Nobel Peace Prize 2010

I knew very little of Liu Xiaobo when the committee announced that he would receive the award for the year's Nobel Peace Prize. And while I am completely impressed by China's achievements in some respects,  Sarah Lyall of NYT wrote about the ceremony that should have been a celebration but was more melancholic on account of the unoccupied chair reserved for the laureate. And while I still do not much about the recipient, the diplomatic response of the government has educated me about Mr. Liu Xiaobo's country and why his work is important.