By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 20: During the memorial service for the late Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in Washington DC’s National cathedral yesterday, Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a video message said that the ideals of the late Chinese will live forever.
The Dalai Lama said it was his duty as a fellow Nobel laureate to express his prayers and warm feelings for the deceased Liu Xiaobo. “ I really admire his firm stand on moral principle and democracy. He (is) physically no longer with us but his spirit will remain forever. For those people who admire late Liu Xiaobo, please carry forward his stand or his principle. It is our duty,” the octogenarian Tibetan leader said.
Chinese writer and human rights activist who advocated democratic reforms in his country died on July 13, after being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer at First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang. China’s Bureau of Justice announced that he death was due to multiple organ failure. He was serving an 11-year prison term for “subversion” at the time.
Since winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, Liu’s wife, who was with him in his last days had been kept under house arrest without any contact with outside world. Ahead of the 19th National Party Congress last week, she was forced to leave Beijing.
Liu, a former professor of literature at Beijing Normal University, was arrested numerous times – he was jailed for 21 months for his role in 1989 Tiananmen Square protest; for three years in 1996 for his human rights activities; and in 2008 for drafting a pro-democracy manifesto called Charter 08.
He was a strong supporter of Tibetan cause, had authored a number of articles and was instrumental in drafting the 12-point suggestions submitted to the Chinese authorities in 2008 on how to resolve the long-standing issue of Tibet.
