European Leaders To Boycott Olympic Opening

[babylonsister]

Merkel Says She Will Not Attend Opening of Beijing Olympics
by Ian Traynor in Brussels and Jonathan Watts in Beijing


The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, yesterday became the first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing.



As pressure built for concerted western protests to China over the crackdown in Tibet, EU leaders prepared to discuss the crisis for the first time today, amid a rift over whether to boycott the Olympics.

The disclosure that Germany is to stay away from the games’ opening ceremonies in August could encourage President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to join in a gesture of defiance and complicate Gordon Brown’s determination to attend the Olympics.

Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, became the first EU head of government to announce a boycott on Thursday and he was promptly joined by President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic, who had previously promised to travel to Beijing.

“The presence of politicians at the inauguration of the Olympics seems inappropriate,” Tusk said. “I do not intend to take part.”

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http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/29/7971/

[rockymountaindem]

1. Good for them n/t

[Clear Blue Sky]

2. Empty gesture.

The European athletes will be there and the games will go on as usual.

[babylonsister]

3. Not to me; I know the dimson has said he'd be going. I think it'd

be a grand gesture if he didn't. But he's not known for grand gestures.

[tekisui]

4. As of right now.....

[sandnsea]

5. We knew what China was

It's wrong to give them the Olympics and then expect the athletes to not attend. Boycotting the ceremonies is a good method to express displeasure. Maybe the athletes themselves can boycott the ceremonies. But I think part of the point of having them there is to open China up more, so it's kind of stupid to sabatoge that opportunity.

[Zynx]

7. I was personally opposed to giving China the games in the first place.

Their human rights record is nothing short of disgusting. They also are raping their environment in an astonishing fashion. I think the international community was pushed into accepting China as is by the business community through extensive lobbying and we never really looked closely at what was going on there. China has made it clear they have no intention of opening up.

[sandnsea]

9. I blame our own corporations

for China's problems. I think it is the height of hypocrisy to have a hissy fit about China when it's our own greediness that creates the majority of problems in their country, aside from the political oppression. You can't even get most DUers to take a look at where their investments go, let alone significantly change their buying patterns. And half the Democrats are electing the people who gave us this China policy in the first place?? Pssht. Nation of self-centered hypocrites. If China is good enough to produce the majority of products sold in this country, then it's good enough for the Olympics.

[Zynx]

6. There will be increasing pressure in general. China is acting deplorably.

[SoCalDem]

8. Georgie will be there wearing

[Rydz777]

10. It's not much but it's better than nothing. Bush being there will

shame us, as usual.