China police close off jailed Nobel laureate's home By Michael Bristow

BBC News, Beijing Published duration 10 December 2010

image caption Beijing police kept journalists away from Liu Xiaobo's apartment

Anyone passing Liu Xiaobo's apartment complex as they made their home from work on Friday evening would have witnessed an unusual scene.

As the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony was taking place in Oslo, a group of foreign journalists gathered on the street outside the compound that houses the prize winner's Beijing home.

They were prevented from entering by police manning a barrier. Other security officials - some in uniform, some not - mooched around nearby.

Several relaxed in unmarked cars reading newspapers and magazines.

Some tried to strike up friendly conversation. "It's hard work tonight," said one.

In the dark, the reporters were corralled in a specially cordoned off area, their view of Mr Liu's flat obscured by newly-erected blue screens.

They were supposedly there to fence off workmen who had just started digging up the pavement. Strangely, the work only seemed to be going on around the entrance to Mr Liu's apartment complex.

A red and white sign, tied to the screens, flapped in the wind.

"Work in progress. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your understanding," it read.

Cold Beijing wind

As the ceremony started in Norway, more journalists arrived, but there was nothing much happening.

Liu Xia, the Nobel laureate's wife, has been under house arrest since the days immediately following the announcement that her husband had won the prize.

media caption The BBC's Damian Grammaticas reports from the prison holding Liu Xiaobo

No-one expected her to be allowed out to make a statement.

Residents shuffled by, wrapped up against the cold that dipped just below zero, although the wind made it feel much colder.

When asked, most said they had not heard of Liu Xiaobo, let alone formed an opinion about whether he should have been given this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

One man did know the name.

The 27-year-old, who gave his name to the BBC, lives nearby and had walked passed Liu Xiaobo's compound on his way home from work, just to see what was going on.