Posts with the tag Olympics

"I believe the games have advanced the agenda of human rights" in China

Thomas Coen — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:46:20 EDT

International Olympic Committee Chairman Jacques Rogge continues to ignore the facts on the ground surrounding the continued human rights abuses committed by the Chinese government.

As representatives from Reporters Without Borders protested China's human rights violations at the official flame-lighting ceremony in Greece, a Chinese activist was sentences to the maximum five years in prison for writing a letter about human rights in China.

And if that wasn't ironical enough, as if to prove the protesters point, "China state television cut away to a prerecorded scene, blocking millions of Chinese views from watching the tumultuous start to the Games in their nation."

The crackdown in Tibet last week, where over 100 Tibetans have been killed, only underscored how human rights in China have NOT improved since the IOC awarded them the games in 2001. The Chinese government always counters that such episodes are domestic issues and are of no concern to other countries. Yet, when your country is hosting the world's games, then those issues are international issues. When your country supports a Sudanese government that's committing genocide, then that's an international issue.

For more, check out Human Rights Watch, which meticulously documents the continued human rights abuses in China.

China's Problems

Kayla — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:52:31 EDT

After taking a few Chinese politics and cultural courses, as well as three levels of Mandarin, I had an inkling and understanding that the Beijing Olympics would stir things up for China.

Since focus has shifted towards the country in preparation for the games, China has taken heat on Darfur, Tibet and even Taiwan (to an extent) while the world watches. The AP-by-way-of-Los Angeles Times reports that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao accused Dalai Lama supporters of creating the violent instances of unrest that have occurred recently. The Dalai Lama has said he would resign if people perpetuated the violence.

It will continue to be interesting to see how China reacts to different pressures while the world's focus is on them. China's usual brand of force and retaliation will be more difficult to carry out, especially considering the U.S. dropped China from its list of top 10 human rights offenders.

"The Genocide Olympics"

Kayla — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:46:25 EST

I’ve already been exposed to quite a bit of Olympic buzz and it’s only January. From the Olympiad rings that float below NBC’s logo on TV to discussions of whether amputees with prosthetics should be allowed to compete, there’s been a lot of talk. However, leave it to Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times (recently returned from a five-month book leave) to use that buzz to put some focus back on Darfur.

In his second column since his leave, Kristof points out China’s responsibility for the genocide in Darfur and highlights an international campaign, one that most likely will find its way onto college campuses where Darfur activism abounds, is labeling this year’s summer Olympics in Beijing “The Genocide Olympics.”