By Bhaskar Roy
When prisoner of conscience for a cumulative 18 years Aung San Suu Kyi received her Nobel Prize for Peace in Oslo’s town hall on June 15, a loud warning went to Myanmar’s autocratic neighbour that democracy and human rights will break the shackles of coercive governments. Ms. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1991. She personally received it after 21 years. Human freedom ultimately prevails.
This truth would not have been missed by the top leaders of China, Myanmar’s neighbour. In 2010, one of China’s most celebrated democracy activists, Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Not only was Liu or his relative not allowed to go to Oslo to receive the prize, but the Beijing leaders again incarcerated him and went on a diplomatic offensive and propaganda blitz. Despite pressure from Beijing, India sent its ambassador to attend the Nobel ceremony felicitating Liu Xiaobo. An empty chair at that ceremony told a telling story.
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