14 DAY TRIAL // First Nobel prize winner under Communist rule, Chinese novelist and short story writer Mo Yan, has spoken out for the release of fellow laureate Liu Xiaobo.
This year, a Nobel prize went to Chinaman, again, sparking debate due to 2010's incident in which Chinese dissident Xiaobo received the award for his effort to maintain peace.
Mo Yan, recipient of the prestigious Nobel award for literature, has expressed his views on the subject in an interview for reporters in his hometown of Gaomi, Shandong province, China.
"I hope he can achieve his freedom as soon as possible," Mo Yan said.
The 57-year-old author by the name of Guan Moye has adopted the name Mo Yan, which is Chinese for “Don't Speak.” He was a known supporter of Mao Zedong, the former Chinese leader, and has quoted him many times during his speeches.
When dissident Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Prize for Peace two years ago, the government reacted furiously, banning websites that posted the announcement, denying visas to Norwegian dignitaries and delaying exports to the country.
They dubbed it Western propaganda and an attempt at “desecration” of the Communist party.
This time around, national television interrupted its program to broadcast the ceremony and journalists at state-run People’s Daily talked about this honor as “a comfort, a certification and also an affirmation,” adding that “China Has Arrived in the World.”
This is the first time the Nobel winning author generates debates about his loyalty to the communist regime. His statement comes as a result of receiving criticism for accepting the award, especially from intellectual dissidents.
Mo Yan stated that he does not express his allegiance to the Communist party throughout his works, SwissInfo reports.
"I am working in China. [...] I am writing in a China under Communist Party leaders. But my works cannot be restricted by political parties."
"Many of the people who have criticized me online are Communist Party members themselves. They also work within the system. And some have benefited tremendously within the system," he added.
The author described how he has often found himself under political pressure and scrutiny by the authoritarian Chinese government.
"I believe that the people who have criticised me have not read my books. [...] If they had read my books they would understand that my writings at that time took on a great deal of risk and were under pressure,” he said.