Why no Singaporean will win a Nobel Prize

last SG · 2010-09-29T22:14:35+00:00

It is impossible. A star are busy rushing people for project and publication. Who in Singapore will let you spend 20 years to dig on worms? Look into Nobelp...

Fcukpap SG

The first Chinese citizen to receive a Nobel Prize, Liu Xiaobo is a poet and literary critic who has come to prominence over the last two decades as one of the most visible leaders of China's pro-democracy movement. Currently serving an 11 year prison term, he is the third Nobel Peace Laureate to be under arrest at the time of the award, the others being Carl von Ossietzky andAung San Suu Kyi.

In 1989, Liu Xiaobo cut short his visiting position at New York's Columbia University to return to China and take part in the student occupation of Tiananmen Square. In the face of the army crackdown, he was instrumental in maintaining the non-violent nature of the protest. Liu Xiaobo spent two years in prison for his role in the protests, and was then subject to a further 3 years of 're-education through labour' in the late 1990s for advocating an end to one party rule in China.

His current imprisonment, for "inciting subversion of state power", was imposed for statements in recently-published essays and the 2008 document he helped write, Charter 8. Modelled on Charter 77, a petition demanding the recognition of human rights in Czechoslovakia and drawn up by writers and intellectuals in 1977, Charter 8 is a declaration calling for political reforms and increased human rights in China. The declaration reiterates certain ‘universal values' such as freedom, equality, democracy and constitutional rule and makes recommendations for, among other things, a new constitution, an independent judiciary, the election of public officials and a guarantee of human rights.

Charter 8 has now collected several thousand signatures from Chinese citizens from all walks of life. Liu Xiaobo was arrested just before its official release and sentenced a year later, just over a month before the close of nominations for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, at a trial to which Chinese and foreign observers were denied access. Liu Xiaobo has continued to write from prison, releasing a statement through one of his lawyers, 10 days after sentencing, which read: "I have made sacrifices with no regrets. For an intellectual thirsty for freedom in a dictatorial country, prison is the very first threshold. Now I have stepped over the threshold, and freedom is near."

An article he wrote for the South China Morning Post in February 2010 contains the statement "Opposition is not equivalent to subversion". This sentiment was echoed by the Norwegian Nobel Committee's remarks, following this year's Nobel Peace Prize announcement, regarding the sign that they hope this award will send about the importance of supporting debate, and those who champion it, in all countries of the world.

By Adam Smith, Editor-in-Chief, Nobelprize.org

First published 8 October 2010

mancha SG

Could this means Chee Soon Juan is now a possibility?

Fcukpap SG

there are still no true and genuine oppositions yet

Deadstroke SG

From a budding scientist (me) POV, Singapore needs to stop its obsession with directing research to 'hot' topics as if they are some fashion trend. As it is apparant by now, most Nobel Laureates have no idea that their work will turn out to be seminal in realm of human knowledge. One has to recognize for every single groundbreaking research there are hundreds and thousands that hit dead ends. However, if we don't take the risk and go into uncharted territories but merely trail in the wake of those who tear down boundaries, the Nobel Prize will forever be beyond our reach.

Right now, as I see, most of the monies are going to applied science research. As far as a Nobel is concerned, its a tactical move as inventions are generally more quickly recognized that theoretical work. The current prize to Geim and Novoselov and therecent prize on the work of GMR are testimony to that. Although I highly suspect that any Nobel Prize that comes in our way might go to a foreign researcher.

Fcukpap SG

THE wife of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo remained missing today, amid reports police were taking her to a prison in northeast China to inform her husband of the prestigious award.

Liu Xiaobo's lawyers have been unable to contact Liu Xia after she disappeared into police custody on Friday night moments after her husband was awarded the coveted award by the Nobel Committee.

"We have been unable to contact her, so we do not know where she is," lawyer Ding Xikui said.

"We are concerned about her safety. We believe that they (police) are taking her to see Liu Xiaobo, but we have no way of confirming this."

Roads to the Jinzhou prison in northeast China's Liaoning province were blocked by police on Sunday, with authorities only allowing officials or residents into a large area around the jail where Liu is serving an 11-year sentence for subversion.

Police and officials at the road block refused to tell journalists why they were not permitted to approach the prison and politely urged them to leave the area. Telephones at the prison went unanswered.

Liu, the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Peace Prize, is a 54-year-old writer imprisoned since December after authoring Charter 08, a manifesto signed by thousands seeking greater rights in the communist nation.

The selection of Liu as the 2010 winner has enraged the government which called the jailed dissident a "criminal" and slammed the award as a violation of Nobel ideals and a discredit to the Peace Prize.

Leaders around the world including US President Barack Obama - last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner - welcomed the 2010 winner, praising Liu and calling on the Chinese government to release him immediately.

Liu Xia said on Friday she was elated by the award and that police would escort her to the prison so she could tell her husband he had won.

Since then her mobile phone has been turned off and her whereabouts unknown.

The Chinese Human Rights Defenders, an activist group organised through the Internet, said police had forcefully removed Liu Xia from Beijing as part of a campaign to suppress the news that Liu had won the award.

China's state-run media has only reported the government's angry denunciation of the prize.

Internet searches using the key words "Nobel Peace Prize" and "Liu Xiaobo" brought up no results on Chinese web portals Sina and Sohu, while similar searches on Weibo, a Twitter-like service, also drew a blank.

Access to Google in mainland China has been patchy since the US Internet giant got embroiled in a dispute with Beijing over alleged cyberhacking of dissidents' email accounts.

"As expected, Chinese officials have pulled out all the stops to prevent citizens from learning that the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo," the Chinese Human Rights Defenders said in a statement.

"Officials ordered managers at China's four main domestic Internet portals Ten Cent, Sina, Sohu, and Net Ease to remove pages dedicated to the 2010 Nobel Prizes," it said.

"Online discussion of the Nobel Peace Prize or Liu Xiaobo continues to be actively blocked."

Fcukpap SG

WHITHER THE NOBEL CRITERIA AND THE PRICE OF PEACE?

Fcukpap SG

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2010

Fcukpap SG

freedom of speech comes with a great price

S.H. SG

The kind of person who would actively try to get such a prize isn't the kind who would fit the criteria, obviously. Foolish humans.

Fcukpap SG

as well as those who wants opposition for the sake of opposition or power than a genuine concern for the country

Sissy Hippo SG

no biggie deal

Fcukpap SG

China's state-run media is pursuing its campaign against the Nobel committee for awarding the Peace Prize to jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo, demanding an apology to the nation.

The Global Times - the tabloid sister publication of the People's Daily, the ruling Communist party's mouthpiece - on Monday accused the Oslo-based committee of provoking a "serious ideological clash" between Beijing and the West.

Liu, 54, was named the winner of this year's peace prize earlier this month.

He was sentenced to 11 years in jail in December after co-authoring Charter 08, a bold petition calling for political reform in one-party China.

His win has incensed China, which has angrily warned that ties with Norway will suffer, cancelling planned meetings and a touring musical performance.

"The Chinese public is largely enraged by the Nobel committee's decision, though the award has received wide acknowledgment from the West," the Global Times said in a commentary.

It cited a survey conducted by its own polling centre saying nearly six out of 10 people believed the prize should be withdrawn and China given an apology. A total of 866 people were questioned in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

"It is hoped the Nobel committee will reflect on their poor choice and apologise to the Chinese public," the newspaper said.

"The award is not a scarlet letter over China's forehead as the committee intended to see," it said.

"The Nobel committee has just provoked a serious ideological clash between China and (the) West. Instead of promoting peace, the Peace Prize this year deepens misunderstandings and hostility between China and the West."

The official Xinhua news agency had added to the barrage on Sunday, saying in an editorial: "In what ways have Liu's actions contributed to human rights progress for China's 1.3 billion people?"

The winner's wife Liu Xia has largely been confined to her home since the prize was announced on October 8, which she has angrily denounced via her Twitter account as an "illegal house arrest".

Dissidents and rights lawyers across the nation have reported being under increased surveillance or restrictions since the announcement.

The United States, the European Union and Japan have called for Liu's release.

Fcukpap SG

Facing down the dragon, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has done something truly courageous: It awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, the jailed Chinese dissident for his 20 years of dedication in promoting freedom of speech in the world's most populous nation.

Almost an unknown laureate, Liu is without doubt one of the most remarkable men in China today. On Dec. 23, 2009, two days before he was sentenced to 11 years in prison, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize laureate wrote a "Final Statement."

"I would face my forthcoming trial peacefully, with no regrets about my choice and looking forward to tomorrow optimistically. I look forward to my country being a land of free expression, where all citizens' speeches are treated the same; here, different values, ideas, beliefs, and political views will compete with each other and coexist peacefully; here, majority and minority opinions will be given equal guarantees, in particular, political views different from those in power will be fully respected and protected; here, all citizens will be able to express their political views without fear, and will never be politically persecuted for voicing dissent; I hope to be the last victim of China's endless literary inquisition and that after this no one else will ever be jailed for their speech."

Liu closed his statement with the following thought: "Freedom of expression is the basis of human rights, the source of humanity and the mother of truth. To block freedom of speech is to trample on human rights, to strangle humanity and to suppress the truth. I do not feel guilty for following my constitutional right to freedom of expression, for fulfilling my social responsibility as a Chinese citizen."

"This is the most widely-deserved Nobel Peace Prize in decades," a New York Times reader commented, "this is what the Peace Prize should be for: championing for human rights and for actually doing so."

By awarding the Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Committee has not only saluted Liu for his contribution to the political development in China, comparable to that of Nelson Mandela to Africa or Vaclav Havel to Eastern Europe, but also has done something that, as William Pesek of Bloomberg suggested, "even past winner Barack Obama hasn't: take on China."

Announcing its 2010 peace prize, the Nobel Foundation's citation described Liu as "the foremost symbol of the wide-ranging struggle for human rights in China" and praised him for his "long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights." The Nobel Committee also called Liu's prison sentence "the most obvious example of Beijing's failure to deliver on promises of freedom of speech, association and demonstration contained in the Chinese constitution."

Darkness_hacker99 SG

We ride on other people's success to achieve breakthrough :) We do not create our own success, thus, no nobel prize for sg.

Meia Gisborn SG

We ride on other people's success to achieve breakthrough :) We do not create our own success, thus, no nobel prize for sg.

Given the Singapore government's worship of the almighty dollar, I'm surprised they haven't bought their way into a Nobel Prize yet.

Redster SG

aiyah set world record for longest sandwich ever made or find any other record to break enough le la

LordoftheLamers SG

Guys I think the whole Nobel prize thing is really political these days..

Today you're more likely to get a nobel prize if you are political embarrassment or a screw up or an ironic-case or maybe even all three of those things.

So if Singapore is screwed up, it would probably get a Nobel prize. but no.. China is more screwed up since they gave the prize to a prisoner, and some might even say Obama coz he got one for doing nothing apparently.

So i wouldn't worry about Singapore not getting a nobel prize.

So Singapore has not gotten one yet because we are uber efficient and we aren't screw ups =)

troublemaker2005 SG

where got time?

angel7030 SG

typically speaking, Singaporean will love to receive the cash only, for the prize of being Nobel or not, I think Singaporeans will prefer more to receive the top prize in toto prize

troublemaker2005 SG

angie i am a homely and simple guy. i willgladly use the money to make our married life better. ask me nobel ot toto i prefer the latter. becasu ei know with more money i we can fulfil our dreams in making a new better home for us and our future. that in itself is the nobel prize i had always wanted to win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsGd0t41Jhw

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