Boycott Beijing ?
By Melissa Camp and Kiah Vandergrift
As many of you may know, much controversy lingers around the 2008 Beijing Olympics. However, you may not know the basis for the controversy. China ’s questionable human rights record, such as their treatment of Tibet , the events that occurred at Tiananmen Square, and their treatment of their own citizens have made many countries question whether Beijing is the right place to host the event that symbolizes unity and friendly competition. China ’s promise to improve its human rights record has been broken, due to abuse of various committees such as the Human Rights watch and the International Olympics Committee.
China invaded and took control over Tibet in the early 1950’s. Their human rights atrocities since then include overthrowing the Dalai Lama, burning down over 6,000 monasteries, and murdering over one million Tibetans. Ethnic Tibetans have a shorter life expectancy, lower literacy rates, and deteriorating per capita incomes since the Chinese takeover. Even now, Chinese authorities are trying to suppress the Tibetans cry for justice.
Most everyone knows about the unjust treatment of Chinese citizens. On June 4, 1989, the infamous Tiananmen Square Massacre took place. Students and labor activists of the People’s Republic of China protested the Chinese Communist Party and called for a democratic reform. The protesters were met by the Chinese militia, resulting in anywhere ranging from 200 to 3,000 deaths. The total number of deaths is unknown, as the Chinese government greatly censored the event. Even almost two decades later, the Chinese government does not teach of the event in schools and it is prohibited from internet search engines.
Of course, the question arises whether or not it is right to politicize the Olympics, which have always focused on athletics as opposed to politics. However, some argue that it is hypocritical to uphold an even that stands for “the preservation of human dignity” in a country that refuses to even grant its citizens the right of freedom of press. On the other hand, the Chinese people have been looking forward to the honor of hosting the Olympics, and boycotting them will possibly spark more violence. Also, the spirit of the Olympics is to “oppose any political or commercial abuse of sports and athletes.” Boycotting the Olympics will take away the opportunity for athletes to show what they have been working hard for for eight long years. Currently, no country has official stated that they will be boycotting the Olympics, but some groups have strongly pushed for a boycott, such as Students for a Free Tibet, and Reporters Without Borders.
Along with the political arguments against the Beijing Olympics, the environmental aspects are causing much concern. According to one report, China has the deadliest air pollution in the world. According to the World Health Organization, over 656,000 Chinese inhabitants die every year due to indoor and outdoor air pollution, and another 95,600 die from the polluted drinking water. Running under those conditions could seriously damage the “lean, mean, running machine” aka the human body. World record marathon runner Haile Gebresalassie has said he will not compete in the event at the Beijing Olympics later this year as he may permanently damage his lungs and has made other athletes question whether or not it is worth the risk of putting their bodies in jeopardy. Should politics and sports intermingle, even under extreme situations, or should they be left alone to be decided individually? The Olympic Torch has already been put out 5 times due to protesting. We will soon be finding out what other problems will arise by the time the games begin on August 8th
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