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Monday, March 24, 2008
Human Rights Are More Sacred Than The Olympic Flame
OLYMPIA, Greece (CNN) -- A protester managed to breach the tight security during the Olympic torch lighting ceremony in Greece Monday.
The man rushed behind the podium as China's Olympic chief was speaking.
He unfurled a banner, but was quickly apprehended by security who escorted him away.
Meanwhile committee chief Liu Qi continued to make his speech in Chinese while the commotion went on behind him. Two other men were also detained.
China state TV cut away from the protest and showed a prerecorded scene, preventing Chinese viewers from seeing the incident, according to The Associated Press. Chinese television commentators did not mention the demonstration.
The torch was lit moments later as it began its epic began its 130-day, 137,000-kilo meters (85,000-miles) journey.
...Reporters Without Borders, a group based in France that seeks to protect journalists around the world, claimed responsibility for the protest.
The group said three members, including the group's secretary general Robert Menard, managed to get into the ceremony without being stopped with flags.
"If the Olympic flame is sacred, human rights are even more so," the group said in a statement. "We cannot let the Chinese government seize the Olympic flame, a symbol of peace, without denouncing the dramatic situation of human rights in the country."
...Meanwhile, a Chinese activist who called for human rights ahead of the Olympics was sentenced to five years in prison, AP reported.
Complete article here.
(Wow! During the few minutes it took to complete this post, CNN changed the title of the article from "Protest as Olympic Torch is Lit" to "Tibetans Slam Olympic 'Flame of Shame'")
Framing...
Labels: Chinese Olympics, Human Rights
posted by Carol at 8:55 AM
2 Comments:
I’ve been fantasizing for a couple of weeks now about the nations of the world boycotting the Beijing Olympics because of the Chinese oppression of the people of Tibet. Of course I realize that it is just a fantasy: today the Olympics are worth big bucks and the corporations and plutocrats who rule us—or at least control the Bush administration—would never allow it.
Sad.
Yeah, I would love to see a big boycott. But then, I know that it would be hypocritical of the U.S. and many other countries to boycott over of human rights issues when we are so guilty ourselves.
And you're right - there's the money thing...
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