Us Congress Talks Boycott!

[Sir Rols]

Just came across this item. Maybe the US members can tell us if this is just some symbolic resolution doomed to failure or whether it's serious:

WASHINGTON, Aug 7, 2007 (AFP) - US legislators have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for a boycott of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing unless it ``stops engaging in serious human rights abuses,'' a Congressional aide said Tuesday.

Backed initially by eight lawmakers from President George W. Bush's Republican party, the resolution also wants Beijing to ``stop supporting serious human rights abuses by the governments'' of Sudan, Myanmar and North Korea, the aides said.

The resolution, a copy of which was made available to AFP, is expected to be debated by the House foreign affairs committee when lawmakers return from recess in early September.

Comparing the 2008 games to the Berlin 1936 Olympics, which occurred at the time of the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany, the resolution said ``the integrity of the host country is of the utmost importance so as not to stain the participating athletes or the character of the games.''

It said ``the Chinese regime regularly denies the right to freedom of conscience, expression, religion, and association,'' and that it has held thousands of political prisoners without charge or trial.

The resolution was sponsored by a top China critic in the House, Dana Rohrabacher, and co-sponsored by, among seven others, ranking Republican lawmaker Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

I don't think this will help Chicago's 2016 cause _ it's not a way to win the hearts and minds of the IOC at a time when there's already concern about anti-Americanism.

[Lenric]

RUBBISH AMERICA. How about Iraq? How about Somalia? How about Afghanistan? Those rubbish politians always like to make Human Rights as the biggest weapon againest other countries. Why not sell your American's thousands of bloody and high polluted factories l;ocated on the soil of China to improve the poverty of the Chinese people so that a good part of the 1.3 billion Chinese people could have a chance to be educated so that they could understand what your human rights should be?

faking your kindness is so unwise, American DAD~

[Lenric]

By the way, the human right affairs belong to the Chinese internal affair. Ok~that's Chinese government's fault, but how about those Chinese who are looking forward to share the joy of the olympics~you doing such boycott, could it be called as harming the their free wills and expectation for a better lives which also a part of Human Rights?

[LinkParkFn]

I pray this isn't serious, and if it is, I would hate to see the looks on the faces of the athletes who have qualified for the Games only to be told, "You are not going to the Games and if you try to go, we will revoke your citizenship."

Look, whatever you may think of China, noone can ever convince me, or the athletes themselves, that a boycott will do any good.

As far as I'm concerned, I am really looking forward to the Beijing Games and seeing what the people of China can do. From what I've seen, it's basically the reverse of the Torino Games, when 90% of Italia's population either didn't know that they were hosting an Olympics and those that did protested against them. The people in China, and Chinese abroad, are genuinely excited for the Games.

Honestly, if I had my drothers, I'd go to Beijing, not only for the Olympic Games, but also to see everything there as it's a beautiful city and I am interested in Chinese history. But watching the Games will be a nice consolation prize.

[Sir Rols]

I pray this isn't serious, and if it is, I would hate to see the looks on the faces of the athletes who have qualified for the Games only to be told, "You are not going to the Games and if you try to go, we will revoke your citizenship."

Look, whatever you may think of China, noone can ever convince me, or the athletes themselves, that a boycott will do any good.

As far as I'm concerned, I am really looking forward to the Beijing Games and seeing what the people of China can do. From what I've seen, it's basically the reverse of the Torino Games, when 90% of Italia's population either didn't know that they were hosting an Olympics and those that did protested against them. The people in China, and Chinese abroad, are genuinely excited for the Games.

Honestly, if I had my drothers, I'd go to Beijing, not only for the Olympic Games, but also to see everything there as it's a beautiful city and I am interested in Chinese history. But watching the Games will be a nice consolation prize.

I'm pretty sure this can't be serious. Surely they would have learned the lessons of 1980 _ such a boycott will only cause international and domestic bitterness and will surely backfire on any desires by the US to mend bridges with the IOC. I'm pretty certain this is more a bit of grandstanding by a few Congress members for a domestic audience in a pre-election year.

Call me a mealy-mouthed collaborator or appeaser, but I truly believe the best way for democracy to develop in China is gradually through the growth of a strong and large middle class and more and more engagement with the world in general and democratic countries in particular. Boycotts will do nothing more but to make China feel more isolated and unfairly picked-upon and encourage the leadership to withdraw further. And anyway, I agree more with a recent comment by one of the IOC heavies (I can't remember if it was Rogge, Pound, Gosper or whoever) _ "If we allow countries to compete in the games, then we also have to allow them to host".

[Alan in Montréal]

By the way, the human right affairs belong to the Chinese internal affair.

That's nonsense. Firstly China promised changes in its bid - in fact, promoted changes in human rights issues as a reason for the IOC to give them the Games. Secondly, according to your logic, no one had a right to complain or fight Nazi war crimes in WWII because it was an internal German affair. Don't be ridiculous. Human rights issues transcend national borders. And China promised the world changes. You cannot just now walk away and say "hey - it's none of your business and stay out of it." China answered critics promising changes if awared the Games. They committed to it. They have to live up to their promises.

Having said that, I think the US Congres is blowing a lot of hot air here and taking advantage of the situation. BUT - this does not mean China should not be held to its promises.

[SOlympiadsW]

Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan aren't relevant or the same thing....there was "talk" in Congress and the State Department about the USA boycotting Athens when their incompetency was creating major security concerns in the months leading up to those Games, but of course that went absolutely no where, as I suspect this won't neither. The USA and their billions of dollars that fund the Olympic movement will surely be there come next summer. I do however hope that Beijing and China at least attempt to fullfill some of the promises they made when they were bidding, as they have failed to so far. If not it's their loss, they can spend as much money as they want and come up with all the great ideas they wish, but failure to make some changes in regards to human rights will completely distract from this and detract from their edition of the Games no matter what they do

[arwebb]

Exactly right. This is just more bluster to go with the bluster we've had about meaningful change in China as a result of the Olympics. Where's the evidence that what was pledged is actually happening?

[Guardian]

In the end, boycotts "simply don't work." Look at the "laughing stocks" of the past, when it comes to this sort of thing and the "hypocrisy" afterward.

[Guardian]

By the way, is there a "pseudo-boycott" going to happen soon? According to the BBC, this "first boycott" of Beijing 2008 could come from the "most unlikely source": CUBA!

Not because of the country of China itself, but how Cuban boxers were "coerced" into going professional by pro-boxing talent seekers during the Rio 2007 Pan American Games. Fidel Castro has warned "all Cuban boxers" not to go to Chicago for the 2007 World Boxing Championships because of the reason above, the usual explanations of anti-Americanism and, of course, defections. That will mean that Cuba could send no boxers to the Beijing 2008 Games. Talk about a "snubbing" of one "Communist nation to another here."

[Lenric]

That's nonsense. Firstly China promised changes in its bid - in fact, promoted changes in human rights issues as a reason for the IOC to give them the Games. Secondly, according to your logic, no one had a right to complain or fight Nazi war crimes in WWII because it was an internal German affair. Don't be ridiculous. Human rights issues transcend national borders. And China promised the world changes. You cannot just now walk away and say "hey - it's none of your business and stay out of it." China answered critics promising changes if awared the Games. They committed to it. They have to live up to their promises.

Having said that, I think the US Congres is blowing a lot of hot air here and taking advantage of the situation. BUT - this does not mean China should not be held to its promises.

you are misunderstanding, dude. so human rights affair could be universal, however, when it refers to a nation's internal system, such as the political liberation and development, it's definitly under the power of the current authority. The fact of the human rights and the dealing process of human right are totally different. If Hitler didn't take over the German internal system and won the internal election, do you think German people were willing to send their troops to the war for no purpose? are you a jewish? if not, I dare to say that German killing JEWISH for non-JEWISH people themselves, that's not a human right problem. 'they are even helping for their coming generation to spread the size of the land for promoting their human rights in the future'. Ok~that's really offensive, but that's also real in logic in history. Do you remember the appeasement policy of Britain and France during WWII? Do you remember the Treaty of non-Aggression Between Soviet Union and Germany? Did your grandpa's grandpa promised anything for demonstrating a better human rights union transcend national borders?

Check out the partiction of Triple Entente to the Germany in Paris Peace Conference, was that really HUMAN RIGHT?

And we also have a look at the GREAT DEPRESSION. which single politcal party and power at that time cause America such great human right disaster? How about AIDS? could you dare to say thousands of HIV POSITIVE in America, the American government should not take the biggest responsbility or let the developing countries to suffer from the international pressure?

I'll ask who should take the responsbility of your health and who can mostly effective to control your health? I'll sure you know that. If you promise me all the time you would definitly take the pill but I'll never help you in the real need such as the money but always shout at your face or kick your ass or trying to seperate your body into small pieces. do you think you could really be healed? You must be a middle class, otherwise you would never have such feeling~ but to boycott Beijing games only harm for most of the Chinese people,why? cauze China already invested huge amount of money, they the money from the tax-payer~isn't that killing CHINESE middle class which could lead the real democracy in CHINA?

do YOU HAVE A BRAIN? MY DEAR FRIEND?

[Lenric]

Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan aren't relevant or the same thing....there was "talk" in Congress and the State Department about the USA boycotting Athens when their incompetency was creating major security concerns in the months leading up to those Games, but of course that went absolutely no where, as I suspect this won't neither. The USA and their billions of dollars that fund the Olympic movement will surely be there come next summer. I do however hope that Beijing and China at least attempt to fullfill some of the promises they made when they were bidding, as they have failed to so far. If not it's their loss, they can spend as much money as they want and come up with all the great ideas they wish, but failure to make some changes in regards to human rights will completely distract from this and detract from their edition of the Games no matter what they do

Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan aren't relevant or the same thing

YES,it is just because they are different, so the American policy for each of these are different(some with positive attitude, some with negative attitude), but the human right disasiter are the same~ children lost their families, wife lost their husbands, there are no houses, even clean food and water. The fact of human rights cause more chaos (we just don't judge at any moral level or legal level). for some, they lost their spririts, for some, they lost they lives. I believe that's true for both Iraqi people and American people. However, that's real sad~and to improve it, do you think to spread the differences do really helP? I believe that's real also in sociology. Olympics could be involved politics, but you have to remember what is the porpuse for founding the Olympics? America is the most powerful one in the world, but is it in moral value all the time~I suspect.

China was a nation with long and heavy history, before the communist party, China already got tons of the human right problem (some you might never understand). why? because China was blocked from the outside world. So there is only wayto make China open as more as possible, Chinese and the West could understand easily with each other. Olympics is just the oppotunity, if the Chinese people could see more, why couldn't they been changed?

To boycott is so COLD-WAR. American might never know US government also blocked information and propogandise sth that might put the stars and the stripes in a huge embarrisment.

it's very natural in every nation

[Lenric]

By the way, is there a "pseudo-boycott" going to happen soon? According to the BBC, this "first boycott" of Beijing 2008 could come from the "most unlikely source": CUBA!

Not because of the country of China itself, but how Cuban boxers were "coerced" into going professional by pro-boxing talent seekers during the Rio 2007 Pan American Games. Fidel Castro has warned "all Cuban boxers" not to go to Chicago for the 2007 World Boxing Championships because of the reason above, the usual explanations of anti-Americanism and, of course, defections. That will mean that Cuba could send no boxers to the Beijing 2008 Games. Talk about a "snubbing" of one "Communist nation to another here."

lol~I understand why there are always a word COMMUNIST involved China all the time. However, if you really go to China, you are going to see a so non-communist lifestyle for common Chinese people in China

To 'break out' with Communist nation is so natural, why? because Chinese government are not enjoying the mode of the COLD WAR. you might don't know USSR and China did break out very seriously in the early 1960s, there are even wars over the borders. 1993, China failed to win the bid for the 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES with only 2 votes, one is USA, one is North Korea~~ (the reasons you might know), in the early 1980s, China broke up with communist Vietnam~ Chinese communist government even compromise Russia a huge large-size land for the socalled relationship~ did the West, especially America ever help againest that?

It's all politics, only the people suffering from the isolation and war

[Guardian]

lol~I understand why there are always a word COMMUNIST involved China all the time. However, if you really go to China, you are going to see a so non-communist lifestyle for common Chinese people in China

To 'break out' with Communist nation is so natural, why? because Chinese government are not enjoying the mode of the COLD WAR. you might don't know USSR and China did break out very seriously in the early 1960s, there are even wars over the borders. 1993, China failed to win the bid for the 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES with only 2 votes, one is USA, one is North Korea~~ (the reasons you might know), in the early 1980s, China broke up with communist Vietnam~ Chinese communist government even compromise Russia a huge large-size land for the socalled relationship~ did the West, especially America ever help againest that?

It's all politics, only the people suffering from the isolation and war

Hence, the quotations symbols there.

[Fox334]

By the way, is there a "pseudo-boycott" going to happen soon? According to the BBC, this "first boycott" of Beijing 2008 could come from the "most unlikely source": CUBA!

Not because of the country of China itself, but how Cuban boxers were "coerced" into going professional by pro-boxing talent seekers during the Rio 2007 Pan American Games. Fidel Castro has warned "all Cuban boxers" not to go to Chicago for the 2007 World Boxing Championships because of the reason above, the usual explanations of anti-Americanism and, of course, defections. That will mean that Cuba could send no boxers to the Beijing 2008 Games. Talk about a "snubbing" of one "Communist nation to another here."

I would assume they could get one or two invitational places, thought. And beside, they will be a continental qualification, so Cuba will probably send boxers, maybe just not a full squad (6 athletes).

[SOlympiadsW]

oh calm the hell down Lenric...every nation in the world is/was involved in event's that turn heads...this isn't the place to bring them all up...what it boils down to is Beijing made PROMISES to the international community to clean up their act with regards to Human Rights and it seems that they have literally done everything to prepare for the Olympic Games with the exception of this....it's the equivalent of if they failed to provide a major venue like the Bird Nest stadium or something that they promised in their bid...you just don't do that because it will completely detract from anything else they do...the inetrnational community is merely trying to put some last minute pressure to get China to at least ATTEMPT to achieve this promise THEY made....but as I said, there won't be any boycott, and in the end failure by China to adress Human Right's issues will only hurt their edition of the Games and nation for decades to come...it's their choice

stop citing every single world tragedy/war you can think of...because other than involving Human Rights, it has nothing to do with this particular discussion

[Alan in Montréal]

you are misunderstanding, dude. so human rights affair could be universal, however, when it refers to a nation's internal system, such as the political liberation and development, it's definitly under the power of the current authority. The fact of the human rights and the dealing process of human right are totally different...

{snip}

This is one of the silliests responses I've read regarding this issue. If you want to engage in a debate, let's do so, but resulting to insults ("Do you have a brain...") means it's not worth my time. Next time, instead of getting defensive, try a more logical intelligent response.

By the way, this is the SECOND major promise they've not kept. The other involved a little promise to clean-up the environment, but one year out, news reports of the "one year countdown" were rife with pictures and stories about the unbelievable air pollution.

Oh - we won't even go near the "farming live organs from political prisoners" allegations at this time.

Edited August 9, 2007 by juan antonio

[arwebb]

By the way, is there a "pseudo-boycott" going to happen soon? According to the BBC, this "first boycott" of Beijing 2008 could come from the "most unlikely source": CUBA!

Not because of the country of China itself, but how Cuban boxers were "coerced" into going professional by pro-boxing talent seekers during the Rio 2007 Pan American Games. Fidel Castro has warned "all Cuban boxers" not to go to Chicago for the 2007 World Boxing Championships because of the reason above, the usual explanations of anti-Americanism and, of course, defections. That will mean that Cuba could send no boxers to the Beijing 2008 Games. Talk about a "snubbing" of one "Communist nation to another here."

If I may be selfish for a moment, fingers crossed they do. It'll certainly make it a bit easier for our lads to get amongst the medals.

[cfm Jeremie]

This is politician cowardice at its best (and this has nothing against the US, some French politicians have also talked about a boycott)!

Sure, lets force the athletes to give up their life long dream and boycott China when we kindly vote to sell weapons and other equipments to such great democracies as KSA or Lybia (now vetoing this kind of contracts would mean that they have some b*lls because that might not be too popular with voters if such vetoes result in job cuts or with some major oil suppliers).

China is certainly no paradise and has a lot of issues to deal with and if some athletes decide they don't want to compete in Beijing, I will respect their choice. But why should some politicians decide who gets to compete or not.

[Alan in Montréal]

China is certainly no paradise and has a lot of issues to deal with and if some athletes decide they don't want to compete in Beijing, I will respect their choice. But why should some politicians decide who gets to compete or not.

Sorry Jeremie, but I disagree to a certain extent. Although the Games should be about sport and not politics, China openned itself up to scrutiny on this issue.

China did bid knowing that there were human rights issues in 2002 when the bid was going down, and it was China who answered these concerns by indicating that "giving us the Games would actually quicken reform". Evidence actually suggests that the opposite is true. And just like every other hosts, it's China that is pushing the political side of the Games by openly telling its people that the Games will give them the opportunity to show the world what they are capable of, etc.

I do not in any way advocate a boycott. They are useless. However, the mere threat of a boycott may help to push things forward just a bit in China. In the end, I don't support any boycott at this time.

[Lenric]

oh calm the hell down Lenric...every nation in the world is/was involved in event's that turn heads...this isn't the place to bring them all up...what it boils down to is Beijing made PROMISES to the international community to clean up their act with regards to Human Rights and it seems that they have literally done everything to prepare for the Olympic Games with the exception of this....it's the equivalent of if they failed to provide a major venue like the Bird Nest stadium or something that they promised in their bid...you just don't do that because it will completely detract from anything else they do...the inetrnational community is merely trying to put some last minute pressure to get China to at least ATTEMPT to achieve this promise THEY made....but as I said, there won't be any boycott, and in the end failure by China to adress Human Right's issues will only hurt their edition of the Games and nation for decades to come...it's their choice

stop citing every single world tragedy/war you can think of...because other than involving Human Rights, it has nothing to do with this particular discussion

lol~ i am just giving the examples, if you are not willing to listen to, that's your free will. coz I am just telling the truth, telling the historical fact that Human Rights Issues are always happening all the time anywhere. Don't tell me you are that naive to think BEIJING would be able to deal with the so-called promises all together just before the games started. How about after the games? How about the possible another Olympic Games in China in the future? And also how about the rest part of China?

Actually the Games is the Games, China is still the China. To make the promise is always easy, but to break it is quite easy as well. To put some last minute pressure is understandable, however, I suspect that is going to be effective really. Beijing Games for Chinese central leadership, it is really a politics show. Have a look at the Bird Nest, how much money they invested into it? There are a lot of local residents been forced to leave their houses, that's pathetic. but you might don't know after the games, there are also thousands of them are going to move to the Olympic Villiages. The new lines of the subway been opened in just these 2 and 3 years and starting to improve the both air polution and transpotation quite much. To improve the Beijing Games, the central government moved 2 biggest and high polluted steal works miles aways from Beijing in order to improve the enviornment around Beijing. Beijing is also a city lack of water in fact, so the nation invests huge amount of money to set up a so-called 'SOUTH WATHER TO THE NORTH' system which actually could be potentially harmful to the enviornment of south China for filling the need of Beijing.......everything is towards to Beijing. That's the reality of China........

the organs of the prinsioners, athletes, blah blah~~~~~~I don't see anything that a 17-day Olympic Games could deal with it~

How about the inflation in China now? Could you make the market to promise you are going to be free for buying everything in great great Beijign? who cares mostly on this? Chinese themselves. Who understands themselves mostly? Chinese people~ Who could become the saviour of Chinese People, I would rather believe in God than the so-called Internation pressure. Just yesterday, I saw a news that BOCOG is going to provide free deomostration and dinner for the foreign athletes. I found that's disgusting~ BOCOG IS LICKING foreignERS' ass so much that ignore the harsh circumstance of the Chinese athletes~

so does it belong to a human right problem? if it is, trying to tell the athletes of your nation that don't eat it, don't drink it, don't sleep it for helping achieve the promise of Beijing BID.

The action is far more effective than the talk~ believe me.

IF you are also going to improve Chinese human right, don't learn from this brother~

at least, CHINA IS RISING~the people are not going to tollerate this in Beijing 2008

[Lenric]

This is one of the silliests responses I've read regarding this issue. If you want to engage in a debate, let's do so, but resulting to insults ("Do you have a brain...") means it's not worth my time. Next time, instead of getting defensive, try a more logical intelligent response.

By the way, this is the SECOND major promise they've not kept. The other involved a little promise to clean-up the environment, but one year out, news reports of the "one year countdown" were rife with pictures and stories about the unbelievable air pollution.

Oh - we won't even go near the "farming live organs from political prisoners" allegations at this time.

Sorry~i'm tired and not going to discuss with you~coz that's worthless. I know even more human rights problems of China than yours~ are you interested in listening to it for 1001 nights?

''pictures and stories about the unbelievable air pollution''----------gosh~you should come to Beijing~ to feel the real UNBELIEVABLE one~ otherwise you would be pity for your whole life

If I took some pics of your toliet with the title - UNBELIEVABLE CANADIAN LANDSCAPE, you must be very happy~

this is the most brainless and naivest responses i have also read in my entire life~

[cfm Jeremie]

China did bid knowing that there were human rights issues in 2002 when the bid was going down, and it was China who answered these concerns by indicating that "giving us the Games would actually quicken reform". Evidence actually suggests that the opposite is true. And just like every other hosts, it's China that is pushing the political side of the Games by openly telling its people that the Games will give them the opportunity to show the world what they are capable of, etc.

China told the IOC what it wanted to hear... The IOC has heard what it wanted to hear.

One cannot expect a more than 1 billion country completely changing over 6 years. China is actually changing: if it were not for the Games, the Chinese Government probably wouldn't have made the first moves against child labour for example.

The effect of hosting the Games on China will also have to be evaluated during the years following the Games.

And I state with my position about the boycott: pathetic, hypocritical and useless.

[Lenric]

China told the IOC what it wanted to hear... The IOC has heard what it wanted to hear.

One cannot expect a more than 1 billion country completely changing over 6 years. China is actually changing: if it were not for the Games, the Chinese Government probably wouldn't have made the first moves against child labour for example.

The effect of hosting the Games on China will also have to be evaluated during the years following the Games.

And I state with my position about the boycott: pathetic, hypocritical and useless.

IOC is not the United Nations, if possible, I do think the UN is actually a more effectivel role for helping China to improve human rights. Don't forget China is also the BIG 5 of the UN.

I meant Chinese politics is so pathetic at some level such as the ONE CHILD POLICY, but you might don't know in Chinese tradition, the family would always prefer boys more than girls. So in the early 1880s, you could always see the parents were selling their girls in the market similar to the slave trade in early Africa~or there were trades for boys who been kidnapted from other familes. Could you imagine how terrible it is? Have you ever saw a film called THE INN OF THE SIX HAPPINESS. I hope you could see that film then you would be able to understand what I am talking about.

The Chinese baby boom starts in the early communist period, Mao made a famous statement 'MORE PEOPLE, MORE POWER', Coz Chinese was isolated by the West due to the Cold War. Everything that need to be rebuilt starts from zero. There is only USSR did a little construction support. It is really similar as the post-war period in the West, but China definitly much more poorer. Mao made a mistake that he thought China could possible catch up the West in only 15-20 years, so there came out one of the most ridiculars chapter in Chinese modern history --- The GREAT JUMP revolution. more and more people, but not enough food ( you know in communist theory, the people do not need to pay anything for the daily need, even food) . So finally, the consequence came out with more than thousand millions people dead on their hunger over the land of China.

Maybe some of the clips of HUMAN RIGHT DISASTER still hiding from the public, but you could possibly imagine.

Now, the ONE CHILD POLICY is still controling the birth rate of China, Chinese government still believes the huge population is really causing unbelievable pressure on Chinese economy and society. It's like it is impossible to support enough education, enough health service, enough natural resources need and relevant public service. Because of that, there may comes poverty, crimes, and possible the old human-rights disasiters i mentioned above.

Can you believe this is a classroom for more than a hundred children studying together?

Poverty forcing the boy only choose to stay in the valley and support the entire family.

You can see this boy is crying (look at his lunch), because he couldn't afford to go to school. Because of the Mao period been passed, everything needs high price now, so it is the education. Lack the chance of the education means you have to stay miles away from the outside world in your whole life.

Maybe for some family, they could afford the school, but there is only for one person, in the traditional family(especially the lower class far away from the urban areas), mostly the girls would give it up before their parents ask for the opinion.

This girl was crying that she couldn't do the homework at night because of the heavy work of the family.

Could you imagine these the hands of a 5-year-old boy?

This girl is impossible to go to school, she even couldn't afford the glove.

These pics are real, I think that's far more common and important human rights issues than the ones BOCOG promised. I do even think they were not brave enough to promise more. why? This is the issue of the entire China, not only Beijing. One Child Policy is controversial, this because some of the local governments taking advantages of these for earning the political and financial benefit, especially in the poor areas that lack of the communication between the higher authority and the lower authority. There you goes the women been forced to give their child up when they were pregant. That's cruel and definitly illegal . However, this occurs in secret and even Beijing never heard about it. In general, some people support the policy because they do really think the large population may cause another 'THE GREAT JUMP' disasiter and also the natural resource per person is far under the standard of the UN. the people who are against this because they do think that's the shame for Chinese future and human rights. but We have to see the both sides. The population issue of China is so complex to find out a proper win-win answer. At least, I felt that if every Chinese owns a Car as in the West, I believe the global warming already make the earth another Venus

I hope those children, the new generation who are able to lead China in a better future could really enjoy the Olympics first time which is about to come near them. That's already worthy enough for lots of Chinese familes. I believe through 2008 games, they would be able to learn more from the world as the world learn more from China.

[Alan in Montréal]

Lenric:

For what it's worth, I happen to believe that Beijing 2008 will be the most spectacular Summer Olympic Games ever, and it will be very difficult for any other nation to outdo China's efforts. Despite what you may think, I am very much looking forward to Beijing 2008.