soc.culture.asian.american

Beijing Olympics is Becoming a Symbol of Disgrace ( And Drag IOC Down
With It ) -- IOC backs China human rights push

BBC SPORT

IOC backs China human rights push

The Beijing Olympics will help to improve the human rights situation in
China, says a senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official.

Francois Carrard, a former IOC director general, says the intense
spotlight of this summer's games will force China's government to
enhance its reputation.

"If the Games were not awarded to China the (human rights) situation
would not have progressed," he told BBC Sport.

"This is a contribution to progress, an accelerating factor."

China's human rights record has been under scrutiny ever since Beijing
was awarded the Olympics in 2001, and the IOC pledged to monitor the
situation.

Campaigners say China has not fulfilled its promise to make improvements
in the build-up to the Games, but the Chinese government flatly denies
the accusation.

Speaking to BBC sports editor Mihir Bose, Carrard - the IOC's legal
advisor - admitted it might not be possible to identify any advances in
the immediate future but maintained his optimism that the benefits would
be felt in the long-term future.

I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you if China had not been awarded
the Games - there is interest from the media and people concerned by
what are very important issues
name here

"The monitoring has gone on ever since (Beijing was awarded the Games),"
said Carrard. "Human rights is an overwhelming concern for all IOC members.

"The issue of human rights is not satisfactory in many countries around
the world today, not only in China.

"But I'm convinced that when we look at this with the perspective of
history we will see that the Olympic Games will have been an opportunity
for considerable progress.

"Whether we can judge this now, just before the Games, after the Games
or well after the Games remains to be seen."

Carrard urged observers to be patient in looking for improvements and
pointed out that China, a country with the world's largest population,
is somewhat unique.

"One must never forget that China has a time-frame which is totally
difference from the rest of the world and progress can not always be
measured by the same time standard," he said.

"We want immediate progress, we want things to happen within the next
six months or a year but China has another pace."

The IOC always felt it could not keep the Games away from the world's
most populated country, but opposition has intensified in recent months.

Earlier this month, film director Steven Spielberg withdrew as an
artistic advisor to the event, accusing China of not doing enough to
pressure Sudan to end the "continuing human suffering" in the troubled
western Darfur region.

Meanwhile, a coalition of international athletes has been formed under
the name Team Darfur and is campaigning heavily in the lead-up to the Games.


606: DEBATE

But the fact that there is debate about China's human rights record is
seen by the IOC as vindication of their decision to awarded Beijing the
Games, according to Bose.

"That is not a concern to me," says Carrard. "These voices are raised by
people who have another agenda and other concerns which I fully respect.
But I still feel they are wrong.

"I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you if China had not been awarded
the Games - there is interest from the media and people concerned by
what are very important issues.

"I respect what Mr Spielberg says but, respectfully, I totally disagree
with him."
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/olympics/7265593.stm

Published: 2008/02/26 20:30:34 GMT

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