Iconic Films

2 for 1 tickets to Casablanca, this coming Monday

Navigation - link to other main sections from here

From Times Online

April 10, 2008

Olympics in 'crisis' over torch relay chaos, IOC admits

A torch runner in a wheelchair shows off a FREE TIBET patch tucked in his sleeve

Ashling O'Connor, Olympics Correspondent, Beijing

The International Olympic Committee admitted today that the Games were in “crisis” after anti-Chinese protests engulfed the global torch relay.

Jacques Rogge, the IOC president, said that he was “saddened” by the violence that broke out along the routes in London and Paris and was only avoided in San Francisco by a last-minute diversion that meant the flame was largely invisible.

Mr Rogge's comments came after it emerged that Gordon Brown would not be attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games on August 8 - although Downing Street denied any deliberate snub against the Chinese, who had expected him to do so.

Mr Brown will still attend the closing ceremony, when London is handed the Olympic flag by Beijing.

Pro-Tibet demonstrations have overshadowed the Olympic torch’s 85,000-mile journey around the world but the IOC pledged that the international tour would go on to a further 13 countries as planned. Its next stop is Buenos Aires.

“There is no scenario of either interrupting or bringing [it] back directly to Beijing,” Mr Rogge said on the opening day of the IOC’s executive board meeting in Beijing.

He expressed relief that the San Francisco leg had been spared much of the disruption seen in Europe but conceded that it had not been “the joyous party that we had wished it to be”.

Two of the San Francisco torchbearers used their moment in the spotlight to show their support for Tibetan independence, including the wheelchair runner Andrew Michael, who displayed a Fre Tibet patch tucked into his sleeve.

The other, Majora Carter, pulled out a small Tibetan flag - but was quickly bundled out of the convoy.

"The Chinese security and cops were on me like white on rice, it was no joke," said Ms Carter, 41, who runs a non-profit organisation in New York. "They pulled me out of the race, and then San Francisco police officers pushed me back into the crowd on the side of the street."

A decision about future torch relays, and whether to scrap the global tour introduced for Athens, will be made in September after the Beijing Games.

The anti-Chinese protests on the issue of human rights, which dogged the relay from its lighting ceremony in Greece last month, have cast a dark shadow over the modern Olympic movement.

“It is a crisis, there is no doubt about that,” Mr Rogge said. “But the IOC has weathered many bigger storms.”

He cited the deadly attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics – a Games at which he competed - and the boycotts of 1976, 1980 and 1984.

“The history of the Olympic Games is fraught by a lot of challenges. This is a challenge but you cannot compare to what we had in the past,” he said. “We will rebound from this current crisis.”

Mr Rogge stood by the IOC’s decision in 2001 to award the Games to Beijing despite concerns about China’s human rights record.

“It is very easy with hindsight to criticise the decision. It's easy to say now that this was not a wise and a sound decision,” he said. “Without any doubt, the bid of Beijing was the best. It offered something that no other country could: bringing sport and Olympism to one-fifth of mankind. That was the reasoning behind awarding the Games to Beijing.”

But, in a nod to criticisms that China had failed to live up to promises made at the time of the bid, Mr Rogge called for the country’s leaders to respect their “moral engagement” to improve human rights as a result of being awarded the Games.

"We definitely ask China to respect this moral engagement," he said. “A number of important commitments have been made. Nothing is ever perfect and there is definitely room for improvement."

In London, Downing Street insisted that Mr Brown had never explicitly promised to attend the opening ceremony and had only ever intended to go to Beijing for the closing gala on August 24. "There is no change in our position,” a spokeswoman said.

At a Downing Street press conference last week, Mr Brown was asked about a threat by President Sarkozy of France to boycott the opening over the issue of Tibet and replied: "I think President Sarkozy said himself that he expected Britain, because we are going to host the next Olympics, to be present at the Olympic ceremonies and I will certainly be there."

Asked about the row, Mr Rogge said today: "Politicians have to make their decisions themselves. The IOC will not intervene."

If Prime Minister Brown chooses to muddle politics with the Olympic Games, it is better for him to stay home to avoid being called a hypocrite. The same goes to the German Chancellor Merkel, the French President Sarkozy and Pelosi, Speaker of the US Congress.

I am sure they will be sorely missed.

Leng Chong, Sydeny, Australia

Is a torch relay really necessary?

Owen, Singapore,

to Gary , London
The Pro Tibet campaign is not just another fly by night cause. The campaign has lasted almost as long as the Chinese Red Army invaded Tibet (Yes I used the word invaded - because that is precisely what happened) - almost 60 years of cultural genocide, repression, torture - do you need me to go down the whole list? Tibetans still living inside Tibet have no freedom of speech. They cannot express their reverence for their own spiritual leader and are expected to denounce him in favour of the Chinese ruling party. Anyone expressing any sentiment other than the official party line or critical of the Chinese Government within Tibet suffers imprisonment, torture and death. The Olympic Torch relays are the first opportunity that the Tibetans who have managed to flee Tibet have to express their feelings of frustration , anger and injustice at the treatment of their fellow Tibetans still living there. It is the loudest voice they have - listen to what they have to say

Wendy, Hull, UK

Chris, Newcastle

If BBC criticizes the UK & the US over Iraq, it is because they deserve it. Look at the mess Iraq is in right now. Iraqi fighting your forces and Iraqi fighting among themselves.

I have been watching CNN & BBC off and on. Criticism if any on Britain and US was mild. There were more praises. Yes your media showed scenes of allied glory and how the statue of Saddam Hussein was brought down and so on.

Furthermore UK & US action was spot on wrong. U invaded a sovereign country on the pretext of WMD. U went in against UN opposition.

In comparison western media criticism on China is uncalled for; unfair and biased. Tibet was a non-issue and an internal affair until March 14, when someone decided to create trouble for China using the coming Olympics as a pressure tool.

Why are there large scale protests on d torch run in London, Paris and the US and not in Brazil. Who were the active protesters trying to disrupt the run. Westerners not Tibetans.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

If everybody think the protests are right, then it seems we 'd better abondon the Olympics completely. If we think China should not stage the Olympics, maybe Britain shouldn't either because of invasion of Iraq? Surely America can't coz of Iraq and lots of other reasons. Germany can't coz they still have nazis.. and so does every other countries since no one could say they are perfectly pro for peace and human rights and democracy...

So, why should we have Olympics? why should we have all other sorts of sports? it is a mad mad mad world.

Chris, london,

Wait, so tell me the whole story please? Some human right thing was violated. Tell me the whole story please >.>

Joe Binsin, Elenot, Connecticut

So many people jumping on the bandwagon, if people really did have principles why only take a stand now ?. After the Olympics it's probaly about free South Africa farmers, NEXT !

Gary, London, U.K.

So, what do the pro Tibet and their supporters expect? The Chinese government will do something to improve Tibetâ€™s human rights immediately if the torch relay is a chaos? I really doubt that a disgraced and humiliated government will act just as what their objectors anticipate.
There are always a lot of disagreements between the Chinese government and Tibet Dalai, they should resort to more constructive and peaceful means to sort their problems. Violence only spreads hatred.
The torch relay chaos is a shame for Chinese government. It is also a shame for pro Tibet (because they did not use peaceful means to solve problems just as they claimed). It is too a shame for Paris government and London government, because they are the sponsors of Olympic torch relay.

Diana, Manchester, The UK

Just in answer to all this "UK media bias" stuff - i have checked websites belonging to Japan, India and ROK - all of whom are writing identical stories to US and UK media.

This is not Western propaganda - this is whats known as global condemnation. China is not so powerful that it can shrug that off!

I have read plenty of very positive accounts of China in the press over the last few years - mostly all hailing China's development and progress into submerging itself in the international community. Unfortunately, China does not seem to have noticed that the free world tends to protest and condemn each other for our wrong doings - If China wants in to all this, they have to accept that they will be criticised.

Both the UK and US governments come under far more criticism from the BBC et al than China do. Remember Iraq? Political suicide! The press had 3 or 4 years of straight criticism against Tony Blair.

Chris, Newcastle,

Tibet has found a new champion of its cause in the olympic torch and the beauty is chinese has send its best men for its protection.

Tarandeep, London, UK

to Diana from UK

it is certain that times need to keep something fact under its hatã€‚

leon, hongkong, china

YES boycott the relay and the opening ceremonies. do not allow china to fell vindicated and sweep under the rug its decades of atrocities.

mavison, allison pk, pa

That picture of the Olympic torch carrier is cool. Inspite of all this Chinese high handedness, even a torch carrier cheered for Tibet. This pic above rocks and should be seen by the world too. Congrats.

stuart knight, cambridge, UK

Oh dear. There's that pesky history again.

Note to IOC - don't give the Olympics to nasty oppressive regimes under the guise of assisting them to overcome their ghastly human rights records. Remember the Nazi Olympics? Remember how they cleared up the Third Reich's unfortunate human rights issues? They didn't?

Note to Nasty Oppressive Regimes - don't seek to host the Olympics in the hope that your ghastly human rights records won't be noticed. They simply provide an excellent opportunity for everyone to wash your dirty linen in public. You didn't think of that?

I see now that Jacques Rogge on behalf of the IOC has asked China to honour its commitment to improve its human rights record now that it has been awarded the Olympic Games. Bit bloody late.

Angela, Cheltenham,

Scrap the Olympics. The world does not deserve the games if they cannot separate sport from politics. Starve the radical, the fundamentalist and the terrorist of their opportunities for free advertising and see how they fare.

Keith, Houston, TX, USA

To Diana in Manchester, UK.

You see as one would accuse the chinese media of not reporting extensively the torch relay and thus presenting a biased view on the whole event in the same way the UK media portray nothing good about china besides a picture of a 'totalitarian regime with no respect to human rights and which occupies Tibet'. Whatever happened to the good old unbiased (and true) reportism?

Andreas, Nottingham, UK

Thinking about a foreigner shouting at you "shame Britain, free North Ireland" when Britain got trouble years ago, you will get the feeling of Chinese now. If you want to push the whole Chinese nation away and want a new cold war, keep doing this. Perhaps it will not be far away.

Antonio, Leeds,

Tibet was,is,and will always be a part of China! That's the truth!

Zhang Ye, Nanjing, China

Dear Bob,
apart from any grammar issues I find it rather striking that you are so mistaken about "Tibetan Separatism".
Are you aware that Tibet was invaded by military force some 50 years ago? Can you at least name a party of Tibetans who had asked for Chinese intervention? I doubt that.
"They were anti-china in the first place. " Why should the Tibetans have been pro-China? Give me a reason, please!
"...defending their country from separation caused mostly by us and western media!?" As far as the separation is concerned look above. Due to Western medias? Again I fear you have missinterpretated the situation. The exile Tibetans have only used the medias' great attention to the torch run to cry out to the world their justified complaints. You may discuss their means though I've found it rather harmless compared to any bigger European football derby.
Greetings

Nik, MÃ¼nster, Germany

If these ugly mediacast caused the failing of BJ game, I can foresee what might happen in 2012. No one from China will come to London.

By that time Coe might need to kowtow to BJ and beg them coming.

freddie, Naperville, USA

If you don't know China's real situation and its policies to Tibet , please shut up. Don't say those ill-intentiolal words to hurt our Chinese people peace-loving hearts.

Stone, Beijing, Beijing

Jaques Rogge, the I.O.C. President states that "The Olympics has weathered worse storms".The I.O.C. should stick to the Charter and ideals of the Olympics, instead of beingdriven by financial and political incentives.That China is seen as less than desirable to host this years games, then they should be cancelled or at least shunned by the world.
Similarly, Britains chance to host the 2012 games is also overshadowed by less than perfect ideals, seeing as though huge amounts of lottery money has been used, whilst the British shooting contingent are not allowed to practice pistol shooting within the U.K,not allowing them to compete on equal footing.
Then again under the Olympic Charter, anything built by the host nation in order to accomodate the games, must be left in perpetuity for the benefit of the citizens of that nation to enjoy.
This government has already planned to raze and clear the site in order to sellit off for developement.
Perhaps Britain and China have a lot in common

John Bennett, Lincoln, England

Please, someone explain the difference (if there is any) to that of the pre-apartheid South Africa and the current PRC situation that we have today. Surely we should be placing embargos on their athletes banning them from world championships like we did 15-odd years ago?

Oh, maybe not as it wouldn't surprise me if members of the IOC board have their fingers in so many Chinese pies, most of the comission would be brought up on fraud charges.

Dave Smith, Milton Keynes, UK

I wouldn't put too much faith in the protestations of people posting supportive messages from China itself. After all considering the tight grip the Chinese government has over the internet, combined with their love of censorship, it is hardly suprising that only positive comments manage to make it out.

Adam, Maldon,

The point of view of Mr rogge is exactitude.
Every Country have its own problem,
China is just one of it ,and will try to resolve problem.

Eva, Beijing, China

The Olympic Games are essentially a European affair with ancient cultural orgins in Greece. Perhaps the games should always be held in Greece to avoid this political highjacking. Greece is not the wealthiest country in the world and has already spent a great deal of hard earned cash constructing facilities in Athens. Why cannot these facilities be used over and over again with improvements each time. The benefits for Greece over the long term are obvious and would bring real focus back to the proper origin and values of the games. I cannot see what these other far flung countries in the Americas and Far East have to do with Olympic values. Certainly they could attend as welcome guests, but as for understanding what the Olympics are all about, then that seems a matter for Greece and the European tradition to best determine. Bring the games back home and then perhaps we can begin again.

Colin, Carmarthen, UK

"As those who has experienced prejudice, discrimination, persecution and execution, the Chinese will do everything to be friendly with everybody in the world"

Stephen T, Manchester, UK

So you are saying that China has not invaded Tibet? I would be interested to know what is your understanding of history then.

Philip, Nr. Haywards Heath, UK

The IOC really have no shame. First they award a country like china the olympics and they allow the chinese to control the olympic torch relay with thugs.

As British of Burmese descent, I feel that the chinese should not be allowed to treat Tibetans and East Turkistan with torture and killings and to help support the brutal dictatorships in Burma and Sudan.

I attended the London torch relay and demonstrated with the pro-Tibetan demonstrators and I will do it again.

There was pro-china support, but I saw that they were carefully orchestrated (I saw party officials, people unhappy, mainly students forced to). The pro-Tibetans outnumbered the pro-china people by 10:1.

Unless the chinese become more democratic, they will continue to be targeted by free thinking, democratic people.

Don't watch the peking olympics, this is the best way to cause harm to china and the olympic sponsors

Free Tibet! Boycott the peking olympics!

zaw aung, london, uk

Am I the only one who has noticed that all of the pro-Chinese comments made by people with allegedly English or American names read like they were written by Chinese people?

Are these people civil servants who are posting on behalf of the Chinese government I wonder?

If so this illustrates the malaise that has infected this dictatorial regime.

Danny, Leeds, UK

If ever there were Olympic Games to boycott, these are they. Otherwise, the world is telling China that their behaviour in TIbet, policy on family size, ignoring of intellectual property, and so many other things, is acceptable.
To most of us, in the west anyway, they are not.

Roger, Richmond, Texas

The Westâ€™s accusation that the Chinese government is evil is subjective. It is not worthy of linking it to the Olympic Game 2008. In making such an assertion, it will alienate the majority of Chinese people over the world. It will lead to the Chinese care less about the West/world. Not withstanding the good deeds done by many good individuals of all nations to the Chinese, generally speaking the West, Japan and Russia greatly exploited, robbed, stole from and in China, hurt and killed many of the Chinese people in the last two centuries. Such historical facts are objectively irrefutable and subjectively as real to the Chinese, as the Holocaust to the Jewish people. As those who has experienced prejudice, discrimination, persecution and execution, the Chinese will do everything to be friendly with everybody in the world and will not wish to change from being a past victim to present day and future torturer/murderer

Stephen T, Manchester, UK

Human right doesn't not equal to seperation.Tibet is part of China whenever.I also agree 'Free tibet' is supposed to mean 'better human right in tibet' .We should be more objective to have notice that China is changing much faster than we realized.I have been in China for 5 years.Tibetans have share the glory with the high speed economic development of China.Just for Olympic ,more wish less protest.

Pcc, Orlando, United States

Watch out: pro-Tibet does not equal anti-Chinese. News reporters are, as usual, adding gas to the flame by being sloppy with their framing of the story, and unfortunately the populations on both sides of this debate are not sharp enough to discern these subtleties. If you read about both sides of the story then you'll see large disconnections between what each side is arguing. And if you haven't seen pictures of â€˜the other sideâ€™ demonstrating, or heard any strong arguments which refute what you believe, then you're allowing yourself to be duped by only watching your countryâ€™s own home-grown media. China has a right to host the Olympics, as they equally have a right to be under intense world scrutiny and receive stinging criticism. There is no separation of politics from sports because sports must take place within the domain of a political realm: the world.

David, Singapore,

First of all,I must say my English is not good.But there is no influence when I hope to show my opinion.I am a Chinese student.Of course,I know my country's situation better.In fact,I don't care the unfair words from foreign medium and foreign people,because they are not familiar with China and her people. But could you please be fair , rational and without bias when you critic a country.It's a basic character for an adult.What's more,please try to understand a boy's feeling that he is concerned about his mother whether she is under the Tibet terrorists' attack and the embarrase he has when he met his Tibet friend(his best friend).
Anyway,thanks for informing me foreign friends' doubts.
Welcome to China,welcome to enjoy our culture,our friendly people and our happy life!

YUE JIAN , Hangzhou , China

The modern Olympics is not about sport or politics. It is about advertising and sponsorship. Everyone knows that by now. It's as worthwhile as Miss World

gary, shanghai,

Chinese people are very friendly.The Olympic is a great thing for all over the world. It should peaceful,and keep distance from politics.

Gao Pan, Chengdu, China

And lets not forget all of the refugees that the Chinese routinely deport back into North Korea, where repatriated women are said to have their pregnancies brutally aborted and groups are linked together by passing a long wire under each of their collar bones.. Or the persecution of members of Falun Gong. Or the massacre in Tianenmen Square or...... I used to go out with a Chinese girl who would defend the history of Mao Tse Tung, claiming that the atrocities during the Cultural Revolution were all the fault of his wife.

Guy, London,

We're not really here to criticise a few spelling mistakes are we? I'm English and don't know much about the language.

At the end of the day China has an awful human rights record but to be fair Britian wasn't so great in the 80's with the Diplock courts etc etc.

But then there is always going to be a sense of hypocrisy with regards to any country and human rights.

We shouldn't have allowed that torch to go through Britain in my opinion.

Any country worth it's salt should have told the olympic committe to bugger off!

Dan, London, England

This 'Games crisis' is because of China/ Tibet, so doubt on the future of the relay now is a reactive response that is not fair to decent countries who are/ may be hosting the Olympics in future. The IOC needs to get better perspective and re-focus.

Sally, Tasmania, Australia

I've been to china for many times, tibetans in the last 20 years getting much better than ever, although still lower than what we have here. At least they got their lands, business and government support in educations. They were completely slaves before and giving away most of their money to the temple and the lama

I do not believe the "Tibet-gov in exile" and the number of death they claimed, they don't even have the list of correct number of tibetans now living in china, ages and places they are living.
They were anti-china in the first place.
I know the chinese gov covered something up,(probably the open fire scene to protesters done by some low trained officer) , but believing what the 'exile' gov told us!?

Protesting for human right issue concerning china? I agreed.
'Free tibet' is supposed to mean 'better human right in tibet'
Not even that, now we blaming on them because they defending their country from separation caused mostly by us and western media!? What are we doing!?

Bob, durham, UK

Cllr Ken Tiwari:

I find it worrying that you seem to only have a loose grasp of english grammar. Could you explain your comment more clearly please? This is the only way to have an informed debate.

Edward, London,

The Olympic is a great thing for all over the world. It should peaceful,and keep distance from politics.

YIren Huakai, Tianjin, China

Am I the only one worried about the state of the UK if our elected councillors cannot even write in English?

dave, Verona,

Mr Rogge, you are so naive. What did you expect from the Torch Relays - happy clapping people? You knew China's human right record back in 2001, you knew what was going on in Tibet, you knew about Burma - you also knew that the chances of China cleaning up it's act were zilch. Don't expect the world to turn away from the opportunity to expose the inhumanities imposed on Tibet by China, to ignore China's involvement in Burma and Darfur and keep quiet just because China now wants to show the world how big and powerful they think they are. The torch events are a farce. The responsibility lies fairly and squarely with the Olympic Committe for allowing this to happen in the first place. This Olympic flame represents nothing but anger, fear and frustration - that is not the message the Olympic Committee wants to take to the world. China has no right to take the torch into Tibet, it is just another Chinese propaganda stunt - think of the Tibetan people - act now and keep it out!

Wendy, Hull, UK

What ever we the citizens may say, Chinese Communist party
acheived it's aim, as Hitlers -Nazi party in 1936 did !
Neville Chamberlain (UK's Conservative party approved it) to
murder six and half million european jewish community, yes
this is history for hypocrites politicos, not to understand the
opression faces the Tibetan community: Ken

Cllr Ken Tiwari (Independent), Oxford, United Kingdom

Only one question. Why can I never have seen one of pictures of those pro Chinese demonstrations over the torch relay on this website?

Diana, Manchester, The UK