Poland threatens to boycott Beijing Olympics

But they actually can do what they want and the world will try to appease to them anyway.



I don't like IOC forbidding free speech. If Chinese decided to organize such event then they should accept consequences like for example free speech. Generally politicians want to have all the initiative to create trends and people's views. They would hate somebody really popular like well known sportsmen in his moment of glory to express opinions that they don't like.

But unfortunatly we've been turning a blind eye to the atrocities of China for an awful long time. Wyspianska is right, it shouldn't be down to athletes to make a stand! It should be down to the politicians. The world should have made a stand after they murdered between 200–300 (PRC government figures), to 400–800 (The New York Times), and to 2,000–3,000 (Chinese student associations and Chinese Red Cross) innocent people in the Tiananmen square protests in 1989.

Politics should not be involved in sport.
However, China was chosen precisely for political and economic reasons so the Olympics are already politicised.

Tibet is the main focus but what about other satellite regions of China where the indigenous populations are persecuted.
The world is focussing on the middle east as the setting for the next global crisis. I believe this will be provided by Taiwan.

I believe that when the western ( American ) markets are in recession, China will then firm up claims to Taiwan. This could lead to a cuban missile type showdown which the west would have to capitulate to due to the superior strength of Chinas' economy and resources.

Yeah, Bratwurst Boy knows what he's talking about, look what had happened 3 years after the 1936 Berlin Olympics :(
Sorry, I had to :)

The orginazed boycott of 1980 Moscow Olympics (as a consequence of Russian assault at Afganistan) didn't work. Many big western countires allowed their athletes to participate.

I agree with the idea of politicians boycotting, athlets fighting for medals, but I'm afraid it will be the other way around, because the politicians (and especially big industry/finance sectors) don't care. Athlets didn't choose Beijing, this place was forced upon them by the IOC.



That was bloody obvious since ... forever
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the massacre of 3,000-5,000 people, with 10,000 hurt and several thousands arrested (some of them executed) - that's enough to know China is a country you can't change that easily. They still continue their communist "dynasty" (they never had a democratic "revolution" like in Eastern European countries), and we (Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia) had tried several times to introduce some kind of a "communism with a human face" - it never worked. It never worked in Russia either, why would it happen in China? Monsters will be monsters.

After having read a few interviews with Polish athlets, I expect them to boycott the Opening Ceremony (the most popular event at the Olympic Games), by simply not showing, but it won't be enough, noone will notice. If all UE athletes wouldn't participate, their lack would be much more visible.

And of course IOC regulations don't allow any kind of political statements (verbal or non-verbal) during the sport events, medal awarding ceremony or at any Olympic venues (Olympic village included) - those who don't obey will be disqualified and lose their medals, so the only thing the athlets can do is to manifest their opinions outside of the Olympic area :(

Just a few days ago a Serbian swimmer was expelled from the EC in Holland, after showing up on the podium wearing a T-shirt with "Kosovo is Serbia". He kept his medal (I hope), but he won't be allowed to compete in other scheduled events.

No sorry...you are absolutely right!
Athletes even gave the Hitler salute....does anybody today now cares about their medals??? No!

This is freedom of speech in the EU. If he would wear T-shirt with blue flag and yellow stars they would praise him and award additionally Peace Nobel Prize.

it's not EU, it's European Swimming Federation who are the organizers, but you obviously want to kill two birds with one stone :)

What i find so amazing about this situation is:

China has had bad human rights issues for a long time now and thats not the only thing, they claim to be democratic when they are actually a communist state.

WHy the games was ever awarded to them is beyond me, another point i'd like to make is that why wasn't all this fuss kicked up pre-selection for the hosts. Where were all the people saying 'you shouldn't go to the games' when they were deciding who to give the games too.

China should not have even been awarded the games let alone having the worlds greatest athletes turn up and perform. However it shows what a joke the IAAF are :)

Commerce, trade. Cash outweighs human rights.

It was.

True.
It cracks me up when people go on about "the spirit of the games". Yeah right.

Its all about sponsorship. China is a massive market and the Olympics will be a great inroad for many global companies.

uuuummmm for who???? the chinese, who gives a dam if they don't make money because they haven't got the games. NOT ME FOR SURE.

There are other countries who can pump more money into the games than china, they didn't have to give it to them for monetary reasons.


obviously not enough :)


as i said above there are other nations that could put as much if not more money into it without crippling their own population :)

Sorry, didn't mean yourself.

True - I know I didn't.

A couple of posts ago I mentioned Taiwan. As well as the massive commercial market, there is the political aspect. Trying to get China to back off from Taiwan at the expense of Tibet.

Poor IAAF (track and field federation), I guess you meant IOC :)

yeah thats who i meant,lol, thanks clever clogs :)

Event was organized in the territory of the EU. I can refer to famous Mark Bosman case, where European court ruled out that football clubs from the EU must stick to EU laws. If so Serbian swimmer should sue ESF to European court. If he would lose, it means that freedom of speech in the EU is not respected. In fact I know such examples which confirm that it is not, from Germany, France or Sweden.

Crow, if you read this I encourage you to send this message to Serbian swimming federation and swimmer himself.

Dear Polish
I am a common chinese and I am living in Beijing .
I just want to bring you one simple truth :

"Tibet to China"
= "Texas/Hawaii/Vermont to USA"
= "Bavaria to Germany"
= "Corsica to France"
= "Basque to Spain"
="Scotland/Wales to UK"
= "Punjab to India"
= "Okinawa to Japan"
= "Quebec to Canada"
= "Sicily to Italy"
= "Chechnya to Russia" ...

Have you been to CHINA ? Come here and see how CHINA change , see how chinese people change .
The two videos below are on Youtube, You may have a look if you have time.

Welcome to Beijing. for the 2008 Olympic Games. Actually, China is totally different and you just still don't know.

Riot in Tibet: True face of western media
youtube.com/watch?v=uSQnK5FcKas

Tibet WAS,IS,and ALWAYS WILL BE a part of China
youtube.com/watch?v=x9QNKB34cJo

Wrong!

I don't see Texans/Hawaians/Vermontans protesting on the streets for freedom from the US
I don't see Bavarians protesting on the streets for freedom from Germany
I don't see Corsicans protesting on the streets for freedom from France
Basques are fighting for independence from Spain (some of them)
I don't see protesting Scots and Walisians on the streets for Freedom from GB
I don't see Quebecians protesting on the streets for freedom from Canada.
I don't see sicilians protesting on the streets for freedom from Italy.

And what's most important I don't see a violant and brutal oppression of these people in their countries.

There is a movement of chechnyans to fight for independence and freedom from Russia - but then China and Russia are good pals, aren't you.

I appreciate your point, Beijing, I really do. I understand that this is not a black and white issue and that its more complicated than people think. The difference is, to the minds of many, in the severity of the suppression. Both physically and idealogically. Trust me, Vermont was never like that. Again, I see what you're saying, Beijing, and I hope the Olympics are a success.

Oh, and Bratwurst Boy, I hate to correct our glorious Kaiser but its VermontERS, not Vermontans. Subtle difference to be sure, but to those people, it's everything. Vermonters are weird. In fact, its Quebecois, also.

Dear EbonyandBathory
Thanks for your integrity and kindness.
Actually, Just like you said. All chinese people (>1.3 billion) are eager to host a successful Olympic Game in Beijing this summer but we can't sell our territorial integrity and sovereignty.

As far as Tibet is a part of CHINA, This is a long long history and I don't want to argue this with all polish because every nation has its own history.

Actually, Western media are good at making up stories to catch eyes.

Tibets were not so peaceful like you thought.
Please see the video below on Youtube.
youtube.com/watch?v=JZLzKBvvGMg&feature=related
youtube.com/watch?v=zfnBVKrzX6Y

Western media are bunch of propagandists, just like you however unlike you they are doing this really well...

All what I want to say is that : Please come to beijing , to CHINA and see what happen and then you will know everything.

If you want, I can post all the content in this topic onto all major chinse forums (more than one million users for each forum) and I think many chinese "propagandists" are willing to discuss with you.

Please don't use "propagandists" , This will insult yourself. Everyone has his own viewpoint.

I have to go to bed and it's 4:00 AM now. :)

It cannot because I used this word not as an insult but to describe reality.

Poland has less to lose than some other countries. China is a huge global trader and their goods have helped out many. Poland is no exception. However, Poland should be careful not to lose trade unnecessarily.

Good News :)


*Christ on a fekkin bike Admin, it's too early on a sunday morning to play hunt the quote button*

Translates as " I work for Red inteligence service....."

Invaded in 1950 as Red expansion under Butcher Mao.

Texas,including its hispanic majority voted for Statehood and indipendance from SPAIN....Vermont,eh,wtf Probably about the first state,in the east,wher,by and large Europeans and Native Americans lived and traded together in peace..

again,majority votes for ties to UK,hence the name UK=UNITED KINGDOM...

No, I refuse to support a Communist econamy based on CHILD slavery and represion.

Why,do you now use a different type pistol for those mass executions you seem to love showing on TV?

Yes,because your RED masters (you poor unwitting slave) have demolished all the old homes and living areas of your people in order to build showpeice tat for propaganda purposes.

...oh yeh! There it is....



Well you mustn't have much stuff then!!!

More stuff is made outside of China than inside....needs just some attention and abit
of good will...
Not to mention that China not only relies on child labor but they can only throw so much cheap things at the world market because they copy and steal from originals (invented and developed on western countries through hard work) in a huge dimension unhindered by chinese law and pay their workers substandard wages.

Yes, I've never bought a fair trade item with a 'made in China' label on it

Do you think that most of Tibetans want their land to be a part of China ?

An Olympic boycott means nothing. The US tried it in 1980. Most other western countries didn't go along.

Politicians will feel good, and the professional athletes who participate in the games will be the only ones screwed.

The most effective boycott is to stop buying Chinese goods, but no government has the guts to do that.