Should Olympics athletes protest human right abuses in China?
Canada's flag-bearer Adam van Koeverden recently told Canada AM the Olympics Games are an "opportunity for dialogue" about issues that affect China such as Tibet's fight for independence. U.S. President George Bush, meanwhile, has called on American competitors to be "ambassadors of freedom," to which China retorted by urging them to "promote friendship among the peoples of the world." Many argue that we need to keep human rights (including religious freedom) and sports separate. However, I would argue that the Chinese, themselves, opened the door by promising to improve their human rights record as a condition for being awarded the Olympics in the first place.
So, the question I would like to ask viewers of this blog is this: Should Olympics athletes protest human right abuses in China? I would also love to hear any comments you might have.
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1 comment:
It depends what is meant by protest. I don't see athletes marching with signs and banners decrying human rights abuses. However I would expect athletes, as well as others visiting, to be bold and honest and stand for what is true - to be a witness and bear testimony - and not to back away for the sake of political expediency. Richard Wurmbrand even asked why Christians protest their enemies rather than invite them to dinner.
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