Beijing Olympic Drama

In July 2001, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 56 countries out of 105 voted in the second round to give the 2008 Olympics to China. The March 2001 IOC report on biddersfor the 2008 games doesn't mention civil rights. The only "rights" mentioned at all are property right relating to Olympic logos and insignia. Several times in the report the "strong governmental control" is cited as a positive advantage with respect to infrastructure, traffic and environmental concerns. One line in the report says there is no concern about terrorism at Beijing.

They knew then what China is and how China operates. There was considerable debate at the time.

Chinese people are clearly very proud of their country and what it has achieved over the past several decades. This is evident from the pro-China demonstrations taking place all over the world as a reaction to the anti-Chinese / pro-Tibet demonstrations that have disrupted the movements of the Olympic torch.

From what I know of Asia, the "insults" directed at China preceding and perhaps during these Olympics by individuals and governments will not soon be forgotten in China if they were widely known about. In some ways, I think we should all be relieved that the Chinese media is filtering these out. Far from creating awareness of human rights issues within China, the more likely reaction from ordinary Chinese to some of the scenes we have seen in our media would be an angry one. They live there. They know what China is better than any of us.

This video is one of a large number to be found on YouTube that puts Tibet and recent Chinese history into a context we in the rest of the world may not be familiar with. In China, this is the context that matters.



Absolutely we should continue to press China on human rights issues. Though there has been some imrpovement, they have a long way to go. But wrecking these games won't advance human rights in China and is more likely to be counter-productive. Attitudes to dissent in China may well harden as a consequence of any violence or disruption to the games. Many Chinese have bought into the Olympic Games as a reason for national pride. The Chinese government may well find itself benefiting from popular support if they reacted harshly to any attempts to wreck these games.

I'd say it would be profoundly hypocritical to fill our stores with inexpensive, Chinese goods we happily buy by the truckload, while sanctimoniously advocating we boycott or denigrate the Olympic Games in Beijing over human rights concerns. The time to boycott with ANY credibility would have been July 14th, 2001 - the day after the vote. Now is FAR too late. Now would just be dumb. The Chinese government must laugh quietly to itself when the Guantanamo-operating United States, lead by a President who recently vetoed a bill that would outlaw torture, pretends to lecture it on human rights.

We exaggerate our own importance if we imagine that we can change China from the outside. That isn't how China has EVER operated, as anyone who follows Chinese history will know. Real change will have to come from within China, by the efforts of Chinese people over time.

Enjoy the Games. If China feels good about all this, we may well see some improvement in human rights in China. If China is humiliated or worse, I can't see how that will do anyone, anywhere, any good at all.