I read an article on it last night, it's a little disturbing how much of a negative reaction it has garnered.
Personally, I think that the Peace Prize is well deserved, regardless, perhaps almost because, of his current status as a prisoner. It is certainly not unusual for the Chinese Government to "detain" those who they feel are dissidents, which seems to include anyone who speaks out against them regarding anything. The fact that people have mysteriously disappeared at an even greater rate than is normal for China is just another piece of evidence against them. As the BBC article I read said, this Prize highlights the fact that regardless of economic growth and success, Human Rights must also be considered, which seems to be an area in which China is woefully lacking. the fact that they called upon their allies to boycott the event simply goes to show how much they realise this, and are determined not to cave to external pressure.
I do sometimes feel that there is a limit to how much other countries can meddle in the affairs of others, but I feel that this is definitely inside the limits. However, I don't know how well it was executed, or whether it's actually a good idea. Liu is definitely a worthy winner, but wouldn't it be a little difficult to swallow the irony if the attempt to deliver a Peace Prize resulted in a catastrophic war? This is not the first situation that has caused tension with China in recent years; the clashing of Chinese and American boats in the Pacific, for one, shows that further aggravation of the country might not be the best avenue of approach right now. Further, with tensions escalating between North and South Korea, the world is essentially relying on China to keep a lid on N. Korea, as their closest ally. However, if China is pissed off with the western world, they might change their minds regarding helping prevent a war.
This is not to say that I don't think the Peace Prize should have been given, I just think that a) this might not have been the time to do it and b) that there might have been a more tactful way to do it than announcing it to the world, though that said I cannot comment on their execution, since I have no clue what was done behind closed doors.
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