Standing up to China

Denise Oppenhagen
Published: April 12, 2008

I don’t usually think too much of the French. I have only had limited experience in France, but the people I met, while pleasant, did nothing to make my visit easier. I do not know the French language (except to say that I don’t speak French and to count to ten) and expected to have some difficulty when I was there, but no one made any effort to help me out. Even when I tried Spanish, a logical tactic since I was just over the mountains from Spain, all the people I met made me struggle to be understood.

I mention this because it will help you appreciate just how unusual it is that I would compliment the French people. 

But compliment them I must — or at least strongly agree with them. For what? For very publicly demonstrating their frustration with China’s human rights stance in general and treatment of Tibetans in particular. I support their interfering with the travel of the Olympic torch. 

And, although they do tend to be more wacky than I could be, I support those in San Francisco who also demonstrated against China during the torch’s travel there.

Don’t get me wrong — I love the Olympics. To me, meeting an Olympian would be an incredible experience. 

I’ve known people in the past who were Olympic caliber and I have great respect for what they are striving to accomplish. My problem is with China. I personally disagreed with the choice of China as an
Olympic host when it happened years ago. 

I thought, maybe, just maybe, there would be enough international attention that the government of China would change their human rights record. But that hasn’t happened. It’s been known to happen.

But not only has China not changed their human rights record, the country has dug in its heels. Any time they hear criticism of their policies, they warn that politics should not become part of the Olympic
Games. In fact, a justification for the recent crackdown in Tibet is that they don’t want the Tibetans to use the Olympic Games as a venue for challenging the occupation of their nation. 

But if the Chinese feel that politics shouldn’t enter the Olympic Games, they need to look again at Olympic history. This wouldn’t be the first time politics has entered the Olympics. 

Terrorists brought politics into Munich in 1972 when they assassinated Israeli athletes. The United States led the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics over issues of athlete safety. Then the Soviets led a boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. South Africa was banned from the Olympics between 1964 and 1992 due to their system of apartheid government.  China itself boycotted in 1956 through
1980 because of recognition of Taiwan as an independent nation. 

I’m not advocating an athletic boycott of the Olympics. I think the best thing that could happen is for the Chinese to see what freedom looks like. And for the rest of the world to see what is going on (as much as they will be able to at least). But I am advocating an opening ceremony boycott by President Bush. 

For too long, we have handled China with kid gloves. We have “encouraged” them to improve their human rights record while refusing to speak out strongly against their blatant abuses. This is an opportunity — a once in a lifetime opportunity — to really take a stand. 

China is gaining strength on the world stage and if we don’t make a moral stand now, we may lose the chance. 

It needs to be done regardless of Chinese “warnings” against political interference. It is the right thing to do. 

Denise Oppenhagen is a longtime resident of Prince William County and can be reached at .