NewsWord for April 15th, 2008
The Beijing Olympics Controversy
Alright, kids, I'll kick this off with something that's been in the news a lot these last few days, and that's the outrage that many people are feeling about this year's controversial Olympic games in Beijing.
A brief historical overview, for those who don't know what the situation is: In 1950, the People's Republic of China invaded Tibet after promising them "liberation". They made their way to central Tibet, and began helping the people of the country through things such as building roads and spreading money around. They treated the locals very well, according to many accounts. The People's Liberation Army released captive Tibetan soldiers who then went to Tibetan officials on behalf of the PLA, putting pressure on them to enter negotiations with the PLA. In May of 1951, the Tibetan government entered into a 17-point agreement with the PRC's Central People's Government, which affirmed China's rule over Tibet.
Fast forward by about 60 years, several rebellions, and tens of thousands of dead Tibetans. On March 10th, 2008, known as Tibetan Uprising Day (to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the failed 1959 rebellion against Beijing's rule), 300 Tibetan monks demanded the release of other monks that had been imprisoned from the previous fall. Eventually, political demands surfaced among the others, and the protests quickly escalated into full-scale riots, with lootings, deaths, and detention of many Tibetan monks. The Dalai Lama is hoping to open dialogue with Cinese officials, hoping to resolve the problems.
The games are currently underway in Beijing as of last week. Dozens of groups are protesting and boycotting the games, such as Students for a Free Tibet, who are protesting the games and pushing for liberation of Tibet; they also object to a Tibetan antelope being used as one of the mascots for the games. There has been talk of plans to stage an event like the Olympics in Tibet, since they didn't get independent representation at the Olympic games. The iconic Olympic torch run was disrupted many times along its tour, with several protesters attempting to even extinguish the torch. At the torch lighting ceremony in Greece, three members of Reporters Without Borders breached a cordon of 1000 policemen and ran behind Liu Qi, head of the Beijing Games committee, as he made a speech. One protester tried to snatch the microphone as another unrolled a black flag showing the Olympic rings as handcuffs. They were, of course, hauled off by the police.
I would be lying if I said I don't think what the Chinese government is doing to the people of Tibet is utterly shameful and despicable. Their oppression of the people of Tibet is unjust and I hope that someday, it will be stopped. But that doesn't mean I'm going to go to insane lengths to stop the Olympic games. There are better ways to express your opinion and help your cause than that. The people who are trying so vehemently to stop or disrupt the games are being foolish and reckless. They have every right to fight for their beliefs and they have the courage to stand up for them that many people don't, but there are better venues to do it then this. All these people do is hurt their own cause. If everyone tried to solve all the world's problems like this, it would be complete chaos. And what do they expect to accomplish? When did anyone make a huge difference by jumping up on a stage and interrupting a speech? Some people, like the Students for a Free Tibet, have the right idea when it comes to protesting. They are clear-thinking, and not trying to cause mass hysteria, but they are raising awareness in a public way; that is the way to make a difference. I personally think that it seems foolish that more people are concerned about Tibet now that the Olympics are involved and it's plastered all over the news; most of those people are trying to hide behind a mask of social awareness who normally wouldn't give a damn about it otherwise, who wouldn't sacrifice a single day or a single dollar to make a difference if they could. As far as the protests go, I support what they're trying to do; the people of Tibet should not be imposed upon by a hostile government and have their own government forced into exile. They should be free, there's no real question about it. The question is in how people should fight for it.
