Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo’s ashes scattered at sea off China

SHENYANG, China — Relatives of Liu Xiaobo scattered the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s ashes into the sea Saturday in funeral proceedings orchestrated by the Chinese government after his death from cancer while in custody.

Liu’s supporters said the move was intended by the authoritarian government to erase any traces of China’s best-known political prisoner, who died Thursday at age 61.

The sea burial took place hours after his cremation, a spokesman for the city of Shenyang, where Liu died, told reporters.

Liu’s elder brother, also addressing reporters at the briefing, thanked the ruling Communist Party and the government for its handling of the funeral. The brother, Liu Xiaoguang, is regarded by Liu’s friends as having long been unsupportive of Liu’s political advocacy.

Liu died of multiple organ failure after a battle with liver cancer while serving an 11-year sentence for incitement to subvert state power. Before his death, Beijing faced mounting international criticism for not letting him and his wife travel for treatment abroad as he had wished.

The government held two briefings Saturday and provided photos of the funeral and the sea burial, the latest moves in an effort seemingly aimed at countering criticism that Beijing has failed to handle Liu’s deterioration and dying wishes in a humanitarian way. A video about Liu’s hospital treatment released on the website of Shenyang’s judicial bureau Friday appeared aimed at the same objective.

Activists and friends said the sea burial appeared to be Beijing’s way of removing all physical traces of Liu. It also eliminates the need for a grave where supporters could pay their respects.

Activist filmmaker and friend Zeng Jinyan said the sea burial would not deter supporters. “Now, Liu Xiaobo is everywhere. Twothirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by the sea, and I can foresee that in the future, activists and ordinary people will go to the sea and memorialize Liu Xiaobo.”

In semi-autonomous Hong Kong, thousands attended a vigil Saturday to mourn his death. Supporters observed a minute of silence and marched through the streets.

Governments worldwide have urged China to free his wife, Liu Xia, from the house arrest she has lived under for years even though she has not been convicted of any crime.