2008 Woodie Awards
Student encourages consumers to boycott goods:
Protesting Olympics will not communicate message to China
Ivry Karamitros
Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: Forum
Earlier this month, Senator Hillary Clinton urged President George W. Bush to boycott the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies unless China improves human rights.
As far as I am concerned, the accusations of human rights violations occurring in China are not to be debated. There is substantial evidence that indicates a lack of social and human responsibility to the citizens of China on the part of the Chinese government.
While there are many perpetrators of human rights violations around the world, China has been addressed most recently because of the international privilege to host the Olympic games.
In 2001, the Chinese authorities promised the IOC and international community concrete improvements in human rights in order to acquire the 2008 Olympics for Beijing.
However, within the past seven years, China has continued to do otherwise.
China has jailed hundreds of Falun Gong members for their religious practices, and at least 100 have died in detention.
Even to this day, several thousand Chinese are executed in public, often in stadiums, by means of a bullet in the back of the neck or lethal injection. But these violations do not stop just within the borders of China; China will not use its influence to stop the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
The biggest source of contention between the governments of democratic countries and the 2008 Olympic host is the relationship between China and the region of Tibet.
The problems between the two nations started in 1951 when China declared and obtained the region of Tibet by force. Several insurrections, some even supported by the CIA, occurred between the Chinese government and Tibetan noblemen during the 1950s to 1970s.
During this time, tens of thousands of people were killed.
As a result of the civil-war, the Dalai Lama (the former supreme ruler of Tibet) and other government officials fled in exile to India. While in exile, many peace negotiations and talks have been attempted by several Dalai Lamas with the Chinese government.
As far as I am concerned, the accusations of human rights violations occurring in China are not to be debated. There is substantial evidence that indicates a lack of social and human responsibility to the citizens of China on the part of the Chinese government.
While there are many perpetrators of human rights violations around the world, China has been addressed most recently because of the international privilege to host the Olympic games.
In 2001, the Chinese authorities promised the IOC and international community concrete improvements in human rights in order to acquire the 2008 Olympics for Beijing.
However, within the past seven years, China has continued to do otherwise.
China has jailed hundreds of Falun Gong members for their religious practices, and at least 100 have died in detention.
Even to this day, several thousand Chinese are executed in public, often in stadiums, by means of a bullet in the back of the neck or lethal injection. But these violations do not stop just within the borders of China; China will not use its influence to stop the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
The biggest source of contention between the governments of democratic countries and the 2008 Olympic host is the relationship between China and the region of Tibet.
The problems between the two nations started in 1951 when China declared and obtained the region of Tibet by force. Several insurrections, some even supported by the CIA, occurred between the Chinese government and Tibetan noblemen during the 1950s to 1970s.
During this time, tens of thousands of people were killed.
As a result of the civil-war, the Dalai Lama (the former supreme ruler of Tibet) and other government officials fled in exile to India. While in exile, many peace negotiations and talks have been attempted by several Dalai Lamas with the Chinese government.
Be the first to comment on this story