Thursday, August 28, 2008

‘Olympic Games Vs Human Rights’

By Nicodemus Thomas.
Some few days before the starting of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing China, The Chinese authorities were reported to have broken their promise to improve the country’s human rights situation and betrayed the core values of the Olympics, according to a new Amnesty International report.

The report evaluates the performance of the Chinese authorities in four areas related to the core Olympic values of ’universal fundamental ethical principles’ and ‘human dignity’: these include persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty.

In the run-up to the Olympics, the Chinese authorities have locked up, put under house arrest and forcibly removed individuals they believe may threaten the image of “stability” and “harmony” they want to present to the world.

There were a lot blames from people of almost all groups as one quoted,” By continuing to persecute and punish those who speak out for human rights, the Chinese authorities have lost sight of the promises they made when they were granted the Games seven years ago,” said Roseann Rife, Asia-Pacific Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

The report ordered the authorities that they must release all imprisoned peaceful activists, allow foreign and national journalists to report freely and make further progress towards the elimination of the death penalty.”

World leaders were urged to speak out against the violations before and during the opening of the games as another activist quoted "We continue to call on world leaders planning to attend the Games to speak out now to prevent the authorities from using their attendance as a tacit endorsement of violations perpetrated in preparation for the Olympics’ Said Gerry Harris.

Beijing Authorities routinely denies allegations that it abuses human rights, arguing they have improved the situation and saying its economic management has improved the quality of life of hundreds of millions of people.

When it was awarded the chance to host the Games, China said it would uphold the values of human dignity associated with the Olympian tradition such as an improvement in human rights, media freedom and better provision in health and education BUT
Amnesty says, they have witnessed people been made homeless, journalists have been detained, websites blocked, and the use of labor camps and prison beatings has increased.
For a long time, China's human rights record has proved troublesome by Media, Human rights Agencies an even the World leaders where by some of them have decided openly to talk about it and explain their dissatisfaction with the matter especially with the connection of the ongoing confrontation between China and Tibet.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed to attend the opening ceremony on 8 August but at one stage Mr Sarkozy said he had not ruled out boycotting the Olympics in protest over Chinese actions in Tibet.

His announcement followed by that of US President George W Bush, who promised to be present at the opening ceremony while Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper planed to stay away the events, leaving the ball to the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown who had confirmed to attend the closing ceremony only and probably to say a word on the saga.

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