Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of the Chinese human rights advocate and Nobel Prize Laureate, Liu Xiaobo, who died last Thursday in China, under guard. The world has lost an incomparably courageous advocate who was dedicated to advancing human rights and the rule of law, and paid for them with his own freedom and life. Liu's passing last week in Chinese custody marked a tragic end to over a decade of persecution by the Chinese authorities who relentlessly mistreated him as he gradually became a symbol of the pro- democracy movement around the globe. In 2010, the Nobel Peace Committee awarded him the Peace Prize for his thoughtful advocacy for reform and for his courageous support of the pro-democracy document Charter 08. A year prior to the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Liu, in 2009, Chinese authorities tried him for subversion of state power, for which he received an 11-year sentence. Given his rising stature in the international community, they imprisoned him in secret locations away from family, supporters, or international media. They kept him from receiving the Peace Prize and put pressure on the committee to rescind the award, in addition to doing everything they could to prevent Liu's supporters from attending the ceremony in Norway. They routinely censored and continue to censor the internet for references to Liu and other pro-democracy advocates and ideas.…”