Herald Sun [NC]: No Olympics for China

June 11, 2001

The International Olympic Committee will choose the 2008 host city this July. Its promotional campaign is "Celebrate Humanity." China is courting (and considered the front runner for) the 2008 Olympics. It wants the world to "celebrate humanity" in Beijing. For many Chinese, however, there will not be any celebrations.

Despite the years of so-called opening up and reform, the Chinese government has been intensifying its persecution and human rights abuse against groups like Falun Gong, Tibetans, democracy advocates, Christian house-churches, etc. More than 50,000 have been arbitrarily detained, 10,000 put in labor camps, 600 sent to mental hospitals and destroyed with drugs, 150 sentenced to long-term prison sentences, and 200 tortured to death while in custody. Amnesty International recently listed Chinese president Jiang Zemin as one of its human rights "scoundrels."

Please, all kind-hearted people, speak up and express your opinions. IOC's address is Chateau de Vidy, Case Postale 356, 1007 Lausanne,Switzerland.