Trouble in Tibet

[jet186]

In light of recent events in Tibet, and the total lack of regard for human rights by the Chinese government, does anyone else think that the Olympic games may be overshadowed this year, or in any doubt?

[Furface]

I don't think they will be in any doubt. I also think that, in all likelihood, agents provocateurs have stirred up the current situation to take advantage of the Olympics and the publicity involved.
That said, I believe the situation in Tibet is intolerable, as China has no legitimacy for its occupation. As for the suppression of ethnic and religious Tibet, I am speechless, and full of admiration for the people, especially the monks, who stand up to it.

[speed]

The fact is a country with the ongoing track record of China for human rights should have been laughed out of the running as soon as thier application hit the IOC desk then filed in the relevant loo.

The Olympics stood for sportsmanship, friendship, equality etc etc not opression ,murder, intollerance etc etc.

And in light of thier involment in drug manufacturing ( which is clearly marketed and sold for sports abuse) they should have had the Olympics stripped from them even at the cost of a poorer quality games being held elswhere at shorter notice. After all if the sportsperson using drugs can have medals and records stripped from them and banned why not country's as well.

If I remember correctly China was awarded the Olympics against strong complaints that they were too opressive etc etc because the Olympics could help put possitive pressure on them to change, more likely that they are an emerging power in the world economy so everyone wants to suck up to them to make money and s*d Tibet after all just how many people know were Tibet even is on the world map and this Deli Lama geezer doesn't he run the local takeaway!

We got GNAS to sort ot the WRS malarky maybe we could now aim a little higher ( clout shooters please sign up here) and start working on freeing Tibet.

[Little Bow Pete]

If the situation in Tibet is intolerable, an occupation without legitimacy, and religious and ethnic minorities are being supressed, then I'm not sure agent provocateurs are needed. And agent provocateurs on behalf of whom?

[Thunk]

I'm quite sure that the Tibetans are taking advantage of the Olympics - and who can blame them? They don't have a powerful army, they don't have their own police force. All they have is the opportunity to make the rest of the world listen, and they're making the most of it. Who can blame them? (Apart from the Chinese, of course!)

I can see this escalating. They will know they have the world's attention, and the Chinese will appreciate that anything they do in response will be reported worldwide to their detriment. I'm looking forward to the Olympics, but if it did all fall apart over China's occupation of Tibet, I would think it well worth while. It might also make the IOC use some intelligence when they are next selecting a host.

[Watch_Man]

Students holding a peaceful protest in Beijing attacked and arrested by police. Western journalists who are supposed to have freedom of movement prior to the Olympics have been prevented from reporting and the Chinese Secret police have been photographing them.

All bodes well for the olympics

I don't think politics have a place in sport but the Chinese Government are doing their best to change my mind and probably that of many others.

[Chris B]

just been watching the video footage of the Tibetans' err.. "peaceful protests" on the BBC.
Oh my, those monks do seem rather violent. Throwing things at people, kicking in shop fronts, beating people and such. I wonder what Richard Gere would say about that..

I've lived in China and speak mandarin to a decent level. I used to study in Beijing at the Central Uni. for Nationalities. That was an amazing place; it had (at the time) students and teachers coming from every ethnic minority in China. Pretty cool huh? Two of my friends there are from Tibet, and they informed me as to the situation. I don't like politics, and i don't want to kick off any more arguments, but IMO things are a sh#t-load more complicated than is appreciated on here.

I wonder how many of us would have raised this issue, or even thought about it, before last week? No-one can claim China doesn't have problems, but, as already pointed out in a recent thread, if you could only hold The Games in a country with a perfect track record for human rights, you could not hold The Games.. It's that simple.

[Chris B]

Originally Posted by Furface

as China has no legitimacy for its occupation.

huh? err.. hang on a sec.. China's claim of sovereignty over Tibet is ancient. It is not, as you believe, a recent development merely dating from the '50s. Which is more than you can say for Israel's claim over Israel.

Whether Tibetans intend to take advantage of the Olympics to get attention, or not, its certainly working on you lot..

[speed]

Originally Posted by Chris B

huh? err.. hang on a sec.. China's claim of sovereignty over Tibet is ancient. It is not, as you believe, a recent development merely dating from the '50s. Which is more than you can say for Israel's claim over Israel.

Whether Tibetans intend to take advantage of the Olympics to get attention, or not, its certainly working on you lot..

The facts remain though they invaded Tibet

Or are you saying that the English invading Scotland was ok

that the Japanese invasion of China was legitimate

that the German and Russian invasion of Poland was fine

and that the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was acceptable

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If the Tibetan people had had a vote and wanted to be part of China fine but they did not. And my main point was not what a country had done in the past precluding them from hosting the Olympics because as you rightly point out no country wuld be able to. My point was the fact that China still has a terrible human rights record leading upto, durring and since the vote for the 2008 Olympics.

If a country wants to be considered for hosting an Olympics they must have demonstrated over the previous say 8 years excellent humanrights and be actively promoting such things as freedom of speech.

[speed]

Oh and final point can we Brits please have Brittany back as we have ancient rights over it ?
But then I suppose Normandy could then lay claim to England and then the Scandanavian countries to Normady.

Do we really need to carry on about ancient rights after all we don't live in ancient times we live in a modern world that is supposed to respect the individual rights of a nation for self government, not the crazed ideas of a few power hungry semi dictators.