Park Life 71 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, yesterday became the first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing. As pressure built for concerted western protests to China over the crackdown in Tibet, EU leaders prepared to discuss the crisis for the first time today, amid a rift over whether to boycott the Olympics. The disclosure that Germany is to stay away from the games' opening ceremonies in August could encourage President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to join in a gesture of defiance and complicate Gordon Brown's determination to attend the Olympics. Donald Tusk, Poland's prime minister, became the first EU head of government to announce a boycott on Thursday and he was promptly joined by President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic, who had previously promised to travel to Beijing." http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/2...lympicgames2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12496 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 As much as I enjoy the Olympics they've made a total fuck up picking China to host and it should be boycotted especially with pictures like this coming to light: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isegrim 10038 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, yesterday became the first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing. Rather telegenic than political reasons tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyluke 2 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 China getting the Olympics in the first place was a stupid decision and it's still a stupid decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, yesterday became the first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing. Rather telegenic than political reasons tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fop 1 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 As much as I enjoy the Olympics they've made a total fuck up picking China to host and it should be boycotted especially with pictures like this coming to light: I saw a comment from some part of the UK socialist party condemning Tibetans for (slightly paraphrased I think) "attacking and killing innocent chinese police and soldiers in Tibet". Given that all the non-official casualties have been Tibetan civilians (over 100 - including a few children - officially China is the only place you can fire volleys of conventional gunfire into crowds and kill no one), it's amazing what people will try to gloss over. If you look at the bottom of this you can see that there probably won't even be unrestricted Press access at the Olympics either: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7324155.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12496 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 As much as I enjoy the Olympics they've made a total fuck up picking China to host and it should be boycotted especially with pictures like this coming to light: I saw a comment from some part of the UK socialist party condemning Tibetans for (slightly paraphrased I think) "attacking and killing innocent chinese police and soldiers in Tibet". Given that all the non-official casualties have been Tibetan civilians (over 100 - including a few children - officially China is the only place you can fire volleys of conventional gunfire into crowds and kill no one), it's amazing what people will try to gloss over. If you look at the bottom of this you can see that there probably won't even be unrestricted Press access at the Olympics either: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7324155.stm The whole thing about selecting them to hold it is a joke it's as if they forgot about the whole Russia farce, it's still a country with very little unrestricted information (like you pointed out) and very little freedom of speech, they've got a long way to go before they should be allowed to hold events like this imo. By the way does anyone know the whole route of the Olympic torch because on the news the other day they seemed to say it was only traveling from china to russia, france, UK then back nothing like going round the world at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyluke 2 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 As much as I enjoy the Olympics they've made a total fuck up picking China to host and it should be boycotted especially with pictures like this coming to light: I saw a comment from some part of the UK socialist party condemning Tibetans for (slightly paraphrased I think) "attacking and killing innocent chinese police and soldiers in Tibet". Given that all the non-official casualties have been Tibetan civilians (over 100 - including a few children - officially China is the only place you can fire volleys of conventional gunfire into crowds and kill no one), it's amazing what people will try to gloss over. If you look at the bottom of this you can see that there probably won't even be unrestricted Press access at the Olympics either: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7324155.stm The whole thing about selecting them to hold it is a joke it's as if they forgot about the whole Russia farce, it's still a country with very little unrestricted information (like you pointed out) and very little freedom of speech, they've got a long way to go before they should be allowed to hold events like this imo. By the way does anyone know the whole route of the Olympic torch because on the news the other day they seemed to say it was only traveling from china to russia, france, UK then back nothing like going round the world at all. Glanced at an article which had a map of the route, looked like it was traversing most of the globe. All I know is my mate has got a job making lifesize puppets to run behind Konnie Huq when she carries it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Konnie Huq recently said she was thinking about pulling out over Tibet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meenzer 15873 Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Konnie Huq recently said she was thinking about pulling out over Tibet. A crushing blow for all involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Konnie Huq recently said she was thinking about pulling out over Tibet. A crushing blow for all involved. Aye, I think it was in the Sunday Times I read it and I was thinking "big fucking deal". Firstly she's a bit of a nobody and secondly she hasn't even pulled out, she's just thinking about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 71 Posted April 2, 2008 Author Share Posted April 2, 2008 It's a calculating pure and cynical business decision to bring the brand to a new and massive market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Are you suggesting the Olympics is about money there Parky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Are you suggesting the Olympics is about money there Parky? I wish he wouldn't talk in code all of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fop 1 Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 It's a calculating pure and cynical business decision to bring the brand to a new and massive market. No no, the Olympics is completely about the purest of sporting ideals. It kinda makes you laugh about things like Chambers lifetime Olympic ban (and the moral high ground claimed behind it), when the UK was very willing to whore itself however it needed to, to get the 2012 games, and the Olympic committee themselves couldn't give a fig about China's issues, just so long as the games themselves are seen to go well. Or indeed the GB teams contract clauses about expressing personal opinions before they back tracked. It's all about $$$'s whether it's cheating by doping athletes or ignoring things that are politically inconvenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I wonder if Chambers would have been treated less harshly if he was a genuine gold medal contender. I don't really wonder, as I'm sure you realise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fop 1 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Jail for Chinese rights activist Hu Jia at his home in Beijing in 2007 Mr Hu has campaigned on several human rights issues Hu Jia with his family A prominent activist who publicised human rights abuses across China has been convicted of subversion and jailed for three-and-a-half years. Hu Jia, 34, was convicted of "inciting subversion of state power and the socialist system", his lawyer said. He has long campaigned for the environment, religious freedom and for the rights of people with HIV and Aids. His sentence comes a day after a rights group accused China of a campaign to silence dissent ahead of the Olympics. The US was "dismayed" by the verdict, a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Beijing said, while the European Union called for Mr Hu's immediate release. "We said very clearly before the trial that he should not have been detained in the first place and that he should be released and this remains our position," Beijing spokesman William Fingleton told the French news agency AFP. Internet articles Hu Jia's case has attracted a great deal of international attention, both from rights groups and Western diplomats. Before his arrest late last year, he had been an outspoken critic of China's record on a variety of human rights issues. As for critics' view that China is trying to increase its efforts to arrest dissidents ahead the Olympic Games, I think all these accusations are unfounded Premier Wen Jiabao, 18 March 2008 Anguish over sentence Correspondents say he had become a kind of one-man clearing house for information, passing it on to journalists, organisations and foreign embassies. Evidence presented against Mr Hu in court included interviews he gave to foreign media and political articles that he wrote for the internet, lawyer Li Fangping said. "As lawyers we propose that Hu Jia appeal this sentence but it is up to him and we will wait for his decision," Mr Li said. "We have not had a chance to exchange ideas with him so far." Chinese state news agency Xinhua said the court had been lenient with Mr Hu because he had admitted his crimes. "Hu spread malicious rumours, libel and instigation in an attempt to subvert the state's political and socialist systems," Xinhua said, quoting the court ruling. Olympic claims Mr Hu's conviction comes only two weeks after another activist, Yang Chunlin, was jailed on similar charges. On Wednesday, UK-based rights group Amnesty International accused Beijing of carrying out a "wave of repression" ahead of the Olympic Games. The authorities were targeting those who criticised the government in a bid to present a stable and harmonious image when the Games began in August, the group said. In response, the China Society for Human Rights Studies accused Amnesty of bias and of ignoring positive developments in the country's human rights record. Last month, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was asked about Hu Jia's case. He said it should be handled according to the law. "As for critics' view that China is trying to increase its efforts to arrest dissidents ahead the Olympic Games, I think all these accusations are unfounded," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7327718.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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