(November 5, 2010) Translation of a letter written by Liu Xia, wife of recent Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, calling for the release of Mr. Liu and urging his colleagues to travel to Oslo to attend the ceremony.

Dear Friends,

I am Liu Xia, Liu Xiaobo’s wife. When news first arrived that Xiaobo had received the Nobel Peace Prize, I, like all of you, was both moved and thankful from the bottom of my heart. I want to thank both the international society and the Nobel Peace Prize Committee for recognizing Xiaobo’s efforts during all these years. I also want to thank the friends who have supported Xiaobo for so many years and all the signatories who signed Charter 08. Xiaobo says this peace award actually belongs to all the souls who died on June 4. I think this award belongs to all of the fearless Chinese who protect the dignity of every single Chinese citizen.

I regret to say that since October 8, [when the announcement was made], I have been under house arrest and am no longer free to leave my home, making it very difficult to communicate with the outside world. I don’t know how long this situation will last. I want to express my strong protest towards this limitation on my freedom. I call on the authorities to abide by the law, stop obstructing my daily routine, and respect the requests from both inside and outside the country to release Xiaobo and allow us to once again live a normal life.

Recently, the Nobel Committee informed me they will have the ceremony in Oslo on December 10th. It seems, based on the current situation, that the possibility of Xiaobo or me going to collect the prize is small. But I believe that Xiaobo would want his friends to attend this historic ceremony, and share this great honour with us. So while I can still send information out, I would like to openly invite Xiaobo’s peers and friends to attend the Peace Prize ceremony taking place in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 10:

Yu Hao Cheng, Bao Tong, Li Rui, Du Guang, Li Pu, Sha Yexin, Zhang Zuhua, Ding Zilin, Jiang Peikun, Wang Shuling, Zi Zhongyun, Xu Yinong, Ding Dong, Wang Kang, Zhang Hong, Liang Wendao, Wu Maohua, Zhang Xianyang, Hu Shuli, Liu Junning, Zhang Xukun, He Guanghu, Zhu Xueqin, Wu Si, Lu Yuegang, Li Datong, Zhang Yihe, Xu Xiao, Liu Suli, Wang Xiaoshan, Hao Jian, Wang Su, Jiang Wen, Chen Kaige, Han Han, Li Yinhe, Gao Shen,

Gao Qiang, Zhang Xianling, Qi Zhiyong, Sun Guangwen, Yu Shicun, Zhou Duo, Gao Yu, Jiang Danwen, Yu Jie, Wang Yi, Liao Yiwu, Dai Qing, Zhao Dagong, Qin Geng,

Wen Kejian, Mo Zhixu, Liu Ning, Zheng Xuguang, Wang Debang, Yang Hengjun, Woeser, Xiao Xuehui, Yefu, Yedu, Hou Meixin, Zan Aizong, Fu Kuoyong, Zhang Dajun, Guo Yushan, Wang Junxiu, Chen Ziming, Hu Shigen,

Qin Yongmin, Jiang Qisheng, Li Hai, Zhu Yufu, Wang Rongqing, She Wanbao, Chen Wei, Yang Hai, Ma Shaofang, Chen Mingxian, Jia Jianying, Yang Zili, Zhang Honghai, Gao Hongming, Liu Jingsheng, Chen Xi, Ouyang Yi, Liu Di, Zhang Hui, Lu Xuesong, Zhou Zhongling, Liu Chuanzhi, Wang Shi, Gao Yaojie, Feng Zhenghu, Zeng Jinyan, Xu Zhiyong, Fan Yafeng, Liang Xiaoyan, Yao Lifa, Wan Yanhai, Gao Zhisheng, Chen Guangchen, You Jingyou, Li Xianting, Jiang Yiping, Cheng Yi, He Weifang, Xia Yeliang, Ran Yunfei, Lian Yue, Cui Weiping, Ai Xiaoming, Liu Shahe, Tieliu, Ye Xiaogang, Chen Fengxiao, Li Changyu,

Shang Baojun, Ding Xikui, Mo Shaoping, Pu Zhiqiang, Teng Biao, Chen Yongmiao, Li Subin, Li Baiguang, Li Heping, Li Fangping, Jiang Tianyong, Zhang Xingshui, Zhuang Daohe, Zhang Jiankang, Wang Jinbo, Wang Zhongxia, Yin Yusheng, Yang Licai, Zhu Juru, Che Hongnian, Zha Jianguo, Wu Yilong, Li Xiongbing, Ling Cangzhou, Zhang Boshu, Li Yuanlong

I know the invitation list is certainly far from complete. Please pardon this, as I am not so familiar with the civil society community to know all of their names, and my present situation will not allow me to talk openly with Xiaobo’s and my friends, so I have only limited information and my memory with which to make the list. I welcome friends overseas to attend the awards ceremony. Interested parties please email this address: nobellxb@gmail.com, whom I have commissioned to liaison and deal with Mr. Yang Jianli.

The invitation list also includes well-known media personalities, cultural figures, and entrepreneurs. I hope they will take the time to participate in this ceremony. China’s social progress needs the effort of all sectors of society.

Liu Xia

Further Reading from Probe International:

• Gagging to be free
• Celebrating dissent: Chinese dissident wins Nobel Peace prize
• Liu Xiaobo, Chinese democracy advocate sentenced to 11 years
• Liu Xiaobo’s conviction killed the constitution, Bao Tong says
• Jailed China earthquake activist’s appeal declined
• China’s guest of honour status at fair debated by Chinese writers