Protest China not the Athletes

Celebrations leading up to the Summer Olympic games have become the focal point of pent up animosity towards China. People understand that the Olympic games is a venue for the world’s greatest non-professional athletes to show off their abilities and to perhaps ‘bring home the gold’ for their respective countries. These events are eagerly anticipated by millions the world over. But the fact that so much protest is taking place this year shows the high level of disgust towards a regime that places so little regard for human rights.

The world’s citizens are fed up with people being treated as slaves to do the bidding of their nations leaders and they are taking any opportunity to voice their position. We cannot idly stand by and watch as voices are silenced because they don’t agree with national policy.

What does it say about us as a world community that the Olympic torch, a symbol of world unity and harmony, has to be protected by hundreds of police in riot gear to prevent overzealous protesters from dousing its flame? What has traditionally been a journey of celebration has been reduced to flash points of protest resulting in the arrests of those intent on showing the world their disgust towards China’s policies.

Those of us living in a civilized, relatively free world do not deny that China’s treatment of their fellow citizens is deplorable. And they should be brought to account for their actions against humanity in a world court. But, this journey of celebration is held for those athletes who have struggled and sacrificed to participate in and to achieve the greatness that their abilities deserve. To muddy the Olympic celebration and all it represents for the purposes of furthering your own agenda just denigrates their memory. Even if it is for the overall good of humanity.

Protest! Protest in any way you see fit except to extinguish this flame. These athletes deserve better than this.

That being said, I think the Olympics should be allowed to be held as scheduled but I believe the athletes should boycott them. This is a clearer and more pointed protest to both the Chinese government and the Olympic Committee for asking the world to temporarily ignore China’s record.

The protest is of course against holding any kind of celebration of human achievement within the borders of a country that denies basic human rights and freedoms to its people. The hypocrisy is just too much to accept. It is unforgivable that the Olympic Committee and China would ask a conscientious world to do this.

Denying these athletes their chance, possibly their only chance or last chance, to participate in this time honored tradition is not up to us. Allow them the right to make their own personal choice and respect their decision.

The Chinese government should bear the brunt of our protests not the athletes.

Olympic protests begin on opening day

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games promises to be one of the most controversial of all time. We are in for a wild ride.

As expected, the protests against China’s treatment of Tibetan protesters began in earnest at the Olympic torch lighting ceremony in Greece, despite heightened security, with three separate incidents.

Moments before the torch was lit, Chinese Party Secretary Liu Qi spoke unfazed to the audience while, immediately behind him, security apprehended a lone protestor attempting to display a banner depicting the Olympic Rings as handcuffs.

China state television cut away from the scene in an attempt to keep the Chinese people ignorant of what the rest of the world thinks and, over fear of losing their jobs or worse, Chinese television commentators did not mention the demonstration.

Also, during Liu Qi’s speech, two men carrying black flags ran onto the field of the stadium. And three men in the audience, representatives of Reporters without Borders, an advocacy group for press freedom everywhere in the world, unfurled the ‘new’ Olympic banner.

In a separate incident, while the torch was being carried on its 85,000 mile journey from Olympia to Beijing, a Tibetan woman covered herself in red paint and lay in front of the runner while other protesters chanted "Free Tibet" and "Shame on China”.

The focus of the demonstrations is China’s latest human rights violations centering around a demonstration that turned violent on March 14 in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The resultant heavy-handed crackdown by Chinese military and heavily armed police have lead to a disputed number of dead. China claims 22 while Tibet says 80 Tibetans and another 19 in subsequent violence in Gansu province were killed.

More protests are expected and planned when the Olympic torch is carried through Tibet and to the top of Mount Everest leading up to the August 8 opening ceremony.

China is a house of cards and it is only a matter of time before the Chinese people rise up against the picture of ‘false harmony’ the Chinese government wishes the world to see. The Chinese government has been at this game for a very long time and it won’t end soon. Perhaps the Beijing 2008 Olympics is just what is needed to get this house to fall.

Many people consider a sporting event as off limits to political protests but when world leaders do nothing to bring action against such a ‘bully’ for its treatment of its citizens except to sit on the sidelines talking about how terrible it is then it is up to the world’s citizens to stand up and do something. I back these protests one hundred percent.

Let the games begin!

Sources: CNN, Newsvine, Reporters Without Borders