Philippines skips Nobel rites for China dissident

Philippines skips Nobel rites for China dissident


By Michaela P. del Callar

12/08/2010

The Philippines is among the 19 countries skipping the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in Oslo, Norway on Friday.

According to the Nobel Committee, 44 embassies have indicated that they will be represented at the ceremony and 19 have declined their invitations “for various reasons.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila confirmed this but declined to state the reason for not sending a representative to the gala.

“We will not attend the event,” said Foreign Affairs spokesman Eduardo Malaya.

However, a senior Philippine diplomat said Manila decided not to attend the event to “avoid” diplomatic fracas with China.

The diplomat said the Philippines “do not want to further annoy China,” which has expressed great disappointment when President Aquino absolved his close aides and several personalities of any accountability and responsibility in the Aug. 23 Manila hostage tragedy that killed eight Hong Kong tourists in a bungled police rescue attempt..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20101208nat3.html