Euro-cott 2008?
So it looks like there is some movement in the direction of a European lead boycott of the Beijing Olympics according to the Associated Press.
The president of the European Parliament said European countries should not rule out threatening China with an Olympic boycott if violence continues in Tibet.
“Beijing must decide itself, it should immediately negotiate with the Dalai Lama,” Hans-Gert Poettering said in Saturday editions of Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “If there continue to be no signals of compromise, I see boycott measures as justified.”
People have also been talking about the idea that there should a partial boycott, where countries would not attend the opening ceremonies, but still compete in the events. I’d have have to wonder if a threat of a partial boycott would be meet a threat of not granting that country’s athletes visas to enter China. Of course that sort of threat would seem unlikely if the entire European Union were involved.
China’s international prestige is tied up in the 2008 summer Olympics. While the Olympics were given to China with the understanding that they weren’t going to suddenly start holding elections, that doesn’t mean countries should just accept that they the right to violently oppress their people wantonly. If the Olympics are seen as failing in part because of violence in Tibet, that will send a powerful signal that China must behave in a certain way or remain a pariah.
Filed under: China, International, Politics, Sports | 2 Comments
Tags: 2008 Olympics, Bejing Olympics, China, European Union, Olympics Boycott, Summer Olympics, Tibet
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All this does is hurt the athletes. If you want to boycott the country, then boycott the country, but don’t hurt people who have trained their entire lives for this.
I’ve been 90% against boycotting (remember all the collateral damage in 1980?) the Olympics, but the events in Tibet are making me rethink my position.
I am in favor of contacting the American advertisers and letting them know my thoughts on their financial support for the Games. Without it, the Chinese will have to rethink their approach to Tibet, Darfur, human rights, etc.
I’ve had an open offer to attend; that will not be happening. The Chinese cannot guarantee my safety from the personal intrusions of their government – particularly if I want to go to T-Square with my camera.