Prime Minister John Key has offer the Government's congratulations to Liu Xiaobo on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Key had declined to comment on the win or Liu's imprisonment in China during yesterday's post-cabinet press conference.

Stuff.co.nz's Vernon Small: PM Congratulates Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Prime Minister John Key has congratulated imprisoned Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo after yesterday ducking for cover on the issue.

''Yes the Government offers him our congratulations,'' Mr Key said this morning as he headed into the National party's weekly caucus meeting.

Earlier Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully had also offered congratulations to Mr Liu, who has been a strong campaigner for democracy, saying it was a significant and credible international honour. More>>

Radio New Zealand: PM Accused Of 'ducking For Cover' Over Nobel Winner

The Labour Party is accusing Prime Minister John Key of "ducking for cover" after his belated congratulations to Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo. More>>

Gordon Campbell: Key’s Backbone Problem With China

On the evidence of the past week, New Zealand has a Prime Minister who seems chronically unable to stand up for himself – or this country – on points of principle. First we had John Key’s non-reaction (during his Breakfast TV interview) to Paul Henry’s racist comments about the Governor-General, even though a forthright response to Henry at the time would have stopped the scandal in its tracks.

At yesterday’s press conference, we saw a similarly pathetic non-response from Key to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiabo.

Rather than stand up for principle – Liu has been jailed for 11 years for co-signing a document calling for greater respect for human rights and democratic reform – Key has chosen to run and hide, lest he offend the tyrants in Beijing. More>>

ALSO:

• PM’s Presser Audio & Report - No praise for jailed Nobel winner
• Greens - Greens call on Govt to congratulate Nobel winner
• Pundit.co.nz Out-Link - Norway's one-fingered salute to China
• Human Rights Watch - Human Rights Watch honours six activists
• TV3 Video - Chinese dissident wins Nobel Peace Prize

Home Page | HeadLines | Previous Story | Next Story

Copyright (c) Scoop Media