By Martin Banks - 7th December 2010
Strangely, we have heard nothing from the two biggest groups on any of this
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Parliament's two biggest political groups have been condemned for their "silence" on the row over this year's Nobel peace prize winner.
The S&D and EPP groups were accused of "saying absolutely nothing" in response to Beijing's anger at the award going to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence in China.
Beijing is incensed by the decision and has rejected all calls to allow Liu to collect the award.
Addressing a news conference in parliament on Tuesday, Greens/EFA co-leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit said the two biggest groups had been "conspicuous" by their silence over the affair.
He said, "The Greens and ALDE have applauded the decision to award the prize to Liu Xiaobo and have also criticised China's reaction.
"We have also urged EU high representative Baroness Ashton to go to Oslo for the award ceremony on 10 December but, strangely, we have heard nothing from the two biggest groups on any of this. Their silence is deafening. Read into that what you will."
Cohn-Bendit said that Ashton should go to Oslo as "an indication of unified support."
He said the Greens had also written to EU embassies urging the foreign ministers of each member state to attend the awards.
"You cannot hide away from the influence China has but, equally, you should not back down from what China says either."
The results of a study on the response of each member state to the award the prestigious award to Liu Xiaobo were given at the news conference.
The study, by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), shows that fewer than half member states - 13 out of 27 - have adopted an official position on the award.
Vincent Metten, from ICT, said that Ashton had issued a congratulatory statement to Liu but added that she should go to Oslo "to demonstrate Europe's unity in the face of pressure from an authoritarian state and as a powerful signal of support to the Chinese people."
"Ashton should seize this opportunity to show that human rights reflect Europe's values," he said.
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