Chinese Target Practice

At least 80 people have been killed in unrest following protests by Tibetans against Chinese rule, the Tibetan government in exile says. Indian-based officials said the figure was confirmed by several sources, even though China put the death toll at 10.

The Dalai Lama called for an international inquiry into China’s crackdown, accusing it of a “rule of terror” and “cultural genocide”.

Chinese troops were out in force in Lhasa, Tibet’s main city, on Sunday.

Hong Kong Cable TV reported that about 200 military vehicles, each carrying 40 to 60 armed soldiers, had driven into the city.

Loudspeakers broadcast messages, such as: “Discern between enemies and friends, maintain order.”

China tightly restricts Western journalists’ access to Tibet and it is sometimes extremely difficult to verify what is going on.

This is one of the issues I targeted in Anti-Semitism, A Global Issue as one of the issues that does not get enough attention by Human Rights Groups and Organizations.

2008 is an Olympic Year, and yet the protests and the actions are few and far between. A Free, or at least Autonomous Tibet has been an issue since 1950, almost as long a Israel/Palestine. Yet it has not sparked as much controversy or agitation as Israel/Palestine, especially not in those who most vocally claim to be Guardians of Human Rights for the Downtrodden. It’s pathetic.

Oh, there are a few devout souls of fire who have done more than most, and who relentlessly have brought the plight of the Tibetans to the eye of the world, but China is not being criticized as harshly, or as mercilessly as f.i Israel/Palestine by f.i the Left. The neo-cons will criticize, but their criticism is mostly based in political concerns, rather than in a true sense of out-rage that human rights are being violated. In this respect, the New Left is no better than the Neo-cons when it comes to China and Tibet.

China has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and a veto vote, why it’s really hard to get to China through UN actions. Another reason the UN needs a thorough reform.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) — The president of the International Olympic Committee rejected the idea of boycotting the Summer Games in Beijing over China’s crackdown in Tibet, saying it would only hurt athletes.

“We believe that the boycott doesn’t solve anything,” Jacques Rogge told reporters Saturday on this Caribbean island. “On the contrary, it is penalizing innocent athletes and it is stopping the organization from something that definitely is worthwhile organizing.”

Demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet on Friday — the most violent riots there in nearly two decades — left at least 30 protesters dead, according to a Tibetan exile group. Tibetan exiles in India reported as many as 100 dead.

China ordered tourists out of Tibet’s capital and troops patrolled the streets on Saturday.

On a six-day tour of the Caribbean, Rogge expressed condolences for the victims and said he hopes calm will be restored immediately. He declined to say whether the committee would change its stance if violence continues or more people are killed.

“The International Olympic Committee has consistently resisted calls for a boycott of the Olympic games,” Rogge said. He declined to comment further on Tibet during a brief news conference.

The head of the Swiss Olympic Committee told state-owned DRS radio that he is against a boycott but wants the IOC to intervene with China over the troubles in Tibet.

“The Rubicon has been crossed,” Joerg Schild said. “I can’t bring myself to say that we’re going to go there and do sport.”

Personally I agree with Rogge on the issue of mixing sports and politics, however I think that it was mistake to even nominate China, and then accepting that it would host an Olympic Game as long as it hasn’t cleaned up its Human Rights record.

Jacques Rogge promised that Human Rights would be high on the priority list when the IOC discussed the 2008 Games with China. He is now going back on his promise – and no “declined to comment further on Tibet during a brief news conference.” I am sorry, Jacques, but you have your rear full of Tibet and China’s Human Rights violations, all because you did not keep your promise.

British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China’s appalling human rights record – or face being banned from travelling to Beijing.

The move – which raises the spectre of the order given to the England football team to give a Nazi salute in Berlin in 1936 – immediately provoked a storm of protest.

The controversial clause has been inserted into athletes’ contracts for the first time and forbids them from making any political comment about countries staging the Olympic Games.

It is contained in a 32-page document that will be presented to all those who reach the qualifying standard and are chosen for the team.

From the moment they sign up, the competitors – likely to include the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips and world record holder Paula Radcliffe – will be effectively gagged from commenting on China’s politics, human rights abuses or illegal occupation of Tibet.

This is a gag-order. As far as I know, Britain isn’t the only country to take this measure. It is a violation in itself of the Athletes’ Freedom of Expression. It also plays into the hands of the Chinese Government as they will see how Democratic Countries deny the Human Rights of it’s citizens.

SOB