China calls for politics to stay out of Olympics
Updated
China's Vice President has called for politics to stay out of the Olympics, amid mounting pressure on his government over the unrest in Tibet.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speakers: Matt Whitticase, spokesman of the Free Tibet Campaign in London
WHITTICASE: The French President's coming out today saying that a boycott can't be ruled out. It really follows on from political pressure on China that's been growing over the last week. We heard Bernard Kouchner first of all, the French Foreign Secretary saying a boycott was possible, and then Hans-Gert Pottering, the President of the European Parliament also said that a boycott can't be ruled out. So there's clearly growing momentum here, no matter what Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee says that there is no momentum for a boycott. Clearly people are having grave concerns, even the level of brutality that China is showing in its repression of the Tibetan people.
LAM: Well some people are saying that there's nothing to be gained by ruining the games, that perhaps it might be a better idea for world leaders to boycott the opening of the Beijing Games?
WHITTICASE: Well absolutely, and I think that there is a lot of sense in that position. Certainly Free Tibet campaigns and other campaigning groups around the world have been calling some time for targetted boycotts, i.e. high profile public figures not to go to the games, certainly not to go to the opening and closing ceremony and the other diplomatic functions to which dignitaries are invited by the Chinese government in order to endorse the Chinese government as a respectable player on the world stage fully deserving of their hosting an event as prestigious as the Olympics. It's perfectly proper I think for governments, politicians, diplomats, whatever to avoid these ceremonies and avoid endorsing a terrible human rights situation in China. As far as a full boycott is concerned we have never called for it up to now, nor have other Tibet campaigning groups we felt it was unfair to blame athletes. It's hardly their fault that the IOC made a catastrophic mistake of giving the games to Beijing. Having said that the events in Tibet have been so serious over the last ten days or so that we have now put that position under review.
LAM: If people were to take action against the games do you think the leadership in Beijing is likely to take notice?
WHITTICASE: Oh absolutely, there is nothing that the Chinese government is more concerned about than its image on the world stage. It feeds a constant stream of misleading propaganda to the international media, most misleadingly of all I suppose is its claim that it is engaged in a peaceful rise. You will not find one Tibetan in the Tibetan autonomous region or in Tibetan populated areas or provinces such as Xinghai, Gansu or Sichuan that would say to you that the Chinese government is peaceful at all. Given the repression that's happened there the other position that we're taking very strongly is that the Olympic Torch now must absolutely not be allowed to travel through any Tibetan populated areas. It would be abhorrent to see a torch that is mean to symbolise such wonderful values as universalism, the respect for universal fundamental ethical principles as enunciated in the charter to see that torch paraded triumphantly in a cheap propaganda stunt by the Chinese government in front of a cowered and oppressed Tibetan population would be abhorrent, a complete failure of the Olympic charter. And it beggars belief that the IOC is still allowing it to happen.
LAM: Well the state media in China say that over 280 Tibetans have surrendered to Chinese police. What can you tell us about that? What is the situation like in Tibet at the moment?
WHITTICASE: I can tell you from every source I've spoken to that is speaking to Tibetans inside Tibet, either family of theirs or contacts of theirs in the area that they know. I have not heard any reports that Tibetans are surrendering. Tibetans know full well that if they were to turn themselves into the Chinese government having taken part in peaceful protests they face the ruination of their life, they could be executed, they will certainly be in prison for a long time subject to torture and other utterly degrading treatment by the Chinese government. And when the Chinese government really cracks down in the areas where they are to be found they're running away, they're running into the mountains. This is what we hear. I mean I spoke to someone today, a Tibetan in India who'd spoken to a contact in a monastery in Tibet, I obviously can't give the location of that monastery, but they said that the monastery there used to be 200, there's now only two monks left. They've all fled. The Tibetans are in fear of the consequences of being caught by the Chinese state, even for protesting peacefully which is generally what is happening.
