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Why doesn't the IOC pull out of the Beijing games?

By John Hirst

Why doesn't the IOC pull out of the Beijing games?

Given that...

"CHINA has reversed a key pledge made ahead of the Olympic Games with an announcement that it will censor the internet used by foreign media".

George Clooney states he is against a boycott "It's always more important to keep a line of communication open".

However, this is the problem, the Chinese authorities in relation to the internet are not keeping the lines of communication open.

"With the games scheduled to open on August 8, Amnesty International issued a scathing assessment of China's record on Tuesday, saying many of its citizens' protections and freedoms have shrunk since Beijing won the right to hold the Olympics".

I could well understand it if the Chinese mentioned Guantanamo Bay to George Bush when he mentioned that "human rights and religious freedom should not be denied to anyone".

If the Chinese authorities put as much effort into securing human rights in China as they are doing for the Beijing games, this would be a welcome sign. Instead they are sticking up two fingers, not just to the IOC and Bush but also to the rest of the world.

If China likes censorship so much, perhaps they should be censored from holding the 08 08 08 Olympic games?

UPDATE: Beijing 2008 Was a Bad Bet by the International Olympic Committee

The IOC bet on China improving, and has lost the bet. It is being claimed that it is now time to pay.

Full post as published by prisonlawinsideout on July 30, 2008 (boomark / email).