Protests Over Tibet Cloud Torch Procession to Beijing Olympics

Protests over China's Tibet policy greeted the Olympic Torch today in San Francisco culminating a rash of protests from London and Paris and other European cities and now in the US. Billed as "A Journey of Hope" the Olympic torch is meant to symbolism the eternal peace and brotherhood of the Olympic Games and the ability of countries to lay aside their differences and celebrate the best of their athletes and their accomplishments.

Protests over China's policy in Tibet have grown as the Olympic torch, the visible symbol of the Olympic Games, makes its way towards Beijing, the host of this year's Summer Olympic Games. Pro-Tibetan protestors earlier in the week protested China's crackdown on monks and protesters throughout Tibet and in surrounding areas. Protesters in San Francisco evaded security earlier this week to scale the Golden Gate Bridge and hang Pro-Tibet banners in support of the democratic faction.

In addition, a few American politicians called on President George W. Bush to boycott the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing as a sign of protest over the treatment of protesters in Tibet and the lack of basic human rights afforded them by the Chinese. The British Prime Minister announced on Wednesday that he planned to boycott the opening of the Olympic Games in protest to the Tibetan crackdown.

China's problems in dealing with Tibet have been ongoing for decades and recent protests by Tibet's large Buddhist monk population lead to the recent riots. China claims the uprising is an attempt to embarrass the Chinese government on the eave of the opening of the Olympic Games and blamed the Dalai Lama for instigating the uprising by the Tibetan monks. The Dalai Lama, leader of the world's Buddhist religion, was forced to leave Tibet in 1959 as China strengthened its grip on Tibet. In the ensuing decades, the Dalai Lama has lived and worked in exile, hoping to bring a resolution to the Sino-Tibetan problem.

The Olympic Games have attempted to transcend politics but have come under increasing pressure for ignoring the political practices of host countries. China's record of human rights and basic freedoms has been a source of protest since it was announced that Beijing would be the host of the games for 2008.

In 1936 the International Olympics was hosted by Germany under Adolph Hitler and Socialism. A few faint voices chose to cry out but their echo was almost unheard as the world trembled in fear and tried to appease the German tyrant lest another "war to end all wars" would come from a protest to this show case of tyranny. The cost of apathy was six million Jews, gays, and the mentally ill exterminated as the world's leaders waited hoping Hitler would go away.

Move forward to 2008. Another repressive regime plans to host the International Olympics while it systematically represses a billion people in virtual political and intellectual poverty. China struggles to maintain an outward appearance of progress and moderation in spite of its record on freedom and human rights. The country is extremely sensitive to its portrayal at the Olympics and wants desperately to showcase its modernization to the world. The recent attempt to stifle the Tibetan people was a move to keep protests under control through the summer games and put on a game face for the world.

While the Olympics are about peace and brotherly love, China does not have clean hands on either of these fronts. Their oppression of Tibet and its religious leader, The Dali Lama are well documented. Will the world once again keep quiet as a tyrant stamps out all opposition? Citizens of the world should show their disgust with this tyranny and vote with their dollars, Euros, etc. and sit out the coming Olympics in Beijing.

The Committee that oversees the Olympic Games has announced they will meet later in the week to decide whether the Olympic Torch procession would be discontinued in light of the recent protests. The head of the Olympic committee, speaking from Beijing, today said that protests would have the opposite effect than the one desired on the Chinese government. It is clear the politics of Tibet and mainland China will have a marked effect on at least the unity of the games.