Will IOC Regret Having China Host Olympics?

[Bucky]

BEIJING (AP) - China ordered tourists out of Tibet's capital Saturday while troops on foot and in armored vehicles patrolled the streets and confined government workers to their offices, a day after riots that a Tibetan exile group said left at least 30 protesters dead.

The demonstrations against Chinese rule of Tibet are the largest and most violent in the region in nearly two decades. They have spread to other areas of China as well as neighboring Nepal and India. In the western province of Gansu, police fired tear gas Saturday to disperse Buddhist monks and others staging a second day of protests in sympathy with anti-Chinese demonstrations in Lhasa, local residents said.

The protests led by Buddhist monks began Monday in Tibet on the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. They turned violent on Friday when demonstrators burned cars and shops. Witnesses said they heard gunshots on Friday and more shooting on Saturday night.

The eruption of violence comes just two weeks before China's Olympic celebrations kick off with the start of the torch relay, which passes through Tibet. China is gambling that its crackdown will not bring an international outcry over human rights violations that could lead to boycotts of the Olympics. Beijing's hosting of the Olympics in August has already brought scrutiny of China's human rights record and its pollution problems.

My Way News - Exile Group Says 30 Killed in Tibet

Fears of another Tiananmen as Tibet explodes in hatred
The Olympics, just months away, will not stop Beijing cracking down on riots that may have left more than 30 dead

Fears of another Tiananmen as Tibet explodes in hatred - Times Online

IOC: Don't Boycott Olympics Over Tibet
Mar 15 01:05 PM US/Eastern

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) - International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge poured cold water Saturday on calls for a boycott of 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," Rogge told reporters 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. 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. IOC Vice President Thomas Bach said the committee will speak with China about human rights and condemned the crackdown, saying "every use of violence is a step backwards." But "a boycott would be the wrong way because that will cut lines of communication," he added. The committee issued a statement calling for an end to the violence.

"The IOC shares the world's desire for a peaceful resolution to the tensions of past days in the Tibetan region of China," it said. "We hope that calm can return to the region as quickly as possible."

IOC: Don't Boycott Olympics Over Tibet

[dlb]

Let's hope it's a huge embarrassment for both the IOC and the Chinese government.

[Wiggen]

The IOC has no sense of shame. This is the organization that held the 1936 Olympics in Berlin at a time when the Nazis were burning books - although not yet Jews - and were tossing undesirables into Dachau in increasing numbers. They also encouraged countries not to include Jewish members on their Olympic team.

It is unlikely they will have developed any conscience or sense of morality in the intervening years.

[adeel]

Originally Posted by dlb

Let's hope it's a huge embarrassment for both the IOC and the Chinese government.

Agreed. I don't think politics and sports mix. Swimming, track and gymnastics have nothing to do with human rights. Just like holding the Super Bowl in Detroit was fine despite whatever problems exist in that city, the Olympics in Beijing are about sports, not politics. Of course, if China is going to try and use the Olympics to make a statement when it has so many huge faults, I hope it fails.

The embarrassment might be starting. Earlier this week, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia said he might not run the marathon because of the pollution in Beijing. Gebrselassie holds the world record in the marathon and is the biggest name in distance-running. The Ethiopian federation is going to twist his arm, but the fact that a star athlete would consider not running in the Olympics because he didn't think it was safe says a lot about these games.

[jtur88]

This is not going to go smoothly, and the way the candidates handle it will be pivotal in the presidentia race.

[DR3AMR]

I would argue that it will be the defining moment for the Global Warming alarmists.

[dlb]

Yeah, but you're nuts.

[1Perry]

Originally Posted by dlb

Let's hope it's a huge embarrassment for both the IOC and the Chinese government.

Agree also.

[Timberwolf]

I am expecting a big stink about the short term detention and deportation of foreign nationals who choose to get involved in human rights issues. A few athletes could make a lot of noise, especially if they are medal winners.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by dlb

Let's hope it's a huge embarrassment for both the IOC and the Chinese government.

Would that be because there is more satisfaction associated with a vindicated "I told you so" than in things going well for the competitors?

[bedir than average]

Originally Posted by DR3AMR

I would argue that it will be the defining moment for the Global Warming alarmists.

Yep, alarmists, like Haile Gabrselassie who will not be competing in the Marathon in Beijing because if he does he could die. The world record holder in the Marathon has noticed that the air is so unclean in Beijing that it could kill distance runners.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by bedir than average

Yep, alarmists, like Haile Gabrselassie who will not be competing in the Marathon in Beijing because if he does he could die. The world record holder in the Marathon has noticed that the air is so unclean in Beijing that it could kill distance runners.

How will it kill distance runners without also killing everyone else? Will the runners be breathing especially poluted air which no one else is breathing?

[bedir than average]

Distance runners will breathing more of it in, more often, for a longer period of time while also having a decreased immune system. Several of them also have a form of asthma.

No other athlete at the games will be outdoors and competing at the highest levels for over three hours at their peak performance. Every other athlete gets to rest between heats.

Marathon runners will be particularly hit by the pollutants.

[adeel]

I don't think Geb or anyone is risking their lives by running. Beijing isn't Venus. It is, however, a threat to the rest of their career, especially given how hard it is to recover from a marathon. It's like playing a football game on a sheet of ice, which probably wouldn't be done today.

It might be the case that no man runs faster than 2:20 at Beijing, which was the world record about 50 years ago.

[bedir than average]

Gebrselassie could miss Olympic marathon - USATODAY.com

So, not life threatening to most.

Just the end of their career due to "mythical" air pollution.