Beijing Olympics controversy

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing will harbor the same political clout as the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, or the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Athletes will participate in games, while the host country is being chastised for political reasons. While in years past the Olympics have stood for peace among nations, this year human rights activists are using the Olympics to draw attention to the policies carried out by the host government, China.
Some of the contested policies include those initiated in China’s relationship to Sudan. Despite increasing evidence that the Sudanese government is contributing to mass genocide in Darfur, the Chinese government’s relationship with Sudan remains heavily intact. China is Sudan’s main commercial partner, buying two-thirds of the country’s oil exports.  The Chinese do not show any resentment towards the people of Darfur and do not denounce the actions of the Sudanese government.

Though China has generally refused to take a stance on the internal politics of Sudan, blocking U.N. sanctions against Khartoum in recent months, China contested recent Olympics protests, taking credit for persuading Sudan to welcome U.N. and African Union peacekeeping forces into the country.
Primarily, though, protests are concerned with China’s human rights abuses in Tibet.

The country of Tibet was seized in 1951 by the Chinese military, and its history has been marked by sporadic outbursts of violence, especially within the last few decades. The most recent event that drew attention towards the violence stricken nation occurred on March 10, 2008, the anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. The protests turned violent, and were described as the largest protests since 1989. They ended in a bloody clash with Chinese security forces and the imposition of martial law.

“Although I sympathize with Tibetan beliefs, I think the protest is too late,” said Social Studies teacher Joel Jepson. He believes that the protests surrounding the Olympics now should have occurred when the International Olympic Committee chose Beijing to host the Olympics. He also believes that China should have never been awarded the right to host the summer Olympics in the first place.

“I think the Chinese would lose prestige in a sense if the 2008 Olympics are boycotted,” said Jepson.    

“There is no free speech in China. The Chinese Government doesn’t want the people to know about them oppressing the people,” said sophomore Michelle Kinzer. “But actually it would probably be good to host the Olympics in China because it would expose the world to everything that is going on in China.”

The extent to which the U.S. is supporting the Olympics is still uncertain. While the U.S. is participating in the centuries old affair, the level at which athletes and spectators are celebrating and acknowledging the festivities remains debatable.

“I have always been a fan of the Olympics, but this year I am not so sure about whether or not I really want to support them. A lot of athletes are silently protesting different issues. Even the torch bearers are saying that they are running in honor of Tibet or Darfur,” said senior Van Pham.

Others argue that the athletes should not be forced to compete under the environmental conditions in China.

“They need to play fair. Why not find another country?” asked Jepson. He believes that the Chinese government should join the world in denouncing the atrocities that are happening in Darfur. He believes that the Chinese government should try and put pressure on the Sudanese government.

“We absolutely should not hold the Olympics in China. The condition of the environment is very bad because China has been trying to industrialize at such a rapid rate that they have expelled so many pollutants into the air which will cause the athletes to not perform at their best,” said freshman Will Cameron.
Students also argue that the Chinese are trying to present a pristine portrait of a country to viewers of the Olympics in hosting the games, which will hide the important political ramifications of China’s policies.

 “China is taking over Tibet and they are going to use the Olympics to try and make themselves look better,” said Kinzer.     

“I am disappointed that the IOC [International Olympic Committee] would allow the Olympics to be held in a country with a dismal human rights record,” said Jepson. “But I believe that we should still participate in the Olympics because the Olympics are all about peace.”