Activists call for Liu Xiaobo's release on anniversary

Activists in Hong Kong held a march on Tuesday morning to call for the release of jailed Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who was sentenced to prison three years ago on Christmas Day.

About 20 protesters – members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China – marched to the central government’s liaison office, urging Beijing to release Liu, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009.

They chanted slogans and released balloons – which symbolised the release of political activists – outside the office.

The alliance’s chairman, Lee Cheuk-yan, said it was despicable for Beijing to place Liu’s wife, Liu Xia, under house arrest to threaten him. The central government should also respect freedom of speech, he said.

Lee said local deputies to the National People’s Congress should raise the issue at the congress meetings in future.

Liu, a veteran dissident involved in 1989 pro-democracy protests and founder of the Charter 08 campaign for constitutional reform, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010.