Olympic Host Ignites Controversy Across the Globe

Elaine Schumacher, Staff Reporter

Elaine_Schumacher@csumb.edu

May 1, 2008

Not since the U.S. led the

boycott of the Moscow Olympics

in 1980 has there been more

controversy surrounding the

universal competition than exists

now with the approaching games

in Beijing, China.

China’s long sought opportunity

to shine before the eyes of the

world is now being overshadowed

by negative publicity. The highly

anticipated torch relay in San

Francisco, the only city in North

America to host the torch run,

was changed minutes before

the scheduled start in order to

deter protestors. Peter Ueberroth,

United States Olympic Committee

Chairman, said the Olympic

torch relay was an important

moment for San Francisco to

show its commitment to peace

and tolerance. Many travelers

who came from long distances

did not get to see the torch pass by

because the course was shortened

and changed at the last minute.

While some believe the

emerging negative publicity has

been used as a ploy to bring

attention to the human rights

issues in Tibet, some believe the

Olympics should be celebrated

regardless of global conflicts.

Geographic Information

Systems professor Dr. Yong Lao is

supportive of the Olympics, “The

Olympics should be a celebration

of sport without the interference

of politics.”

China has done a great deal to

prepare for the upcoming Olympics,

such as learning English, building

arenas, sports venues to building

hotels to support the thousands of

spectators.

Protests against China’s

involvement are rooted in the

invasion of Tibet in 1950 and

China’s refusal to grant the country

independence which forced the

Dalai Lama, spiritual leader to

Tibetan Buddhists worldwide, to

seek exile in India in 1959, where

he has remained since. On March

14, anti-government protests in

Tibet’s capital of Lhasa, resulted in

riots and the deaths of 22 people.

Additionally, China has been

accused of maintaining relations

with the Sudanese government

by supplying weapons used to

support the ongoing ethnic conflict

in Darfur. Film Director, Steven

Spielberg withdrew as artistic

adviser for China’s opening

ceremonies, stating that his

conscience would not allow him to

continue while unspeakable crimes

are being committed in Darfur.

Some Americans sympathize

with Tibetans because they

represent peace and compassion.

While Dr. Lao supports the Dalai

Llama and his beliefs, he feels

that most Americans do not know

that Tibet’s history indicates the

promotion of slavery. He feels

that China is moving forward to

granting more religious freedom

and adopting the western system

of having elections and giving the

people of China a voice.

Human Communication

(HCOM) senior, Annette Partida

taught English in China from Dec

to July 2007. “The most common

misconception about the Chinese

is that the people are uninformed,”

said Partida. “They are advanced in

technology and are well informed

about world events.” Partida

believes that the Olympics will

be good for China but doubts they

will relinquish control of Tibet.

“When I first heard that China

was hosting the 2008 summer

Olympics, I was against it,” said

HCOM junior and Buddhist

Benjamin Waite. “Now I believe

it’s good because it has brought

the Tibetan issue to the spotlight,”

Waite has practiced Buddhism for

10 years, and traveled to the San

Francisco rally a few days before

the scheduled torch run, to lend

support for the Tibetan cause.

The controversy surrounding

China hosting the Olympic games

is fairly reminiscent of the 1936

Summer Olympics held in Berlin

while Adolph Hitler was in power.

The debate whether politics should

play any role in sports waged then

just as it does today.

“We are demanding that the

official torch should not be

carried on Mount Everest and

through Tibet…It’s an act of

provocation and a demonstration

of power by China to suppress

the Tibetan people,” said Kelsang

Gope, of the self-styled Tibetan

National Olympic Committee in

an interview with the Associated

Press in the “International Herald

Tribune” article, “Unofficial pro-

Tibet torch delivered to Olympic

headquarters.”