According to the Norwegian Committee of the award 19 Countries plus China itself will not attend the ceremony of Nobel Peace Prize awarding to jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in Oslo.

The Nations which will not be there are Russia, Kazhakstan, Colombia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Serbia, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Philippines, Egypt, Sudan, Ukraine, Cuba and Morocco. These governments joined the boycott appeal launched by China.

CONFUCIUS PRIZE
The Chinese government was rather annoyed by the choice to assign the Nobel Prize to Liu Xiaobo: they put his wife Liu Xia under house arrest without a trial and Beijing threatened retaliations against all Countries that will participate in the Ceremony. Today an association close to the Chinese government awarded the Confucius Peace Prize to former Taiwan President Lian Chen, credited for the recent détente between Beijing and Taipei. The former President did not receive the recognition.

HAVEL: "CHINA MUST PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS"

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the former President of the Czech Republic Václav Havel, promoter of the document Charter '77 which Liu Xiaobo drew inspiration from and of the dissident's nomination to the Nobel Prize, wrote: "the world must strenuously object to the Chinese model for development which decouples economic and political reform [...]. While China's economic and geopolitical progress over the past three decades is cause for celebration, its support for abusive regimes and the brutal force with which it crushes dissent within its own borders demonstrates that substantial reform is needed if China is to be viewed within the international community as a true leader [...].

China now has the unique opportunity to chart a new course, one that appropriately claims the mantle of being a world leader in every respect, including an embrace of its obligations to promote and protect of human rights. But such an approach must begin by China respecting its obligations under its constitution and international agreements. The first step must be the unconditional release of Liu Xiaobo and his wife, Liu Xia, before the Nobel peace prize award ceremony on Friday".

In Oslo an empty chair will represent Liu Xiaobo.
 
See the lins in the box below

in Gariwo.net
Liu Xiaobo refuses China's offer
Václav Havel for prize to Liu Xiaobo
Charter '08