Muted, Mixed Reaction In Asia To Obama Nobel Peace Prize

President Barack Obama at the White House
The surprise announcement that President Barack Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize brought muted and mixed reaction in Asia.

TheNorwegian Nobel Committee gave the prize Friday to Mr. Obama for "hisextraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy andcooperation between peoples."

The award comes nine months after Mr. Obama took office.
 
Thepresident, the son of an African immigrant and an American mother isextremely popular overseas, unlike his predecessor President George W.Bush. He is particularly well-liked in Indonesia, where Mr. Obama spentpart of his childhood, living in Jakarta with his mother and stepfather.

WimarWitoelar is a political commentator and former presidential spokesmanin Jakarta. He calls the announcement fantastic news.

"The NobelPrize is not defined in terms of cookbook recipes, not like you have todisarm 5,000 people and you win the Peace Prize," Witoelar said. "Buthis inspiration, his leadership, I think he has done already, just bygetting elected, he has taken America away from the path of massdestruction. I mean Bush was committing mass destruction. And now hehas taken the American people on the road to peace. Now how is that forachievement! And then he has confirmed to people in Indonesia who arefor moderation, pluralism, that we can believe in America and the morepeople believe in a peaceful America, the more peace there will be inthis world."

Many people in Asia had thought the prize mightgo to Chinese dissidents, to mark the 20th anniversary of the studentdemocracy protests that the Beijing government brutally crushed in 1989.

WangDan was one of those protesters. He spent years in and out of jail inChina after 1989 and was sent to exile in the United States in 1998. Heis now a visiting assistant professor of history at Chengchi Universityon Taiwan.

"Of course, I congratulate President Obama. But Istill feel sorry for Chinese dissidents because they didn't win theprize," Wang said.

Wang also says he thinks giving the prize to the dissidents might have done more for world peace.

"Thisis a crucial time for the whole world, and the Chinese," Wang noted."China, as a rising power, really needs democracy. So the Peace Prizecan be a great encouragement for democracy of China. And thedemocratization of China will be the greatest contribution for worldpeace."