In today's New York Times op-ed page, Thorbjorn Jagland, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee offers an explanation of why the committee gave Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Peace Price. As if an explanation is needed - but given the way governments have bent over backwards to ignore Chinese violations of human rights for the sake of economic opportunity, perhaps a peace award to a Chinese dissident is seen as a radical action in need of defense.

Jagland's article sets out an explanation of how the notion of sovereignty has changed over the years, yielding the Universal Declaration of Human Right, to which China has at least given lip service. In this context, Jagland notes that China's conviction of Liu rests on "spreading rumors or slander or any other means to subvert the state power or overthrow the socialist system." As Jagland notes "it is not a government's task to stamp out opinions and rumors." The Universal Declaration supports the right of individuals to free expression even if such speech criticizes the government.

The US Government has consistently ignored China's violations of human rights in order to continue to do business with China. The justification has been that economic freedom can only thrive within a politically free system - and that if the West engages China economically, political freedom is inevitable. This of course depends upon dissident voices within China being heard. But without support from the West, these voices continue to be oppressed.

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo is a step in the right direction. My hope is that other groups and governments will follow their example.