Representatives from the Roman Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Hong Kong and the Christian Concern Hong Kong Society joined activists in petitioning the Chinese government’s liaison office in Hong Kong soon after the announcement of the prize in Oslo Oct. 8.
The Hong Kong Catholic commission and a number of civil groups said in a joint statement that Liu is a long time defender of human rights and deserves the Nobel honor.
In Beijing, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Liu is a criminal, and that he has nothing to do with the spirit of the Nobel Peace Prize.
