
China was displeased when human rights activist Liu Xiaobo was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize. The dissident, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence, fell afoul of China's rulers for calling for the end of Communist one-party rule and the establishment of a democracy that respects human rights.
Beijing has dismissed the Nobel award by saying China would not change because of "interference by a few clowns."
There was little question that China would stay away from Friday's ceremony in Norway.
Beijing has also convinced a thug's gallery of nations to boycott the ceremony along with them.
The 19 countries invested in keeping their distance from a ceremony honoring a democracy activist are:
- Russia
- Kazakhstan
- Colombia
- Tunisia
- Saudi Arabia
- Pakistan
- Serbia
- Iraq
- Iran
- Vietnam
- Afghanistan
- Venezuela
- Philippines
- Egypt
- Sudan
- Ukraine
- Cuba
- Morocco

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China's behavior would almost