2008 Olympics in Bejing ... ???

In the wake of the Tibetan unrest it might be obvious that it's absurd to hold Olympic Games in China.

Written by : Wiki

Some international groups attempted to pressure the IOC to reject Beijing's bid in protest of the state of human rights in the People's Republic of China. One Chinese dissident who expressed similar sentiments was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for calling on the IOC to do just that at the same time that IOC inspectors were touring the city. Amnesty International expressed concern in 2006 regarding the Olympic Games to be held in China in 2008, likewise expressing concerns over the human rights situation. The second principle in the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, Olympic Charter states that The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. Amnesty International considers the policies and practices of the People's Republic as failing to meet that principle, and urged the IOC to press China to immediately enact human rights reform.

Tibetan Women movement criticising the move to hold Olympic Games in Bejing

Written by : TWA

The Olympic Charter's Fundamental Principles

1. Modern Olympism was conceived by Pierre de Coubertin, on whose initiative the International Athletic Congress of Paris was held in June 1894. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) consituted itself on 23rd June 1894. In August 1994, the XII Congress, Centennial Olympic Congress, which was entitled "Congress of Unity", was held in Paris.

2. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

3. The goal of Olympism is to place everywhere sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to encouraging the establishment of a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. To this effect, the Olympic Movement engages, alone or in cooperation with other organizations and within the limits of its means, in actions to promote peace.

4. The Olympic Movement, led by the IOC, stems from modern Olympism.

5. Under the supreme Authority of the IOC, the Olympic Movement encompasses organizations, athletes and other persons who agree to be guided by the Olympic Charter. The criterion for belonging to the Olympic Movement is recognition by the IOC. The organization and management of sport must be controlled by the independent sport organizations recognized as such.

6. The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

7. The activity of the Olympic movement, symbolized by five interlaced rings, is universal and permanent. It covers the five continents. It reaches its peak with the bringing together of athletes of the world at the great sports festival, the Olympic Games.

8. The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport in accordance with his or her needs.

9. The Olympic Charter is the codification of the Fundamental Principles, Rules and Bye-laws adopted by the IOC. It governs the organization and operation of the Olympic Movement and stipulates the conditions for the celebration of the Olympic Games.

Olympic spirit raped and its principles ignored? Guess we had the same discussion for the 1980 games in the USSR and 1936 in Berlin... Does anything really change ever?

[ed]This has been the OP so far. I would like to update the OP, as it is hard to follow the entire discussion:

- Chinas bid to become host to the Olympic games has been granted as they initially promised to work on their human rights record. This "work" unfortunately has not produced significant results

-- Acc. to Olympic watch, 7 Human rights organizations urge IOC president Rogge to speak out to China about human rights abuses

-- Human Rights Watch Organization on Chinese human rights violations

I do side OWD when he states that the position of China needs to be taken into consideration if a bilateral discussion is to take place.

Hence I can't find China to be open to any kind of discussion on their politics. Just recently the Chinese PM has ruled out the Chinese government to resume talks on the status of Tibet with the Dalai Llama until he denounces the Tibetan struggle for independence. I mean there is not much left to talk about but the weather, IF he does.

Just very recently China has revived it's claim on 90.000 sqkms of Indian territory

Written by : globalsecurity.org

The Indian frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh Tuesday reacted strongly to China's claims of the region being a "disputed area", officials told IRNA Tuesday.

China's envoy to New Delhi, Sun Yuxi, Friday raked up a controversy ahead of the landmark visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao saying the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh was still "a disputed area" between India and China.

"China's claims and the statement made by its ambassador to India are erroneous to say the least.

There is no dispute whatsoever and Arunachal Pradesh is very much an integral part of India," Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin said.

Beijing in 2003 gave up its territorial claim over the Indian state of Sikkim but was still holding on to its age-old stand that a vast stretch of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to China.

"We have lodged a formal protest with the Indian Foreign Ministry over the Chinese ambassador's statement," Gamlin said.

"The people of Arunachal Pradesh do whatever is required to protect and preserve its territorial integrity."

The mountainous state of Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,030-km (650-mile) unfenced border with China.

The China-India border along Arunachal Pradesh is separated by the McMahon Line, an imaginary border which is now known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

India and China fought a bitter border war in 1962, with Chinese troops advancing deep into Arunachal Pradesh and inflicting heavy casualties on federal troops.

The border dispute with China was inherited by India from British colonial rulers, who hosted a 1914 conference with the Tibetan and Chinese governments that set the border in what is now Arunachal Pradesh.

China has never recognized the 1914 boundary, known as the McMahon Line, and claims 90,000 square kilometers (34,750 square miles) -- nearly all -- of Arunachal Pradesh.

India also accuses China of occupying 8,000 square kilometers (14,670 square miles) in Kashmir.

Personally it appears as if China is never satisfied with what it got.

It still claims Taiwan to be part of the mainland, even though it's people greatly oppose this notion. They do live in constant fear of Chinese aggression. How useful is a claim on territory, if the people living there are completely opposing it?

China says that it "liberated" the Tibetan peasants, but who gave China the right to just stay there? If the intent was to "liberate", IMO it should not have send Chinese there to settle.

Some claim that the fate of Tibetans prior to the Chinese occupation has been very similar to those of "slaves" (I will post a link to the article as soon as I got it) - but even IF this would be the case, this doesn't mean that they will slip back into slavery, once independence is granted.

IMO Tibetans have the right to govern themselves. They seem to be greatly unhappy with Chinese rule and occupation, talks about autonomy and independence should be resumed.

China has got a very bad human rights record and there is a great number of Chinese living outside of their country because they are facing severe oppression in their motherland.

--- Only the current attention drawn back to the policies of the Chinese government seem to justify the decision to hold Olympics there.

Personally I just find it extremely unfair that these politics are carried out on the backs of athletes who train a long time to compete for the Games and now find themselves in a great conflict between ambition and ethics...

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