Liu Xiaobo
Liu Xiaobo (1955–2017) was a Chinese writer, literary critic, and human-rights activist who received the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned.
Liu Xia: A Chinese poet, photographer, and human-rights advocate who was married to Liu Xiaobo. She remained under house arrest after his 2010 Nobel Prize and carried his legacy after his death.
Cultural Revolution: A political campaign in China from 1966 to 1976 that caused widespread persecution and social upheaval. Liu’s youth unfolded amid its disruption, which later informed his reflections on Chinese political culture.
Political prisoner: A person imprisoned primarily for political beliefs, actions, or opposition to a government. Liu spent much of his adult life imprisoned for peaceful political expression.
Chinese Communist Party: The ruling political party of the People’s Republic of China since 1949. Liu challenged the party’s political monopoly and its limits on civil liberties.
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: A student-led pro-democracy movement in China that ended in a military crackdown in June 1989. Liu returned from the United States to support the protests and helped negotiate a peaceful withdrawal.
Beijing Normal University: A public research university in Beijing, founded in 1902. Liu studied literature there and later taught at the university.
Nobel Peace Prize controversies: Public disputes over the Nobel Peace Prize’s choices, criteria, and political implications. Liu’s award prompted international praise and strong condemnation from the Chinese government.
Charter 77: A Czechoslovak civic initiative launched in 1977 to defend human rights and civil liberties. Charter 08 consciously echoed this earlier dissident manifesto from a communist state.
Charter 08: A 2008 manifesto calling for political reform, rule of law, and human rights in China. Liu helped draft and organize this statement, which led to his imprisonment.
Chinese literature: Literary works written in Chinese across historical periods and regional traditions. Liu began as a literary critic, writing about modern Chinese literature before becoming a prominent activist.