Academic

Time for Olympic Change

By firstamendmentblogger

I suppose some members of the International Olympic Committee hoped to focus world attention on human rights abuses in China when it awarded the 2008 games to Beijing.  But two months shy of opening ceremonies there's not much reform to cheer about.  Reporters Without Borders labels China "the worlds biggest prison for journalists and cyber-dissidents" and links to dispiriting headlines like Journalist gets four years for exposing Communist party corruption in Shandong and Tiananmen Square massacre still a taboo subject in press and online on 19th anniversary.  Human Rights Watch reports that Rights Lawyers Face Disbarment Threats and 130 Tiananmen protesters remain behind bars.

The Olympic Charter encourages "respect for human dignity" and "fundamental ethical principles."  It describes "the practice of sport" as a "human right," and states that discrimination on the basis of "race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic movement."  But host countries themselves are not required to follow the rule of law or protect fundamental freedoms.  Thus, Beijing 2008. 

With the prize already in hand, China has shown little willingness to play by the rules.  But maybe the rules are part of the problem.  In a press release on Friday Reporters Without Borders called on the IOC to make "respect for human rights and freedom of expression" part of the official citing criteria.  No response yet from the IOC or whether the US, which itself has dropped the ball on human rights, would favor such a move.  But its an overdue change - one that might have made a difference (however small) in China, and might encourage some concessions from the US ahead of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 games. 

-Kathleen A. Bergin

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on June 08, 2008 (boomark / email).