had been out of the country, soon returned to Beijing to join the protests.
On June 4, the Chinese military pushed into central Beijing and broke up the protests. Liu and several other intellectuals met with army representatives to negotiate the students’ safe exit from Tiananmen Square. The military killed hundreds of protesters, but the actions of Liu and others helped some students escape the violence. Liu was later arrested for his participation in the demonstrations.
Liu was released from prison in 1991. After his release, he continued criticizing China’s government and calling for political reforms and the protection of human rights. He was arrested again in 1996 for co-authoring a declaration advocating a peaceful reunification with Taiwan. (China claims ownership of the island of Taiwan, but the island is effectively independent.) He was sentenced to three years in a labor camp.
In 2008, Liu was one of the authors of a manifesto (public declaration) titled Charter 08. The document called for political reforms to increase freedom, the rule of law, and human rights within China. It was signed by some 300 leading Chinese scholars, intellectuals, and activists. Liu was once again detained by police. He was charged with “inciting subversion of state power.” In December 2009, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Liu died in custody on July 13, 2017.
See also Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
