Rights group slams Philippines' boycott of Nobel rites

(Updated 12:58 p.m.) Human rights activists on Thursday slammed the Philippines, one of Southeast Asia's most vibrant democracies and an American ally, for aligning with China in boycotting the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony honoring imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. The Human Rights Watch deputy director for Asia, Elaine Pearson, said her organization is shocked and disappointed the Philippines declined the invitation to Friday's ceremony in Norway. "The Philippines prides itself on its democratic values, which is why it is shocking to see this government turning its back on Liu Xiaobo's nonviolent struggle for free expression in China," she said in a statement. The decision to skip the ceremony along with 17 other countries, including China's allies such as Venezuela and Cuba, regional neighbors including Vietnam and Kazakhstan, and business partners such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, meant that the Philippines "is failing to live up to its promise to promote human rights in Asia," Pearson said. The Philippine Foreign Affairs Department refused to say whether Beijing, a key trading partner, had pressured Manila to stay away from the event. Foreign Affairs spokesman Eduard Malaya said in a statement to The Associated Press that he can confirm only that no Philippine representative will attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. On Wednesday, an advocacy group seeking to promote free expression in the country urged the government not to bow to Chinese pressure to withdraw its participation in the Nobel Peace Prize awarding ceremonies. (See: Group frowns on PHL govt's decision to skip Nobel rites) In a statement, the Center for International Law (CenterLaw) said the withdrawal "is a blow to the cause of free expression." "More than ever, we are called to uphold free expression is a cornerstone of democracy," said Prof. Harry Roque, Centerlaw chair. "The last thing the Philippines should be known for is as a supporter to the repressive policies of the Chinese government." In criticizing the Philippines' decision to skip the Nobel rites, Pearson noted that President Benigno Aquino III's mother, the late democracy icon Corazon Aquino, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, the same year she led the non-violent "people power" uprising that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines has been one of the most vocal governments in calling for the return of democracy in military-ruled Myanmar. A staunch US ally and host to hundreds of American counterterrorism troops in the volatile southern Philippines, the Philippine government has walked a tight rope in its relations with increasingly assertive China. Beijing has been investing in the Philippine economy, particularly infrastructure projects, but the two countries are also facing off in hotly disputed South China Sea islands, where the United States is promoting the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes. — AP with GMANews.TV