Memorial event for Liu Xiaobo held on Hong Kong beach, calls for release of his widow
Memorial came a day after human rights activist revealed that Liu Xia has returned to her Beijing home
Dozens of Hong Kong residents took part in a memorial event on Sunday afternoon to commemorate the late Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, and urge Beijing to free his widow Liu Xia.
Liu Xiaobo was jailed for 11 years in 2009 on subversion charges for his part in writing a pro-democracy manifesto known as “Charter 08”. He died in a Liaoning hospital on July 13.
The memorial came a day after human rights activist Frank Lu Siqing revealed that Liu Xia has returned to her Beijing home. Lu said he spoke to Liu Xia on the phone for half an hour on Saturday after calling her at her home in the Chinese capital.
Liu Xia has been under house arrest since 2010. Friends and supporters had been concerned about her whereabouts since her husband’s death from liver cancer.
The memorial event on a pebble beach in Sai Kung started with a moment of silence to remember the late dissident.
The event’s organiser Lee Cheuk-yan, secretary of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic and Democratic Movements of China, then gave a short speech, criticising Beijing for its “cruelty” in keeping Liu Xia under house arrest even after her husband’s death.