Pressure on China Continues to Increase
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights, China | Posted on April 2, 2008
Tibetan Caucus established in U.S. Congress
U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Rep. Neil Abercrombie have founded the Tibetan Caucus, which seeks to oppose reported human rights violations by the Chinese government.
“We urge you to join the Tibetan Caucus to uphold the rights of the Tibetan people and give a voice to those that the Chinese regime has silenced,” he and Abercrombie wrote in a letter to Congress.
Rohrabacher used the occasion to repeat his call for a boycott of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, calling the country a repeat human rights violator that lacks the moral stature to host the games.
“Just as Hitler used the 1936 Olympics as a platform to showcase his fascist propaganda, it’s wrong for the United States to support such a prestigious event in a venue hosted by a similarly fascist regime,” he wrote.
U.S. Treasury Secretary will raise Tibet concerns with China
The US treasury secretary Henry Paulson is expected to raise US concerns over China’s crackdown of Tibetan protests during a visit to China. Paulson said he will pass on concerns by George Bush, the US president, as well as discuss economic issues.”I’m also going to carry the message from the administration that we care a lot about what’s going on in Tibet, and human rights and Tibet, and so they will clearly hear that from me,” he told the CNBC television network before leaving the US.
Japan’s royals likely to skip Olympics
Japan’s Emperor Akihito and other members of the royal family are unlikely to attend the Beijing Olympics amid concerns here about China’s crackdown in Tibet and other issues, a report said Wednesday.
The Japanese government thinks it is not a good time for a rare royal visit because of the unrest in Tibet, a recent health scare over Chinese-made “gyoza” dumplings and a spat over disputed gas fields, the Sankei daily said.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says Bush should consider boycotting opening ceremony
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives says President George W. Bush should consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics to oppose China’s crackdown on protesters in Tibet.
“I think boycotting the opening ceremony, which really gives respect to the Chinese government, is something that should be kept on the table,” Pelosi said in an interview taped for airing Tuesday on ABC television. “I think the president might want to rethink this later, depending on what other heads of state do.”
San Francisco condemns China’s human rights record
San Francisco’s board of supervisors has passed a resolution protesting China’s poor human rights record ahead of the Olympic torch’s visit to the city. The resolution asks city officials to express their disapproval when they receive the Beijing Olympic Torch on April 9. San Francisco is the only U.S. city to host the Olympic torch relay.
Amnesty International: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy
With little more than four months to go before the Beijing Olympics, few substantial reforms have been introduced that will have a significant, positive impact on human rights in China. Recent measures taken by the authorities to detain, prosecute and imprison those who raise human rights concerns suggest that, to date, the Olympic Games has failed to act as a catalyst for reform. Unless the Chinese authorities take steps to redress the situation urgently, a positive human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics looks increasingly beyond reach.
It is increasingly clear that much of the current wave of repression is occurring not in spite of the Olympics, but actually because of the Olympics. Peaceful human rights activists, and others who have publicly criticised official government policy, have been targeted in the official pre-Olympics “clean up”, in an apparent attempt to portray a “stable” or “harmonious” image to the world by August 2008.
India’s Soccer Captain Refuses to Join Beijing Olympic Torch Run
India’s soccer captain Bhaichung Bhutia says he will not carry the Beijing Olympic torch during its run through the Indian capital of New Delhi later this month. Bhutia said he is refusing to hold the torch because he wants to show his solidarity with Tibetans and voice his opposition to China’s handling of recent protests in Tibet and neighboring areas.
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