I have just been browsing through the official Olympic website with a great deal of interest. I was particularly interested in the marketing campaign "Celebrating Humanity," the IOC Code of Ethics, and the Olympic Charter.
The IOC Code of Ethics II.6 states that: The Olympic parties must not be involved with firms or persons whose activity is inconsistent with the principles set out in the Olympic Charter and the present Code.
It then occurred to me, when looking at the list of candidate cities for the 2008 Olympic Games, how Beijing's application will be considered when the horrific human rights record of the China Communist Party (CCP) in China is compared to the noble standards of the Olympic Charter and Code of Ethics. If the recent accounts about China's human rights record are true (for example Amnesty International's 10-year update on torture in China, and the recent US report regarding human rights abuses in China), it seems that the CCP blatantly defies the Code of Ethics on a number of points (particularly in Section I, Dignity -- the very first point for example, Safeguarding the dignity of the individual is a fundamental requirement of Olympism).
I have been closely following the vicious abuse of Falun Gong adherents in China, and I am also aware of the CCP's discrimination against Catholics, Protestants, and other Christian groups, the Tibetan monks and pro-democracy supporters. There are so many examples of blatant discrimination by the CCP against its own people due to their beliefs, philosophical or political opinion (prohibited in section I.2 of the Code, and elsewhere). This section refers to "discrimination between participants." If Beijing is awarded the 2008 Olympic Games, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that any members of the above groups will be prohibited from representing China in these games, due to their beliefs--particularly since many of these people would be behind bars, or being tortured in the infamous Chinese "Reeducation through Labour" camps or Detention Centres.
From the reports I have read, China would like the world to believe that its human rights abuses are internal affairs, and, regarding these abuses, Hein Verbruggen was quoted saying that the IOC "cannot take positions on political matters." Human rights abuses are not political, they are crimes against humanity. How can the current Olympic marketing campaign "Celebrating Humanity" be taken seriously if China's gross human rights abuses against its own people are discounted in the IOC's decision-making process?
Section V.I of the IOC Code of Ethics states: ... the spirit of humanism, fraternity and respect for individuals which inspires the Olympic ideal requires the governments of countries that are to host the Olympic Games to undertake that their countries will scrupulously respect the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter and the present Code.
If Jiang Zemin does not even honour the freedom and human rights of the Chinese people, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the UN Charter of Human Rights, how can you possibly expect that he will honour any other code or charter, specifically the Olympic Charter and IOC Code of Ethics?
Please do not discount the horrific human rights abuse currently occurring under Jiang Zemin's government, and his government's shameful record in refusing to uphold its own constitution, when deciding the suitability of Beijing's hosting the 2008 Olympics.
Yours sincerely
Category: Opinion & Perspective
