The Chinese government continued its vilification campaign against the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a jailed dissident, Liu Xiaobo, by canceling another meeting with Norwegian officials and denouncing the award as an affront to the Chinese people and a ploy to try to change the country’s political system.
Mr. Liu, 54, a veteran pro-democracy advocate, is serving an 11-year sentence for his essays and a manifesto he helped draft, Charter 08, that demands political reform, human rights guarantees and an independent judicial system.
As part of their efforts to reduce any impact of the prize domestically, the authorities have placed restrictions on scores of intellectuals, academics and bloggers who have previously expressed support for Charter 08 or Mr. Liu. Several have been given eight-day administrative detentions, while others have been placed under an extralegal form of house arrest that often includes the loss of cellphone and Internet service.
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