Nobel Peace Prize awards :

Lanka not participating

Chaminda PERERA

Sri Lanka will be among the 19 countries which will not participate at the Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony where jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is to be awarded the coveted prize. The awards ceremony is scheduled to be held tomorrow. The Government yesterday decided to boycott the awards ceremony in support of China.

An External Affairs Ministry official said, the Government took this decision to support the Chinese boycott of the event. Over 58 countries which have their missions in Oslo have been invited for this awards ceremony.

Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco and the Philippines have decided to abstain from making representation at the awards ceremony in support of China.

Liu Xiaobo is serving a 11-year prison sentence in China for a charge of inciting subversion.