After the severe political turmoil of 1989, Liu was detained by police for his agitation activities. He pleaded with the police and wrote a confession paper in which he expressed his regret and wish to be "useful for the nation and people". Due to his good attitude, the government spared him criminal punishment. However, Liu returned to his old ways in 1991 and was sent to a labor camp for disturbing public order.

Paid by foreigners

Since the mid-1990s, Liu Xiaobo began working for the Democratic China magazine, financed by the National Endowment for Democracy, which is funded by the US government, and has been paid regularly. Aboluowang.com, an overseas news website, published an article saying Liu's salary was $23,004, or 157,600 yuan, according to the exchange rate at that time. Even while he is in prison, Liu got 13,000 yuan every month.

In addition, Liu made money by writing articles for overseas media, criticizing the Chinese government. He also got money from doing interviews with overseas media and the various "prizes" given by western countries. Life is rather comfortable for him. An overseas media outlet found his house "elegantly decorated, and the shelf on the wall is filled with expensive porcelains".

"I'm not like you. I don't lack money. Foreigners pay me every year even when I'm in prison," said Liu to his fellow prisoners.

Liu has always proclaimed himself to be a righteous man who participates in "civil rights movement" out of a Chinese citizen's sense of urgency, responsibility and mission. But do his acts match his words?

Doesn't Liu chase after fame? "Even if they do not receive material rewards, those who dare to speak the truth on major public events will receive praise for justice, especially that from grassroots of the Chinese mainland and mainstream international society, and they will gradually rise to fame and public influence," Liu said when receiving the so called "Outstanding Contributor to Democracy Award" in 2003. Liu has been bad-mouthing his own country and his own nation for payment from the West, such as "human rights prize", "democracy contributor prize", and so on.

Doesn't Liu chase after wealth? Let himself speak for this. "The reasons why I deliver speeches are: first, I feel good about myself; second, I need to make money. I won't deliver a speech if I'm not paid fair enough for every hour I speak. Money is a kind of self-evaluation. Your life is opened up to the extent of the amount of money you make.

"Once at the Beijing Friendship Store, I saw a bottle of wine supposed to be purchased with 160 yuan worth of foreign exchange certificate. I stood in front of it, feeling weak and smashed. Damn. I am famous and I deliver speeches, but I just can't conquer a bottle of wine." It's pretty clear what he stands for.