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[ back ] NO OLYMPICS FOR CHINA UNTIL TIBET IS FREE! China is currently engaged in work to win the bid for the 2008 Olympic games. With a slogan of "New Beijing, Great Olympics", they are hoping to overcome the concern about their human rights abuses in China and Tibet that cost them the bid for the 2000 Olympics. We join people of conscience around the world in opposing China's Olympics bid while they continue their brutal occupation of Tibet. News
Articles: FACTS China continues to illegally occupy Tibet after half a century. Until China's government withdraws from Tibet and begins to respect the rights of its own people, it does not deserve the international distinction of hosting the Olympic games. Giving Beijing the 2008 Games would send a message that human rights in Tibet and China no longer matter. China's bid for the 2000 games was defeated because of human rights concerns. Since that time, persectution in Tibet has drastically worsened, as has religious repression in China. Money raised from the Olympics will be used to fund China's control over Tibet. The Olympics would put billions of foreign dollars in the pocket of the Chinese government. During the recent Sydney Olympics, Australia went from a trade deficit of $1.5 billion to a surplus of $677 million. Hosting the Olympics would help China whitewash its image without actually changing its human rights practices. The President of the International Triathlon Union told Beijing, "You've got to find a way of marketing bloody Tiananmen Square so that the only image they have isn't a... tank with a university student." In order to erase memories of the massacre in Tiananmen Square, the government plans to hold the beach volleyball championship there. The Chinese Government really wants to win this bid. By opposing Beijing 2008, we hold China accountable for its occupation of Tibet. In this way, we use international pressure to force the Chinese government to FREE TIBET, and give them a reason to improve their treatment of people in both China and Tibet. Q & A China
is the most populous country on earth, and has many excellent athletes compete
in the Games. Don't the Chinese people deserve the Olympics?
What
do the Olympics have to do with politics? Aren't they meant to bridge political
divisions? How
can we improve conditions in China and Tibet if we don't engage the Chinese government?
TAKE ACTION! 1. CONTACT THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC). Write their board letters asking them to oppose the bid. Ask your family and friends to do the same. Contact us for easy-action postcards you can send and distribute. Click here for an on-line letter you can modify and send. 2. TALK TO ATHLETES YOU KNOW AND GET THEM INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN. If you know any Olympic athletes, put them in touch with your local Tibet Support Group or the USTC office, +1-212-481-3569 or ustc@igc.org. 3. CONTACT YOUR GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES. In the US, ask them to support the resolution Congress has introduced opposing China's bid, and in other countries, ask them to sponsor similar legislation in your government. Click here for a copy of the text of the US resolution. To find out who your US Representative is, go to www.house.gov INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE BOARD President
Vice
Presidents Richard
Kevan Gosper (Australia)
Keba Mbaye (Senegal)
Anita DeFrantz (USA) Other members of the IOC Executive Board Jacques
Rogge China
Franco Carraro Ottavio
Cinquanta Mme.
Gunilla Lindberg S.E.M.
Un Yong Kim Mario
Vasquez Raņa Marc
Hodler Denis
Oswald Sergei
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