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Author Topic: "Broken Promises" - China's Olympic Promises
Noah_Scape
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posted 29 July 2008 04:23 PM      Profile for Noah_Scape     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Amnesty International issued a report today about how the Chinese are doing with regard to the promises they made when they were bidding for the Olypmic games, which start in less than two weeks [08/08/08]

They outlined how foreign media are being restricted [one of the promises was to NOT do that]; and how a Chinese local, who spoke out about how the Olympic construction took away his family's home, is now in jail ; etc.

Not good... Read their report here:

{OH OH - I was just there 5 minutes ago, and now I see this:
"Website is currently offline for maintenance"}

Possibly just my timing... check later, and see the report:
Amnesty International Olympic Promises report - July 29th 2008

Good luck with THAT!.

Meanwhile, at "Tibet Watch" website, they have their own report, which also includes Tibet issues [which the Amn. Int. seems to have been avoiding??] - second article on this page, links to other sites, PDF report eventually:
Broken Promises - Tibet Watch

Page one of the PDF report:
[QUOTE]
Seven years ago,on 13 July 2001,the Chinese government was triumphant when Beijing won the award of hosting the 2008 Olympic Games.The international kudos of hosting an Olympic Games is immense, as are the potential profits. But the selection of Beijing was controversial,especially in light of China ’s human rights record both within China itself,and in Tibet,which China has occupied since 1950.Upon being awarded the 2008 Olympics,the Chinese government swiftly made a number of promises regarding the promotion of human rights across China for the seven years leading up to the Beijing Olympics,as well as promising freedom of movement and access for the thousands of journalists who would be in
China covering the Olympics in Beijing before and during August 2008.

The head of the 2001 Beijing Olympic Games bidding committee,Wang Wei,promised that being
awarded the 2008 Games would “enhance all social conditions,including education,health and human
rights ”2 in China.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)claimed that awarding Beijing the Olympics would lead to
improvements in human rights across China.“Some people say,because of serious human rights issues,
‘We close the door and say no [to China ],’” said Francois Carrard,IOC Executive Director,on 13 July 2001.

“The other way is to bet on openness … we are taking the bet that seven years from now we will see many changes [in China ],” he added.

Seven years later,in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics,this Tibet Watch report examines the reality of China ’s Olympic promises.Focusing exclusively on human rights in Tibet,this report reveals how, contrary to improving its human rights record,China has systematically continued to violate cultural,religious,educational,and political rights in Tibet since it was awarded the Games in 2001.Today,following the uprising in March April 2008,thousands of Tibetans remain imprisoned in Chinese administered
detention,religious restrictions have intensified,and peaceful protests have been brutally crushed.Tibetans
are living in a culture of fear in their own country,whilst being deprived of education and development
opportunities by the Chinese regime.
By analysing up-to-date statistics and Chinese laws,policies and official statements,as well as corroborated
eye-witness accounts from inside Tibet,this report details the nature and intensity of human rights abuses in
Tibet over the last seven years.These abuses culminated in a mass violent crackdown in March 2008,when protests against the Chinese occupation erupted in the Tibetan capital,Lhasa.This report examines the
March 2008 protests,including the international protests that followed on from the protests across Tibet.


[/QUOTE ]


From: B.C. | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
Boom Boom
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posted 29 July 2008 04:50 PM      Profile for Boom Boom     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
CBC had an interview with a London Amnesty International spokesperson, and he was able give several good examples of how China is failing on human rights, and soundly criticized the IOC for failing to keep China to its promises to improve their human rights situation. He essentially said the IOC is next to useless in enforcing conditions on Games recipients.
From: Make the rich pay! | Registered: Dec 2004  |  IP: Logged
M. Spector
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posted 29 July 2008 05:31 PM      Profile for M. Spector   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
The Olympics is a highly commercialized international sport business.

The IOC is not the World Human Rights Police. From 1980 to 2001 it was headed by a Spanish fascist.

Ultimately it's the people of China who will have to compel the necessary changes in their country.


From: One millihelen: The amount of beauty required to launch one ship. | Registered: Feb 2005  |  IP: Logged
Boom Boom
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posted 29 July 2008 05:45 PM      Profile for Boom Boom     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by M. Spector:
The IOC is not the World Human Rights Police.

And that's one reason it makes no sense whatsoever for the IOC to wrestle human rights concessions from the recipient country as a condition for granting the Games. The IOC got snookered by China.


From: Make the rich pay! | Registered: Dec 2004  |  IP: Logged
M. Spector
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posted 29 July 2008 05:51 PM      Profile for M. Spector   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Boom Boom:
And that's one reason it makes no sense whatsoever for the IOC to wrestle human rights concessions from the recipient country as a condition for granting the Games.
It makes eminent good business sense if you are (a) trying to protect the prestige of your brand and (b) discourage thoughts of a boycott of your product.

From: One millihelen: The amount of beauty required to launch one ship. | Registered: Feb 2005  |  IP: Logged
Boom Boom
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posted 29 July 2008 05:58 PM      Profile for Boom Boom     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
No argument from this quarter, I was just pointing out some blatant hypocrisy from the IOC.
From: Make the rich pay! | Registered: Dec 2004  |  IP: Logged

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