Politicians boycott opening of Olympics in Beijing
The Prime Minister of Great Britain Gordon Brown is going to miss the Olympic Games in Beijing in August 2008.
However, the Minister is going to attend the closing ceremony. Brown is feeling the pressure of human rights defenders demanding that he should boycott the opening ceremony of the future Olympics in connection with events in Tibet.
The French President Nicolas Sarkozy has also announced his desire to miss the ceremony. It will happen if the Chinese authorities do not release political prisoners and do not start negotiations with Dalai Lama. Senator Hilary Clinton, a democratic candidate for the post of the head of the White House has asked the US President to do the same thing. She thinks that the American leader should not attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing until China changes its policy concerning Tibet.
However, leaders of the majority of states do not support such appeals of supporters of the independence of Tibet. The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge also stressed it. In spite of some politicians’ statements, a total boycott of the Olympics in Beijing is not considered at the moment, he noted.
However, the Minister is going to attend the closing ceremony. Brown is feeling the pressure of human rights defenders demanding that he should boycott the opening ceremony of the future Olympics in connection with events in Tibet.
The French President Nicolas Sarkozy has also announced his desire to miss the ceremony. It will happen if the Chinese authorities do not release political prisoners and do not start negotiations with Dalai Lama. Senator Hilary Clinton, a democratic candidate for the post of the head of the White House has asked the US President to do the same thing. She thinks that the American leader should not attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing until China changes its policy concerning Tibet.
However, leaders of the majority of states do not support such appeals of supporters of the independence of Tibet. The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge also stressed it. In spite of some politicians’ statements, a total boycott of the Olympics in Beijing is not considered at the moment, he noted.
